Maimane admits to having problems with Die Stem

daveza said:
It's like the bible - you can't just use the nice bits ;)
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They do though :D

Nkosi Sikilel' talks about the horn of africa...

Not relevant AT ALL, unless them mean Zumadong?
 
daveza said:
It's like the bible - you can't just use the nice bits ;)
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The actual Stem doesn't even exist any more - it used to. They only incorporated a single part of it into the current anthem, you should not read it as part of the old anthem.
 
Dump die stem. Dump Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika. Write a new anthem. Hell - let's adopt "Everything is Awesome" from the Lego movie. Whatever. Let's just move on already and focus on real world issues.
 
Die Stem evokes fond memories of primary school assembly for me, but my attachment to it is superficial and sentimental. Can it, and the rest of our cobbled-together mess of a 'national' anthem. We have fantastic musicians and songwriters across an amazing cultural spectrum; with a bit of initiative we can craft something indigenous, unique to South Africa and all her people. In English. So people on the international stage can follow what we're on about.

I can find some recordings of Die Stem on Youtube I can play once every decade or so, whenever I feel like reminiscing about my long lost youth.
 
Pride and patriotism has long gone. Could not care less about a flag or anthem to represent this divided country.
 
unskinnybob said:
Dump die stem. Dump Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika. Write a new anthem. Hell - let's adopt "Everything is Awesome" from the Lego movie. Whatever. Let's just move on already and focus on real world issues.
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+1000. I don't think the Afrikaans part is that important for us as Afrikaners to stay.

They should let the public send in new proposals.
 
As an English speaker always feel a bit biased about suggesting things should be in English. Get a new one, honestly don't care what language it's as long as it can be belted out properly at sporting events.:D
 
Cray said:
As an English speaker always feel a bit biased about suggesting things should be in English. Get a new one, honestly don't care what language it's as long as it can be belted out properly at sporting events.:D
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English makes sense. The rest of the world can understand it as well. Not that they'd care, or even hear it that often.
 
Ho3n3r said:
English makes sense. The rest of the world can understand it as well. Not that they'd care, or even hear it that often.
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IMHO it's not so much the words, the language or the fact that other people understand the meaning. It's a credo unifying and representing all the citizens of a country. "Die stem" sadly is associated by many with apartheid South Africa. The true origins of the new republic starting after the end of the second anglo boer war has little to no relevance today. Just like the old flag, still largely held on to mostly by people ignorant to it's true origins and meaning and mostly by ignorant people who believe their race superior to others. The new flag symbolises a new South Africa. Let's do the same with an anthem. Happy to support scrapping "die stem" despite having ancestors who took part in and died in English concentartion kamps a looooooong time ago. Just as the Afrikaner and the English living in SA have put their beef to rest, so should everyone else.

My 5 cents.
 
unskinnybob said:
IMHO it's not so much the words, the language or the fact that other people understand the meaning. It's a credo unifying and representing all the citizens of a country. "Die stem" sadly is associated by many with apartheid South Africa. The true origins of the new republic starting after the end of the second anglo boer war has little to no relevance today. Just like the old flag, still largely held on to mostly by people ignorant to it's true origins and meaning and mostly by ignorant people who believe their race superior to others. The new flag symbolises a new South Africa. Let's do the same with an anthem. Happy to support scrapping "die stem" despite having ancestors who took part in and died in English concentartion kamps a looooooong time ago. Just as the Afrikaner and the English living in SA have put their beef to rest, so should everyone else.

My 5 cents.
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Well said.
 
unskinnybob said:
IMHO it's not so much the words, the language or the fact that other people understand the meaning. It's a credo unifying and representing all the citizens of a country. "Die stem" sadly is associated by many with apartheid South Africa. The true origins of the new republic starting after the end of the second anglo boer war has little to no relevance today. Just like the old flag, still largely held on to mostly by people ignorant to it's true origins and meaning and mostly by ignorant people who believe their race superior to others. The new flag symbolises a new South Africa. Let's do the same with an anthem. Happy to support scrapping "die stem" despite having ancestors who took part in and died in English concentartion kamps a looooooong time ago. Just as the Afrikaner and the English living in SA have put their beef to rest, so should everyone else.

My 5 cents.
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thumbs up to you!!!

I agree scrap the whole thing and start fresh with an anthem that everyone can get behind!!
 
Die Stem, while the anthem of apartheid South Africa had nothing to do with apartheid, having been written 30 years before it started.

It's a beautiful anthem and the words filled me with pride.
 
unskinnybob said:
IMHO it's not so much the words, the language or the fact that other people understand the meaning. It's a credo unifying and representing all the citizens of a country. "Die stem" sadly is associated by many with apartheid South Africa. The true origins of the new republic starting after the end of the second anglo boer war has little to no relevance today. Just like the old flag, still largely held on to mostly by people ignorant to it's true origins and meaning and mostly by ignorant people who believe their race superior to others. The new flag symbolises a new South Africa. Let's do the same with an anthem. Happy to support scrapping "die stem" despite having ancestors who took part in and died in English concentartion kamps a looooooong time ago. Just as the Afrikaner and the English living in SA have put their beef to rest, so should everyone else.

My 5 cents.
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Let's scrap everything associated with apartheid and see what's left.
 
unskinnybob said:
IMHO it's not so much the words, the language or the fact that other people understand the meaning. It's a credo unifying and representing all the citizens of a country. "Die stem" sadly is associated by many with apartheid South Africa. The true origins of the new republic starting after the end of the second anglo boer war has little to no relevance today. Just like the old flag, still largely held on to mostly by people ignorant to it's true origins and meaning and mostly by ignorant people who believe their race superior to others. The new flag symbolises a new South Africa. Let's do the same with an anthem. Happy to support scrapping "die stem" despite having ancestors who took part in and died in English concentartion kamps a looooooong time ago. Just as the Afrikaner and the English living in SA have put their beef to rest, so should everyone else.

My 5 cents.
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100% agreed.
 
I like the anthem as it is now, as a combination of Nkosi Sikelel and Die Stem :cry:

There is nothing in the lyrics that is offensive or unusual compared to any other anthems, it's in multiple languages which reflects the diversity of the country, and I actually like the tune.

In my mind it speaks to taking only the best of the old and combining it with the new to move forward as a united nation.
 
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Ringing out from our blue heavens,
From our deep seas breaking round,
Over everlasting mountains,
Where the echoing crags resound!
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The only thing that can be wrong with this is the language. I bet the language most painfully reminds of apartheid. We are going to be scratching that too?
 
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