Disgruntled feeling and eerie silence

ROOI OLIFANT WRITES: When the composer and writer of the Namibian National Anthem, “Namibia, Land of the Brave”, Axali Doëseb, passed away in October 2023, a somewhat disgruntled feeling and eerie silence hung in the air over Namibia, coupled with heated and emotive debate with regard to the recognition of the late national hero as the rightful artist. Although national veteran Jacobus Axali Doëseb (1954–2023) received wide national acclaim for his heraldic National Anthem, yet not entirely officially so, the posthumous financial remuneration in the scandalous small amount of N$2 million towards the late icon’s wife and children came a little too late, which is evidence of how Swapo shamelessly sidesteps contributors that do not hail from the preferentially treated. Additionally, the story and history of the Namibian National Anthem in its entirety are tragically not documented as they should be, which began with the former unofficial German Southwest African anthem, “Das Südwesterlied” (known too as “Hart wie Kameldornholz” and loosely translated as “The Southwestern Song”). It was popular among members of the German-speaking community. This German-style marching song was composed and written by Heinz Anton Klein-Werner (1912–1981) in 1937, originally for the German Boy Scouts of Southwest Africa, and got translated into Afrikaans and English too, although it was initially banned by the ruling South African appointed administration as it was viewed as too pro-German militarist and territorialist. It is still the preferred anthem of the German Scouts Association of Namibia. When South Africa took over the administration of Southwest Africa in 1920 as mandatory power, the previous Afrikaner nationalist South African anthem, “Die Stem van Suid-Afrika” (known also as “Die Stem” and translated as “The Voice of South Africa”), was written by Cornelis Jacobus Langenhoven (1873–1922) in 1918 and composed in 1921 by Pastor Marthinus Lourens de Villiers (1885–1977). It was translated into English too and was introduced together with the former South African Union flag in Namibia from 1957 up to 1989, right before independence. It was temporarily replaced on 21 March 1990 to 17 December 1991 by the hymn-like Pan-African liberation song “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrica” translated as “God bless Africa”, that was composed and written by Enoch Mankayi Sontonga (1873–1905) in 1897. At long last, a previous equally soulful, anthemic version of the Namibian National Anthem was written and composed by a son of the Soil, Axali Doëseb. The original lyrics of the Namibian National Anthem are recorded in an anthology of old Namibian compositions (title and author unknown), which can be found in major public libraries, including those of the College of the Arts and main tertiary education institutions. After Doëseb’s rewritten song was chosen during a national contest by the then Ministry of Information and Broadcasting through the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation, it was professionally arranged by Namibian producer Konrad Schwieger in 1991. The original lyrics were approved by the designated National Symbols subcommittee of six persons that was headed and supervised by the late Honourable Kennedy Hidipo Livius Hamutenya (1936–2016) in collaboration with the late Doëseb, who wrote the second text too. The much-celebrated late Ernst van Biljon was the only other composer and writer in the final round of the competition. In 2006, Hamutenya attempted to claim the honours as supposedly having written the lyrics in yet another dramatic political stunt, which Doëseb defended as his intellectual work, which is more believable on account of his musical prowess, though retired politicians Andrew Matjila and Ben Amadhila, and others supported Hamutenya’s claim in 2023. Today, the Namibian National Anthem is protected by an act of law. It is arranged and performed in various instrumental, choral, and concert formats and is internationally recognised and celebrated as carrying the story, soul, and aspirations of Namibia and her people. As a young boy at Dawid Bezuidenhout High School in Khomasdal, Windhoek, in the early nineties, I had the distinct privilege and godly honour of singing the two previous national anthems and the melodious “Children of the World” by Ricardo & Friends (1987) in the first ever school’s mass choir performance, which consisted of high school choirs in and around Windhoek. They were taught by participating school choir masters and conducted by the late renowned choir conductor, Ernst van Biljon (1942–2016), at the first independence celebrations in 1990. In conclusion, it goes without saying that the Namibian government must also extend recognition to Schwieger and remunerate him as having professionally arranged the final version of the Namibian National Anthem from the original tonic solfa to the current notation form in consultation with Doëseb, if he is still alive, sooner rather than later. The Heritage Council of Namibia must also research and ethically document, and the National Institute of Education, include the complete truthful story, the purpose, and the symbolic meaning of the national anthem in the national curriculum and for generations to come. Long live the musical and heroic legacy of Axali Doëseb. Long live Namibia, Land of the Brave!* Rubrieke, meningstukke, briewe en SMS’e deur lesers en meningvormers weerspieël nie noodwendig die siening van Republikein of Namibia Media Holdings (NMH) nie. As mediahuis onderskryf NMH die etiese kode vir Namibiese media, soos toegepas deur die Media-ombudsman.

Disgruntled feeling and eerie silence

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Republikein 2025-05-01

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Disgruntled feeling and eerie silence

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