PUPILS FORCED TO SING NKOSI SIKELEL’ I-AFRICA

Entfonjeni National Primary School where the incident took place.

MBABANE – A Grade III class teacher at Ntfonjeni National Primary School in the northern Hhohho region astounded his colleagues and pupils alike when he instructed the children to sing South Africa’s National Anthem – Nkosi Sikelela iAfrica - instead of Swaziland’s own.

Swaziland’s national anthem is ‘Nkulunkulu Mnikati Wetibusiso temaSwati’, which is a compromise between Swazi and western styles of music, and was adopted after independence in 1968.
The lyrics were authored by Fanyana Simelane, and the composer of the tune was David Rycroft.
According to Wikipedia, the South African national anthem was first sung as a church hymn but later became an act of political defiance against the then apartheid government. “Nkosi sikelela, thina lusapho lwayo (let us live and strive for freedom in South Africa our land!)”

Most interestingly, national schools in Swaziland are held in high esteem as they are under the directorship of royalty.
A national school can be established either by the head of state, royal family members or by a certain community and then handed over to the King.
The Times SUNDAY understands that the singing of Nkosi Sikelela iAfrica at Ntfonjeni National Primary School took place two weeks before schools closed for the first term. The first term ended on April 21, 2017.
Information reaching this publication is that the issue is still being investigated by the Ministry of Education and Training.

 It has been further established by this publication that the matter has attracted a lot of interest particularly because the learning centre is a national school and the alleged offender, identified as one Bhekisisa Ndlangamandla, is a civil servant and a Swazi.
Giving his side of the story, the teacher in question agreed that he did instruct the pupils to sing Nkosi Sikelela iAfrica, but argued that he did not regard the song as a national anthem of the neighbouring republic.
Ndlangamandla said he did not even know any other African national anthem except the Swazi one.

“The people who have concluded that I forced the pupils to sing Nkosi Sikelela iAfrica do not read the hymn book because it originates from verses in this book. There is no National anthem titled ‘Nkosi Sikelela iAfrica’, not even in South Africa as many countries sing such a song. Those who had made this conclusion are all propagandists,” said Ndlangamandla.

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