Mnr Gayton McKenzie, Minister van Sport, Kuns en Kultuur moet gelukgewens word dat hy met die moed van sy oortuiging in die Nasionale Vergadering , vroeër die week sterk standpunt ingeneem het oor die Afrikaanse gedeelte van die Suid-Afrikaanse Volkslied. Dit bly belangrik om in die fokus op nasiebou, ook ons kultuur en erfenis te beskerm.    

Soos klokslag word Die Stem in omstredenheid gehul en in die politieke arena ingesleep. Telkens is dit nie as gevolg van die patriotiese sing van die volle Nasionale Volkslied nie maar omdat die EFF dit gebruik as deel van politieke retoriek in hulle agenda om alles wat wit en Afrikaans is voortdurend verdag te maak in hulle eie ideologiese rassisme.  

CJ Langenhoven het die woorde van Die Stem van Suid-Afrika in 1918 geskryf. Sedert 2 Mei 1957 tot 1994 was Die Stem van Suid-Afrika die Volkslied en het tot in 1997 die status gedeel met Nkosi Sikelel 'iAfrika waarna 'n nuwe gekombineerde volkslied aangeneem is. Dit was deel van die nasionale kompromis en konsensus. 

Mnr Nelson Mandela skryf in die voorwoord tot die publikasie Nasionale Simbole van Suid-Afrika “Die Nasionale Volksliedere Nkosi Sikelel 'iAfrika en Die Stem van Suid-Afrika, die Nasionale Wapen en die Nasionale Vlag is die manifestasie van ʼn begeerte om nasionale konsensus te bereik.” Om dan nou in 2024 die geykte standpunte te herhaal dat die Afrikaanse gedeelte van die Nasionale Volkslied maar moet sneuwel ter wille van versoening en nasiebou, is polities kortsigtig en sal beslis nie bydra tot nasiebou of versoening nie. 

As ʼn kultuurskat het Die Stem van Suid-Afrika inhoudelik geen aanhitsende konteks nie en is dit ʼn lied wat ʼn diepe verbintenis, lojaliteit en patriotisme tot Suid-Afrika bevestig en dan in nederigheid en afhanklikheid van God afsluit met die oproep tot God om met Suid-Afrika en sy mense te gaan. 

Oor die 21 woorde in Afrikaans in die nasionale Volkslied van 83 woorde, het die EFF en andere gedurig ʼn politieke eiertjie te lê . Hulle weier om te aanvaar dat Afrikaners onlosmaaklik deel is van die land en dat Afrikaans ʼn amptelike taal is. Dit pas hulle eie benepe agendas nie. Die wegneem van die Die Stem in die Nasionale Volkslied sal nie oplossings bring vir die eiesoortige probleme wat Suid-Afrika teister nie. Dit is dalk iets waarmee die EFF en andere moet vrede maak.

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Mr Gayton McKenzie, Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, is to be congratulated for having the courage of his convictions in taking a strong stand on the Afrikaans part of the South African National Anthem in the National Assembly earlier this week. It remains important to also protect our culture and heritage when focusing on nation building.    

Time and again, The Call of South Africa is shrouded in controversy and dragged into the political arena. Invariably, it is not because of the patriotic singing of the full National Anthem – it is because the EFF uses it as part of political rhetoric in their agenda to keep making all things white and Afrikaans suspect to serve their own ideological racism.  

CJ Langenhoven wrote the words of The Call of South Africa in 1918, and from 2 May 1957 to 1994 it was the country's National Anthem. It then shared that status with Nkosi Sikelel 'iAfrika until 1997, after which a new combined anthem was adopted as part of the national compromise and consensus. 

In the foreword to the publication National Symbols of South Africa, Mr Nelson Mandela wrote, "The National Anthems, 'Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika' and 'The Call of South Africa', the National Coat of Arms and the National Flag are a manifestation of the desire to achieve national consensus."   

Repeating the hackneyed statement in 2024 that the Afrikaans part of the National Anthem should be sacrificed for the sake of reconciliation and nation building is politically short-sighted. Such a course of action would certainly not contribute to either nation building or reconciliation. 

As a cultural treasure, The Call of South Africa has no inciting context. Rather, it is a song that affirms a deep commitment, loyalty and patriotism to South Africa, concluding in humility and dependence on God with the call for Him to be with South Africa and its people. 

The EFF and others are forever looking to lay a political egg about the 21 words in Afrikaans in the national Anthem of 83 words. They refuse to accept that Afrikaners are an inseparable part of the country, for it does not suit their own narrow agendas. 

Removing The Call of South Africa from the National Anthem would not bring any solutions to the unique problems that plague South Africa. Perhaps it is time for the EFF and others to come to terms with that fact.