I was delighted that the Hon. Justice Ralph Zulman, member of the South African Supreme Court, was able to attend my birthday party on January 20th, 2002, and his presence was certainly a source of pleasure and inspiration to the other guests. Justice Zulman has played a distinguished part in the rule of law as South Africa made its transition to democracy. He was the only member of the Supreme Court, for example, to call for the appointment of the nation's first black Chief Justice in 1996, rather than support the white candidate backed by his colleagues. Zulman stands for the equality of opportunity and mutual sharing of the country that is the keynote to the success of today's South Africa.

I wanted to play the South African National Anthem in Judge Zulman’s honor, but had some difficulty selecting a version. Not the original apartheid anthem, Die Stem, of course, with its oppressive bureaucratic feel. The new official anthem, which, in a spirit of reconciliation, includes both Die Stem and the ANC’s song of hope, Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrica is noble in its spirit of reconciliation, but sounds quite odd as it turns from the African melody to the one of a colonial invader. Is this music to be played by a brass band, anyway?

Then, on a South African government information website, I found Nkosi sung by an African choir (the site also includes the words and historical background), and Justice Zulman sang along in Zulu. The music along with the first verse and chorus of Nkosi was written by the Methodist Minister Enoch Sontonga of the Mpinga clan of the Xhosa nation in 1897. It was sung in 1912 at the first meeting of the South African Native National Congress, which was to later become the African National Congress. It was officially adopted by the ANC in 1925. Two years later, the poet Samuel Mqhayi added seven verses, including the invocation of blessing on “our efforts of union and self-uplift,” and “Of education and mutual understanding,” and asking that the wickedness of Africa be blotted out, “and its transgressions and sins.” It is easy to see how the hymn became so powerful a symbol of a nation yearning for freedom, and this comes through in the recording which accompanies the slide show I have included here. The recording mixes the Xhosa and Zulu versions in the first part before continuing in the Sesotho language.

Thanks to Eric Plosky for taking the pictures! The photo of his jeans-clad legs indicated a literalist interpretation of my instructions to try and include everyone.