Very good article about that De La Rey Song

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Darth Garth

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The question goes out, and the response is always the same.
"I'm proud of my language and culture. Are you?" Bok van Blerk demands of the emotionally charged crowd.

Up goes the cheer, and then comes the song - an Afrikaans folk number about a Boer war general that has become a sensation in South Africa as an anthem for young whites who say they are tired of being made to feel guilty about the apartheid past.

The song, De La Rey, has swept into rugby matches and pubs where Afrikaners belt out its plea for the old Boer general to come back and lead. Many stand with a hand over their heart as they sing the lyrics about a "nation that will rise up again" as if it were a national anthem.

But while the song is a best seller among South Africa's 2.5 million Afrikaners, it is also generating a heated debate about what its success means.

Some see its popularity as the beginnings of a reassertion of Afrikaner identity from the ashes of apartheid. Others view it as an attempt to rebrand Afrikaners from oppressors to victims by casting back to their suffering at the hands of the British as an analogy for the perceived injustices of life under black rule. South Africa's arts minister, Pallo Jordan, has even warned that the song risks being hijacked by extreme rightwingers as a "call to arms". One rugby ground tried to ban it but backed down in the face of public outrage.

Bok van Blerk characterises De La Rey as a stand against historic guilt.

"Young Afrikaners are tired of having the apartheid guilt trip shoved down their throats. This song makes them proud of their heritage," he said.

The song is about an Afrikaner Boer war general, Koos de la Rey, who opposed war with the British because he did not believe the Afrikaner republics could win. But once war began de la Rey threw himself into the fight, playing a heroic role in the British defeat at Magersfontein.

Along with lyrics about the "Khakis" razing Boer homesteads, and women and children perishing in concentration camps, it is the chorus that strikes home.

"General De la Rey

De la Rey, De la Rey

Will you come for the Boers?

We are ready"

The song has been portrayed in the Afrikaans press as a rallying cry for leadership which evaporated with the end of apartheid in 1994. The Afrikaner writer, Rian Malan, said the emotional impact of De La Rey caught everyone by surprise but reflects a deep-seated feeling among many whites that they do not belong in South Africa any more. Hundreds of thousands have decamped to London, Sydney and other foreign cities.

"Afrikaners were so vilified in the latter years of apartheid and they were so relieved at it ending that they just kept their heads down and put up with any **** for the first 10 years of the democratic experiment," he said.

"Afrikaners don't know where they fit in. The ANC and the comfortable class of Afrikaners have been very good at managing the Afrikaner problem. They lulled the rightwing with talk of a "volkstat" (homeland) some day. It's been very skilfully managed. The Afrikaans press carries some of the blame because they ignored the painful issues, they bought into the rainbow nation myth, they didn't rock the ideological boat."

But resentment has grown over affirmative action programmes in favour of non-whites which some Afrikaners see as a new form of apartheid.

There is also bitterness at the marginalisation of Afrikaans as a language by the state even though it is the most widely spoken in South Africa, and a perception that the government is attempting to eradicate Afrikaner culture by changing the names of roads, airports and cities, particularly Pretoria.

But another prominent Afrikaner writer, Max du Preez, is more suspicious. He sees the song as an attempt to latch on to a time when Afrikaners were not only victims but heralded in many parts of the world as anti-colonialists standing up to the British empire.

"There's an element here of a search for identity, a search for pride," he said. "They had to go back 100 years to find a hero to praise because there was nothing in between. After the Anglo-Boer war there is nobody in Afrikaner history that you can glorify except maybe rugby players."

Du Preez sees the song as cover for resentment at the post-apartheid order.

"When they sing about how nasty the British were to the Boer women in the concentration camps and "general come and lead us because we will fall around you", they're not thinking about the British, they're thinking about blacks. Their enemy is now black."

"Afrikaners don't have a cause anymore. They have become their own cause over stuff like affirmative action and crime."

Others say it is unfair to accuse Afrikaners of a rightwing backlash whenever they express their cultural identity.

But at concerts the song is often accompanied by demonstrations of loyalty to the old order. Some people wave the former South African flag, others follow up "De La Rey" with a rendition of "Die Stem", the apartheid-era national anthem.

Bok van Blerk says he is embarrassed by such displays but earlier this month he performed before an audience in Afrikaner-only "Orania", a village that its residents hope will form the nucleus of a white homeland. The singer also had a meeting with one of 22 men on trial as members of the far right Boeremag (Farmers force), who are accused of treason and murder for a series of bombings aimed at destabilising the government.Still, it is telling that while the Boeremag members on trial may win sympathy from some Afrikaners for their grievances there is minimal support for their methods or aims.

As Max de Preez says, this is because the vast majority of whites, Afrikaners included, have continued to prosper under black rule. "The kids standing in the pubs in Pretoria with their hand on their heart, and their wild eyes, go outside and they get into their BMW convertibles. They're not suffering. It's an imagined suffering," he said.
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From The Guardian.

Max as usual nails it rather well.
 
Isn't it time for this song to die and disappear into distant memory already? Max sure knows how to get on the bandwagon.
 
I wonder what percentage of these youths know the history of the Anglo-Boer war.
 
As Max de Preez says, this is because the vast majority of whites, Afrikaners included, have continued to prosper under black rule. "The kids standing in the pubs in Pretoria with their hand on their heart, and their wild eyes, go outside and they get into their BMW convertibles. They're not suffering. It's an imagined suffering," he said.
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Max du Preez obviously shuts his eyes for the misery among the whites in areas such as Danville.

Max du Preez obviously shuts his eyes for those who were trampled on in the name of Affirmative Action and the likes.

Max du Preez obviously ignores things like youngsters applying for positions in the civil service and have their applications torn up in front of them by junior clerks because there is no space for whites in the civil service.

Max du Preez obviously has to learn a lot of social dynamics among the Afrikaners.

De la Rey De la Rey is giving a voice to the frustrations of many capable youngsters.
 
tibby.dude said:
From The Guardian.

Max as usual nails it rather well.
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Very nice article indeed.I fully agree with him. Max is one of my most favourate writers. He has a way of eloquently putting everything into just the right context. I now await the avalanche of indignant posts from the usual suspects.....................................:D
 
Bok van Blerk says he is embarrassed by such displays but earlier this month he performed before an audience in Afrikaner-only "Orania", a village that its residents hope will form the nucleus of a white homeland. The singer also had a meeting with one of 22 men on trial as members of the far right Boeremag (Farmers force), who are accused of treason and murder for a series of bombings aimed at destabilising the government.Still, it is telling that while the Boeremag members on trial may win sympathy from some Afrikaners for their grievances there is minimal support for their methods or aims.
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You emphasis above.

Bok van Blerk says he is embarrassed by such displays but earlier this month he performed before an audience in Afrikaner-only "Orania", a village that its residents hope will form the nucleus of a white homeland. The singer also had a meeting with one of 22 men on trial as members of the far right Boeremag (Farmers force), who are accused of treason and murder for a series of bombings aimed at destabilising the government.Still, it is telling that while the Boeremag members on trial may win sympathy from some Afrikaners for their grievances there is minimal support for their methods or aims.
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My emphasis above.

As Max de Preez says, this is because the vast majority of whites, Afrikaners included, have continued to prosper under black rule. "The kids standing in the pubs in Pretoria with their hand on their heart, and their wild eyes, go outside and they get into their BMW convertibles. They're not suffering. It's an imagined suffering," he said.
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Humans only become dangerous if they have nothing left to loose. History to be repeated???

Del la Rey, Del la Rey - Sal jy die Boere kom lei Del la Rey...;)
 
Why don't we just ban all songs, then maybe I won't have to hear that BS Zuma song again!
 
Glad to say I don't know the De La Rey Song (checks title.) Except the obscure references on this forum (and as I didn't read the opening post I still don't know/anything about it.)

And Kommedoor: very funny sig (shall I post your original jew/black hating hitler quote/sig here?)
 
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LOL Kilo - are you still on about that?? Even after I apologised?

PS - Glad you think it is funny, I'll keep it then:p
 
Can't say I remember seeing that apology (did see lots of other stuff though.)

I require no preferential treatment or special sig credentials.

Keep it if you wish (but your username and comments) will forever be part of the record (as will the original removal.)

Sorry, no humour in a racist, lying world: this be just one more example. :(
 
But another prominent Afrikaner writer, Max du Preez, is more suspicious. He sees the song as an attempt to latch on to a time when Afrikaners were not only victims but heralded in many parts of the world as anti-colonialists standing up to the British empire.
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Err.... We will always remember and be proud. We are still proud about it.
Never, never has that stopped, why revive something that didn't stop?

"There's an element here of a search for identity, a search for pride," he said. "They had to go back 100 years to find a hero to praise because there was nothing in between. After the Anglo-Boer war there is nobody in Afrikaner history that you can glorify except maybe rugby players."
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As jy so sê tjom...

General Smuts, with his actions in the world war era, is a hero from less than 100 years ago. Ex-President De Klerk, a man to be admired.
There are more,but, it depends on what qualities makes a hero in your eyes.

Du Preez sees the song as cover for resentment at the post-apartheid order.
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Well, lots of people don't like the current order, but that is not to say they approved of the old order. This one is making just as many mistakes.

"When they sing about how nasty the British were to the Boer women in the concentration camps and "general come and lead us because we will fall around you", they're not thinking about the British, they're thinking about blacks. Their enemy is now black."
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It just must be that!

Or not...

Maybe, just maybe, people are angry at a goverment which fails to protect them.
Now suddenly, many upon many young afrikaners are seeing the black people as enemies? I highly doubt that is the case.


Others say it is unfair to accuse Afrikaners of a rightwing backlash whenever they express their cultural identity.
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Good point. Listen to these people.

As Max de Preez says, this is because the vast majority of whites, Afrikaners included, have continued to prosper under black rule. "The kids standing in the pubs in Pretoria with their hand on their heart, and their wild eyes, go outside and they get into their BMW convertibles. They're not suffering. It's an imagined suffering," he said.
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Well, some whites are prospering, economically. Unfortunately, that is not all that matters. One can suffer in many a different way. Having friends and family brutally murdered causes much pain and suffering.

Also, that "kids" standing in the "bar in pretoria" are a part of the future of this country. There are educated professionals, there are students in those bars. People who will work hard and help keep the country going. They all are part of the future of this country and they deserve the due recognition. Don't even think of looking down on them. If anything, they should be looking down on an arrogant writer.
 
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There is also bitterness at the marginalisation of Afrikaans as a language by the state even though it is the most widely spoken in South Africa
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Is this true? I grew up in Durban, so please excuse my ignorance. I always thought Afrikaans was in a minority:rolleyes:
 
Lol, Durban is quite unique I think. Bare in mind that most of KZN was defended by the Brits during the war. Pinetown infact was born out of a concentration camp.

I was once up in Pogrieterus (sp?) , I felt like I was in a different country I struggled to find anyone who spoke broken english let alone fluent english.
 
Bageloo said:
Is this true? I grew up in Durban, so please excuse my ignorance. I always thought Afrikaans was in a minority:rolleyes:
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I think it may be due to the previous regimes policies... Can't say for sure though, but it would make sense. Many of the younger people I know can only speak basic afrikaans, but most of them can almost fully understand it.

anyways, haven't come accross many that can't speak or understand a bit of afrikaans.
 
Afrikaans marginalised?? Please, countless amount of radio stations who broadcast in Afrikaans, not only is there dedicated Afrikaans programming on SABC and Mnet, there are also two afrikaans channels on DSTV!

Only English and Afrikaans enjoy such prominance in our society.

Maybe it is just a "perception of marginalisation"?:D
 
I had a 'de la rey' experience in a pub one the way back from Kimberley last Saturday.

Now at the time I was a tad concerned as I am as English as they come. An Englishman living in Bloem of all places. So one can imagine my concern when the song starts to play and all the old lads start singing and casting looks in my direction ;)

However nothing untoward came to pass and we had many more beers and left.

Since this incident I've been doing some mulling about this song and I've come to the conclusion that even as a perceived target for this song (i.e not Afrikaans and on the side of the songs 'baddies') I still feel that the Afrikaners as a whole should feel proud of their heritage and as far as I'm concerned be able to express themselves as they see fit.

Young Afrikaners of today have every right to feel that the current government is giving them the short end of the stick and if singing or listening to this song gives them a hope or belief in the future then why seek to extinguish this?

Many ethnic groups around the world have similar songs, and now finally the Afrikaners have theirs. Let them be.
 
Afrikaans is widely used in South Africa and a language of choice for many. Particularly in the Western Cape, Northern Cape, North West, free state and limpopo provinces.

Mostly because the past regime vigourously and violently promoted its usage. The June 1976 uprisings were as a response to the imposition of afrikaans as a medium of instruction.

From Wiki : Geographically, the Afrikaans language is the majority language of the western one-third of South Africa (Northern and Western Cape, spoken at home by 69% and 58%, respectively). It is also the largest first language in the adjacent southern one-third of Namibia (Hardap and Karas, where it is the first language of 43% and 41%, respectively). It is the most widely used second language throughout both of these countries for the population as a whole, although the younger generation has better proficiency in English.
 
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