XHOSA VERSION

Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika
Maluphakanyisw' uphondo lwayo
Yiva imathandazo yethu
Nkosi Sikelela Nkosi Sikelela

Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika
Maluphakanyisw' uphondo lwayo
Yiva imathandazo yethu
Nkosi Sikelela
Thina lusapho lwayo.

CHORUS:
Yihla moya, yihla moya
Yihla moya oyingcwele
Nkosi Sikelela
Thina lusapho lwayo.
(Repeat)

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ENGLISH TRANSLATION

God, bless Africa
May her spirit rise high up
Hear thou our prayers
God bless us.

God, bless Africa
May her spirit rise high up
Hear thou our prayers
God bless us Your family.

Chorus
Descend, O Spirit
Descend, O Holy Spirit
God bless us
Your family.
(Repeat)

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Ciskei
"Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika" (God Bless Africa)

Words by:Enoch Sontonga
Music by:Enoch Sontonga
In use:1981-1994

In 1981, Ciskei was proclaimed by the apartheid-era South Africa as an
"independent black homeland" (in actuality, an area set up to reduce the black
population of South Africa by giving them citizenship in this new area.) Not
internationally recognized, Ciskei was re-incorporated into South Africa when
the apartheid system was abolished in 1994.

As a separate "nation", Ciskei adopted the famous Southern African song "Nkosi
sikelel' iAfrika" as its official national anthem. This could be explained by
the fact that the writer of the song, Enoch Sontonga, was a member of the Xhosa
people, which was the official language of Ciskei. Interestingly, not only was
"Nkosi sikelel' iAfrika" used for decades prior to the creation of Ciskei as
the anthem of the anti-apartheid movement, but also, this song became part of
the anthem of the new South_Africa after Ciskei was re-integrated.

This is a very popular song with the blacks of southern Africa, as not only has
it served as the anthem of other southern African states (such as Tanzania,
Zambia, and Zimbabwe (from 1980-1994)) but also other black "homelands" adopted
this anthem such as Transkei (which also was awarded "independence"), KwaZulu,
Lebowa, QwaQwa, Ganzankulu, KaNgwane and KwaNdebele (although these others,
with the exception of Transkei (whose official language was also Xhosa),
probably used translations into their own language.) There is also no standard
version or translation for "Nkosi sikelel' iAfrika", it may vary from place to
place and occasion to occasion, and I believe no official version was adopted
in Ciskei.

Special thanks to:Ben Cahoon for informing me of this anthem.

See also: South_Africa_(1936-1994).

MUSIC
