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The National Flag
The chilli red (red/orange), white and blue date back to the earliest times of the country's flag history; while the green, black and gold first made their appearance in South African national flags during the 19th century. All six colours featured strongly in more recent South African flags. As far as the colours of the new flag are concerned, it should be borne in mind that individual colours, or colour combinations can have widely differing meanings for different people. For this reason, no universal symbolism should be attached to any of these colours. They may be interpreted freely. The unique central design of the flag, which begins as a 'V' at the
flagpost and comes together in the centre of the flag, extending further,
as a single horizontal band to the outer edge of the fly, can be seen as
representing the convergence of diverse elements in South African society,
which then take the road ahead in unison. This idea of convergence and
unification links up with the motto of the National Coat of Arms, Ex
Unitate Vires, which means 'Unity is Strength'. For more
information Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika was composed in 1897 by Enoch Sontonga, a teacher at a Methodist mission school in Johannesburg. It was one of many songs he composed, and he was apparently a keen singer who composed the songs for his pupils. The words of the first stanza were originally written in Xhosa as a hymn. Seven additional Xhosa stanzas were later added by Samuel Mqhayi, a poet. Most of Sontonga's songs were sad, witnessing the suffering of African people in Johannesburg, but they were popular and after his death in 1904 choirs used to borrow them from his wife. Solomon Plaatje, one of South Africa's greatest writers and a founding member of the ANC, was the first to have the song recorded. This was in London in 1923. A Sesotho version was published in 1942 by Moses Mphahlele.The Rev J L Dube's Ohlange Zulu Choir popularized Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika at concerts in Johannesburg, and it became a popular church hymn that was also adopted as the anthem at political meetings. For decades Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika was regarded as the national anthem of South Afrika by the oppressed and it was always sung as an act of defiance against the apartheid regime. A proclamation issued by the State President on 20 April 1994 stipulated that both Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika and Die Stem (the Call of South Africa) would be the national anthems of South Africa. In 1996 a shortened, combined version of the two anthems was released as the new National Anthem. There are no standard versions or translations of Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika so the words vary from place to place and from occasion to occasion. Generally the first stanza is sung in Xhosa or Zulu, followed by the Sesotho version. Below are the various versions and translations of the National Anthem: Official version combining Nkosi sikelel' iAfrika and Die Stem/The Call of South Africa Classic
Xhosa Version (Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika) South African Flora and Fauna Emblems South Africa’s present national flora and fauna emblems, all of which seem to have evolved spontaneously, are the Giant or King Protea, the Yellowwood, the Blue Crane, the Springbok, and the Galjoen.
This graceful gazelle, once found in great numbers in South Africa,
has since at least 1906 been considered to be South Africa’s national
animal. Characteristic of this species is the stotting which gave rise to the common name. Both sexes have horns but those of the ram are thicker and coarser than the ewes. It is a species adapted to arid regions and plains and therefore found in the Free State, the North West and Northern Province and throughout the Karoo to the west coast. Springbok live in groups and move in small herds in winter often aggregating in larger herds in summer. Springbok breed throughout the year and do not have a fixed breeding time. Lambs are thus born throughout the year. They eat both grass and shrubs and can survive without drinking water because they obtain sufficient water from the succulent leaves they select. They will also dig up succulent roots. Springbok are have a shoulder height of approximately 75 cm, an
average mass of 40 kg and a gestation period of 6 months.
The early collectors referred to the artichoke-like flower heads of the King Protea. This resemblance gave rise to the specific name ‘cynaroides’, meaning ‘like cynara’ (the globe artichoke). The name hardly does justice to the magnificent heads of this protea, which are the largest in the genus. Several variations in colour and shape of leaves occur in nature, the most beautiful being the form with pale silvery-pink flower bracts. In 1962, a commission was set up to make recommendations on a national floral emblem for South Africa. Protea cynaroides was recommended, and this choice was supported by the South African Association of Botanists, but it was only in 1975 that it was officially announced that this protea had been chosen as South Africa’s national floral emblem.
For various reasons Podocarpus latifolius was a natural choice as the national tree of South Africa. The Yellowwood Family is ancient and was represented in this part of Africa more than 100 million years ago. The species was the most important source of timber of the early settlers at the Cape. Yellowwood was used for building, furniture, wagons and in later years, railway sleepers. The pale yellow timber is still considered to be one of the loveliest of our indigenous furniture woods. The species is very widespread and its distribution extends from Table Mountain along the southern and eastern Cape coastal regions through the kloofs of the Drakensberg to the Soutpansberg and Blouberg Mountains of the Northern Province. It also occurs in tropical east and west Africa as far as Tanzania and Cameroon.
This large and elegant crane, standing about one metre in height,
occurs only in southern The plumage of the Blue Crane is almost entirely pale blue-grey, only the main wing feathers being blue-black; the crown of the head is white, the bill pinkish or ochre and the long legs greyish. What appear to be long tail streamers are in fact elongated wing feathers (the tertial feathers) which trail gracefully to the ground when the bird is standing. Males and females are identical in appearance except that the male has a slightly longer bill. The Blue Crane has a loud, nasal trumpeting call ‘krraaaarrrk’ which carries far, but mostly they are silent. The Blue Crane frequents open grassveld or karoo-like plains with low, scrubby bushes, often in moist situations, and also lays its two eggs on the ground. It feeds on vegetation including seeds, insects and small reptiles.
The suggestion to make the Galjoen South Africa’s national fish came from the late Margaret Smith, sometime Director of the JLB Smith Institute of Ichthyology in Grahamstown. As early as the 1950 version of her husband’s book The Sea Fishes of Southern Africa (by JLB Smith), the following is said of the Galjoen: “Probably the first typical fish to be noticed by the earlier settlers. It might well be selected as a marine emblem to rank with the Springbok and the Protea.” Whereas the Galjoen’s national status has for some years be given in inverted commas in South Africa, in 1992 it is at long last listed as the national marine emblem, without inverted commas.
Colour specifications South African Bureau of Standards - Textile colours: GREEN - CKS 42 c Spectrum green Aproximate Pantone equivalents GREEN - 3415 c Flying the National Flag The following instructions which are the interest to the public at large, are contained in a government Notice published by the then Office of the State President on 26 April 1994. When the National Flag is displayed vertically against a wall, the
red band should be to the left When the National Flag is displayed next to or behind the speaker in a hall or other meeting place, for example with him on a stage, it must be placed to the speaker's right hand. When it is placed elsewhere in the hall or meeting place it should be to the right of the audience. When the National Flag is displayed together with: |
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