Dubula ibhulu: Shoot the Boer/Farmer [and why we need to embrace this song]

 

[Possibly as good a time as any to remind readers that while i don’t necessarily agree with all the points made in every post that is published on my blog, i do believe that the conversation and engagement with pieces like this is absolutely invaluable and i think it is so helpful to know and understand why people around us are thinking what they are. If you agree or disagree with anything in this post, jump into the comments section and let’s engage, but play nice]

PW Botha once said: “the black man is only as good as singing and digging”. There is one thing that PW Botha never understood and that is the songs sung are not just songs they are an expression of the heart. The anger of the black people were carried in songs, therefore when PW Botha spoke about singing what he was talking about was the emotions of the blacks expressed in singing. It’s sad that he pointed out two contradicting actions, one was externally motivated (slavery) that is digging and the other was internally exasperated by the emotions (anger from hatred of slavery). This makes music a very powerful tool of expression. I was amazed when I heard that amazing grace was written by John Newton and the melody of the song is a black slave kind of melody and rhythm. This song was written as a conviction that slavery was wrong! What is more interesting about this song “amazing grace” is that the writer even uses the slavery rhythmic sound.

We need to understand that songs were a motivation, they were sung with a meaning, they were sung with a mission and they were sung with goals. There is a song that got Malema into hot ashes (Dubula ibhulu) that song was a motivation at the time. It was a response to a monstrous system that was tutoring the black child at the time.  I do think and believe that “Dubula ibhulu” must be part of our history the rich history of South Afrika. I think this song as it was composed at the time it played a very vital role in encouraging those who were involved in the armed struggle. It should be part of the education of children today such that they would know then strength behind the things that they take for granted. Let me just try to expose the relevance of this song during the time:

1) In this time the people who were involved in the armed struggle went to fighting without being well resourced in-terms of weapons. The price was high and there were more chances of dying and being arrested. Because there were many who used Pangas, stones and petrol bombs as compared to those who were carrying guns there had to be a kind of motivation.  Now the motivation either came from the cause itself of-which I do think that mostly it came from the cause. But also remember that the cause only has the power to drive an individual but the song carries the power to unite a group of people singing the same song and being driven towards the same goal this means that this song at this time was vital for retaliation regardless of the limitations. therefore this song must be part of our heritage.

2)   In the battlefield not so many intellectuals were involved but they were only involved in the intellectual and diplomatic engagements with whites in trying to convince the whites that “we are also humans”. The only intellectuals who took a different approach from this kind of approach were only found in the 1960’s where PAC leadership was entirely arrested under the leadership of Robert Mangaliso Sobukhwe. This means that mostly people who were foot soldiers were uneducated as a result I have learned that many of the people who went into exile for military training of different political organisations are not so well resourced in terms of political education. Now the political education is never separate from resistance hence Steve Biko when defining black consciousness he does not leave out the process of resistance. Now if there is no much of political education what would have motivated the resistance if not a song? This song motivated the martyrs not to back down, not to retreat and not to surrender but to soldier on. therefore this song must be part of our heritage.

3)  Also songs tells stories of a particular time, I think for those who did not live in the cities where they would know and understand the current issues regarding the struggle they would listen to songs and understand what more or less is happening. I remember as a young boy growing up there was a song that went like “Oliver Thambo thetha no botha akhulule u Mandela” (Oliver Tambo speak with Botha to release Mandela). Just by this song without being told of what was happening at the time anyone can just tell that Mandela is arrested and Mandela is the hope of the people and the current leader they have is Oliver Tambo. Now this shows that songs summarized issues. Now “dubula ibhulu” was a summary or what we can possible call a program of action for the time.  Now if we all believe that every response that blacks gave as resistance was right in every right then this song should be embraced by us all. This song must be part of our heritage.

I further think that if we truly believe that every act of resistance that was during the apartheid years played a major role in bringing about what we see today and we do love and embrace what we see and also want for more than this in terms of improving and building up the country then the song “dubula ibhulu” is very much part of that hopes and actions and celebrations. I fail to understand why would we celebrate the picture of Hector Pieterson (The June 16 picture) and yet despise such a revolutionary song. Also as much as that picture of Hector Pieterson played such an incredible role in bringing about what we see today then “dubula ibhulu” is not less. I think in our museums we should have the lyrics of this song written because it carries so much pain and so much resistance in it.

The argument that this song incites violence and it led to the killing of Eugene Terreblanche I totally disagree with it. The thing is more black people are dying in our communities and there is no song that is sang that says “kill the blacks”. It is in the black townships where the murder rate is so high and not in the farms or suburbs where white people are found. Therefore more than anything else I think this song is a political statement and it is confrontational to the status quo if it was not then we would enjoy this song. The reason why there are some of us that are scared when this song is sang it is simple because the past is following them or they are still holding on to the past. This song when we look at it today we should see that it meant to pull down the system, to dis-anchor the superiority of one over the other. If I were to ask how many people died because this song was sang? I don’t think there will even be one reason being people don’t die because songs are sang. Im just reminded of a song by Lil Wayne (an American rapper) which says “I feel like dying” I have never heard of any person who listened to this song and committed suicide afterwards. I am imagining a country where both white and blacks sings this song together because it helped bringing salvation to those who were superior and those who were inferior but can we sing the same song if we live two different lives? Can we sing the same song if we live in two different worlds? I think part of the reason why this song is hard to sing for some is basically the guilt of the package of the past that we still carrying.

I can still remember that this song got Malema into court, there were complaints from members of the FF+. I can recall one of the intelligent responses of Malema in court he said “When Chris Hani was killed we were walking in streets of white suburbs and we were angry because the great leader who carried hope for us was killed, and we knew that he was killed by a white person but as angry as we were we never killed anyone for that, now today why would we kill anyone?” Either we must admit that there is a white and a black problem in South Afrika, or we continue to lie to ourselves. The problem is bigger than a song maybe a song does raise what is already there. If the white and the black problem was solved then we wouldn’t be worried of who sings what. Maybe new songs would have been composed that speaks of the current state of south Afrika. But because South Afrika is the same as the past then this makes “dubula ibhulu” more appealing to the person who was singing “dubula ibhulu” anfd makes “dubula ibhulu” bitter to whom “dubula ibhulu” was bitter. If anything was different then our reaction towards the song would have been different but because things are still the same then we have the same response. I am quite sure that there are many black people who feels like singing this song as they are confronted by whiteness daily. Whiteness confronts them at work place, schools, streets and everywhere else. Some are confronted by whiteness by being thought to be prostitutes, some same whiteness by being mistaken to a robber. Some are confronted by whiteness in toilets, where there are toilets written “whites only” 24 years later.

Who wouldn’t feel like singing this song if they were faced by the same realities of the past. I think this song comes because everything that is happening around these people is reminding them about the past where this song was relevant. Remember that the relevance of this song were determined by the conditions, now if the conditions defines the times when this song was relevant then shouldn’t this song be sung? This song again I say must be part of our heritage if we truly living in a new South Afrika but if not then let’s not sing this song so that our tolerance towards one another can be kept successfully.

I think also that a song carries the past and it talks about the present and it shapes how we can view the future, for example look into the church history we find the very reformation being recorded and written as hymns. According to Ps Hombana, Hymns dealt with and deals with the conscience of the person. Hymns dealt with the inner man of a person, and they deal with such today. It was a situation of the black people that lead Tiyo Soga to write the hymn “Lizalise idinga lakho”, this song was a composition from the pain of Tiyo Soga when the Xhosa people were misled by nongqawuse to kill their cows such that this event in particular had a direct impact with slavery in SA. Now to the black people songs are an expression and motivation. The power of songs gave birth to factionalism in the politics of the ANC such that when Mbeki was to be removed there was a song that went like “u Zuma lo my president”. To us as black people we sing when in pain, we sing when happy we sing when working. Even in the circumcision school there are songs that are sang for that particular circumstance. Those are motivated by the situation there. Now to the black people songs are not just composed, for even our national anthem “Nkosi Sikelela I Afrika” this was a prayer. A deep and emotional prayer of a liberation fighter who saw the situation of black Afrika as not a blessing from God. This triggered a prayer that God may bless Afrika!!! Enoch Sontonga expressed his prayer in a song. Many revolutions were born from songs that were composed by individuals for groups. Songs were also sang as a form of preserving the truth in the olden days. That is the reason why one would find that in a middle of a story (fairy tale) there’s normally a song. This makes songs to be part of our heritage, unfortunately we are new in this whole thing of literature, and then this means that our heritage is still carried in songs and stories. if we were living in a new south Afrika we would all celebrate this song but because we are still not convinced that all that was happening in the past was wrong, we continuing with what was happening in the past today and when the reaction of the past (in a song is made) we start to get worried. This song must be part of the South Afrikan heritage.

Brett Fish: For the sake of those who do not know the song, here are the words and the translation:

Ayesab’ amagwala (Cowards are scared)
Dubula! dubula! dubula nge s’bhamu (Shoot, shoot, shoot them with a gun)
Dubul’ ibhunu (Shoot the boer)
Dubula! dubula! dubula nge s’bhamu (Shoot, shoot, shoot them with a gun)
Mama, ndiyeke ndidubul’ ibhunu (Ma, let me shoot the Boer)
Dubula! dubula! dubula nge s’bhamu (Shoot, shoot, shoot them with a gun)
Ziyareypa lezinja (These dogs rape)
Dubula! dubula! dubula nge s’bhamu (Shoot, shoot, shoot them with a gun)

[For other important conversations relating to Race and Reconciliation, click here]

 

the malzumbenray files part judging the (tangled) knot

THE SETUP

so i have been thinking about this quite a lot lately, especially after i received a mail immediately after my last you-got-to-be-kidding-malema post from my friend mel lovingly rebuking me or at the very least challenging me on my bash-the-leader stance [if the Bible says respect and pray for your leaders who God has putten over you…] which was really great and a whole thort in itself

[the confrontation from Mel i mean, which was completely done in love and although not necessarily what i wanted to hear – who likes to hear ‘you are the man!’ statements about being out of line – very definitely largely, if not completely, correct. Imagine if the whole church took her role of rebuke-in-love seriously, how much chaos – and some included in the role players of this note – would be avoided]

I don’t really know the answer. There are definitely some principles. And some verses from the Bible that confuse me. And so i am trying to make sense of it all. Hoping my theologically minded original-greek-of-the-word ‘flatulatolos’ friends will throw in some light (cough Sean du Toit cough!)

So here are the situations – president of the country Jacob Zuma who i believe has made some outlandish and potentially dangerous statements (both in word and action) especially with regards to Aids (as previous head of some Aids forum he stated during one scandal that he had a shower after having sex to prevent himself from getting Aids) in terms of the man-in-the-street seeing that and thinking it is truth (so potentially life threatening)

Julius Malema, head of the ANC Youth League who is in the newspapers almost daily for some or other next scandal (the latest which was allegedly – i say ‘allegedly’ because the ANC denied he sang the song after explaining why it was okay that he sang the song and despite a reporter having it on tape – singing a song containing the phrase “kill the boers, they are rapists” followed by a few unrelated incidents in the news of Afrikaans farmers – boers – being killed on their farms)

Then there are two Christian leaders – Ray Macauley and Bennie Hinn who are both very public figures with huge public ministries who apparently are both getting divorced (Ray for the second time and Bennie Hinn after apparently stating in an interview that nothing gets in the way of his ministry, not his family etc.)

THE SCRIPTURE

And here are some verses i could find (in the original English translation of the original Greek):

‘Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake, to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.’ 1 Peter 2.13-15

‘Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith… Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage for you.’ Hebrews 13.7, 17

‘Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.’ Titus 3.1-2

‘Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so bring judgement on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. … therefore it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. This is why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: if you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect, if honour, then honour.’ Romans 13.1-7

‘Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two of three witnesses. Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning.’ 1 Timothy 5.19-20

THE DILEMMA AND SOME SCATTERED THORTS

I’m pretty sure there is another verse somewhere saying we should pray for our leaders and i know i don’t do that enough or maybe at all, often cos i’m too busy shaking my head at them or rolling my eyes. And that is not good in itself. Maybe it’s true that you get the leaders you pray for. Cos i would imagine there are probably more Christians poking fun at JZ and Malema than praying for them… or i could just be the only one. So definitely a place i need to start.

My biggest dilemma is not thinking they are worthy of respect, but then i’m not sure the Bible gives us freedom to make that call and so maybe obedience to God is a sense of being respectful and honouring despite it not being earned?

The Hebrews passage at least i would assume is speaking about spiritual leaders and it does speak about considering the outcome of their way of life and as men who must give account. Both Ray and Bennie are definitely going to be held accountable to God one day (as am I, and you!) but i do think there is a certain need for accountability to take place while here and occupying positions of authority in leadership – and there are some pretty strict guidelines for how elders and deacons ought to be and also on the topic of marriage and divorce – and so i’m not sure there is not the space to stand before them like Nathan the prophet to David and proclaim ‘you are the man’ (um and go read 2 Samuel 12 cos i’m not talking about modern day usage of the phrase ‘you’re da man!’ but the time when Nathan rebukes the king.)

I think in terms of Zuma and Malema there has to be some kind of holding to account as well – as both of them have made statements that i think could cause serious injury to people either by example or by insinuation or role-modelling and there has to be a place for us to speak into that and cast the question (and whereas i may never get a forum to publically challenge either of them on their stuff that doesn’t necessarily mean that us gossiping about it in cell is the best way either – so it can be addressed and even preached upon perhaps, but we have to be so careful of bringing it to light from a place of arrogance or pride or selfrighteousness)

There is a lot more stuff here but this is getting long and i just wanted to provoke your thorts and mine so let’s try wrap it up a little:

SOME MORE SCRIPTURES

‘Woe to you, teachers of the law, you hypocrites!… Woe to you, blind guides… Blind Pharisee… You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean… You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?…’ [Jesus to the Pharisees and teachers of the law, Matthew 23]

So Mathew 23 has this passage where Jesus just lets rip at the spiritual leaders of His day and it must be okay for Jesus was without sin. So one of the principles in this dilemma is possibly that respect/honour your leaders does not mean that there is never a time to call them on stuff (and this was a public exchange i imagine!) when led by God. And that is some pretty strong language Jesus uses. John the Baptist was put into prison for (publically?) accusing Herod (political leader) of outlandish sin.

And so my point is there may be a time or a place with political and spiritual leaders for us to call them on stuff but it has to be very much led by the Holy Spirit and we have to be completely in touch with God’s heart in the matter. But I think a good place is to look at what is written directly after the Romans passage i quoted earlier:

‘Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.’ Romans 13.8

Greatest commandment? Love God, love people (Matthew 22) and when i was chatting to tbV about this last nite that is one of the things that came out strongly. What is the fruit of our conversation when we are discussing these things – with each other? Publically on blogs and wall notes? Is it being motivated by love for the person or even the audience/followers of the person or is it simply us trying to get a laugh or working from our place of pride/self-righteousness/smugness/gossip/slander?

The bottom line for me is i definitely need to be praying more for my leaders, both politically and in terms of those who lead spiritually. How can i expect them to have a hope of leading effectively if i haven’t at least got their back. They will all stand before God one day and they will be accountable to Him for every single thing they have done or failed to do. I will stand before God and explain to Him why mocking/pointing/laughing/sharing-for-prayering etc was more important than getting behind, uplifting, praying for, encouraging…

the Malema files, part REALLY?

so the other day Julius Malema in a speech at the University of Johannesburg sings a song with the lyrics ‘kill the boers (farmer), they are rapists’

the next day an ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu (interviewed in his jail cell after being arrested for drunk driving) says the lyrics of the song has been quoted out of context – if you don’t look at the song in its entirety, then you lose the meaning (cos there is a way of making ‘kill the boers, they are rapists’ sound like a compliment somehow?)

and now the latest story is that actually Julius Malema was not singing that song he was singing another song

but too late cos you already defended the song he was singing – surely that should have been your first claim – so basically what you are saying is ‘the song Julius Malema emphatically did not sing was quoted out of context – had he sung that song which he did not, it would have been important for you to listen to the whole song in context otherwise you will not understand what he never sang’

the biggest problem for them is that a journalist at the rally has a taping of Julius Malema singing the song he didn’t sing with the context that wasn’t understood

can’t wait for tomorrow’s report…

still waiting for a show called ‘the Malema Dilemma’… anyone?

Not on my lemur’s watch!

ah so he’s at it again, my good fiend Julius Malema

this time there’s rumours of him receiving a bunch of business tenders for his companies from the government. basically a case of you scratch my back, I fill your account

and the initial comment from Mr Julius is that he is receiving no money except his salary. and then the newspaper had quoted his salary as being R20 000 and his only comment on that was ‘I am getting more than R20 000’ which tbV thort sounded fair for a man in his position. until i pointed out to her that as much as R25 000 is more than R20 000, so is R200 000 000 000 more than R20 000. so it was left open to interpretation. Mr Julius did say that he has bank loans for the two 4.5 million rand houses he owns (something like that) because he can’t buy them with cash like the article said – he doesn’t have that capacity

the article i read last night was about the ANC defending his right to be living in wealth because that is what the ANC fought for. and then it listed some stuff. the two houses, the 800 000 car and then R250 000 for a…

i asked tbV to guess what Mr J had a R250 000 of and she guessed a bunch of stuff, but i told her she’d never get it, cos the article (it’s on the interweb it must be true!) said that he has a R250 000 watch. you know, like tick tick. the article didn’t mention whether or not this was an old James Bond discard and that if you hold down the light button for longer than seven seconds a laser shoots out that can cut through gold. just mentioned the R250 000, and the watch bit

i’m not so sure that’s what the ANC fought for!

not convinced that’s what the voters who were all promised houses and of whom thousands (millions?) are still living in shacks in hideous conditions were aiming at

i actually can’t get my head around anyone owning a watch that costs that much. but someone claiming to be by the people, for the people (or was it buy the people, for-get the people?) it’s just some kind of evil.

hopefully a time is coming…

the julius dil-(en)-emma

hm, okay this is so soon after my ‘learn something new about jacob zuma so i can maybe see him as a person’ post but after the last few days (building on the last year) wow i just struggle with Julius Malema and maybe need to meet up with his mom or close friend or something because he… like really? REALLY? like… ghah!

i don’t understand why the ANC tolerate him – to be honest i am not the most aware in the sphere of politics – i try stay informed of the news and what’s happening daily around the country and worldwide but only really the basic headlines and such so there is a lot i don’t know

but with mal-enema (speling?) i just don’t get it – the latest one is him defending Jacob Zuma (just fathered illegitimate child shortly before his 5th? wedding) by saying that he is untouchable because he is our father – so by his reasoning Jacob Zuma could walk around with an axe killing babies and it would be okay because you can’t question him – the fact that he holds tightly onto the concept of anyone being ‘above the law’ is incredibly concerning

but shtupidt statement after stupid statement and then following it with actions – he was in three different stories on the radio news this morning and i just don’t get why he gets to stay where he is doing what he is doing – is he our next president? i thort there was no way Zuma would get in after all the allegations and court cases and so on, but the fact that he did tells me Julius could really be next

but then if you see his role models, maybe it’s understandable – iafrica.com reports:

“Why should a relationship between two adults be made an issue?” ANC spokesperson Jackson Mthembu asked in a statement. “Why should it make headlines? Why is it characterised by some media as a ‘Shame to the nation’?”.

“There is nothing wrong that the president has done. There is nothing ‘shameful’ when two adults have a relationship,” he said.

[http://news.iafrica.com/politics/news/2043881.htm]

if that is the ‘moral’ standard being shown by the leader and ruling party of this country then the young people of this nation are in trouble – who will fight for the relationships in South Africa? who will be role models for young people and teach them what true love is all about? who will lift up the standard of marriage which is an incredible incredible thing when done properly and with the right person…

i’m in. pick me.