The Mail & Guardian Online team just got back from Polokwane and Thembelihle Tshabalala had this video on her camera of ANC president Jacob Zuma singing Umshini Wami with the delegates after his first address.
For those who weren’t there, or didn’t watch it on television, this clip gives you an idea of the power of the song and its power to move the crowds.
first thought: scary!!!
second thought: scary!!!
third thought: stop being stupid, it’s just a song (is it?)!!!
The defeat of the incumbent pres Thambo Mbeki leaves alot to be desired.First he hadn’t crafted a well succession plan and has been caught napping by the strength of peoples power.Its a fundamental principle of constitutional law,we the people as the sovereign.Arch Desmond Tutu succintly put it we should not choose aleader who will embarass the nation.Pres Mbeki now must go to the drawing board where he has many options.He should look for aleader who is popular to the people and try to market him through a fringe party.The issue is not the party but good governance.Its also interesting to see how the IFP Would react to Zumas elevation at the top.They should impress upon chief Buthelezi to stand and split the Zulu vote.From their they can have a power sharing gov.Most democracies in africa after the whites have left are left with populist leaders who have no agenda for the masses but consolidate power and have a grip on it thro selfish ideologies.good examples include Mugabe and Idi amin.s africans should tread carefully.Nkosi sikolela isafrica.
its a great song…and the guy can sing
I was deeply offended by the militant and threatening nature of the song. Not cool in this day and age to make us feel threatened and insecure about our future in this country. He may as well have chanted “one settler one bullet”.
I can almost feel the bullets hitting home.
Zapiro be afraid, very afraid, the man wants the death penalty back for people who show him with a shower coming out of his head.
Yeah and the danger we face if that power is misdirected.
Made me wanna get up and dance
Africa should ban former liberation movements from taking over governments and State institutions. All over Southern Africa they became instruments of destruction, ridden with corruption, greed and incompetence. Award them medals, statues and eventually life pensions and other benefites for their role in liberation, but please ban them from politics. Let the new generation rule the country.
i am Zimbabwean and i liked Zuma for one thing, he smiles to his own people, he shows affection and love that has been missing in Mbeki. Zuma is a typical man of the people just like what Joshua Nkomo has been to Zimbabweans, any leader who acts like Mbeki to his own people will soon find out that power does not dwell in govt offices and corridors. Zuma should not be scared of making mistakes coz what is at stake at the moment is about democracy and continuity in leadership, the ANC should never be Zanu PF look alike monster. Zuma has prevailed so as democracy. Those that are saying the the guy is not schooled should look at themselves first before uttering such nonsense, Zuma has served South Africa at a tender age of 16 and yet the so called intellectuals were busy living with their parents in comfort. It is not accidental that he has the best credentials of being the next president coz by being loyal and supporting the leadership that was running ANC for more than 49years he has shown a lot of maturity and responsibility. John Major was not an intellectual but he said that he went to the university of life, in short he argued that he was a product of real life and social experiences that shape intellectual and leadership skills. So to Zuma, i say Aluta Continua, Long Live Zuma, you are a true leader, man of the people. God Bless You.
So how are we supposed to react,shall we sing for
‘He is a jolly good fellow’ just hankering for the days he could use his machine gun.Have we not seen enough African countries destroyed by ex-militiaman.
The great Msholozi Mr. Jacob Zuma fills the people with smiles and that is extremely important. He feels the pulse of the people. He gives a portion of his pay cheque as a contribution to the poor families in KwaZulu Natal.
Umshini Wami referred to the armed struggle in the fight against apartheid. Today it does not imply violent uprising as some think. It refers to an aggressive fight against economic apartheid and crime. South Africa’s PPP GDP is bigger than many European countries and yet more than 50% of the population lives below poverty line along racial lines. That does not make sense.
We have been fortunate to have great leaders like Mr. Thabo Mbeki who has done a superb job along with Mr. Trevor Manuel and the Governor Tito Mboweni. All these great economic policies are guided and informed by the ANC. Now Mr. Zuma is now taking the baton to solve the puzzle of economic apartheid.
It is a good song indeed, but irrelevant. We have our democracy now.. unless he’s singing that to his opponents. Wow, sounds like we’re going backwards.. VERY SCARY! I sense that dictatorship is on the Horizons for South Africa– oops, I forgot a corruption DNA, CRIME, AND MORE CRIME against women and children.. Well, that’s no foreign concept to the future SA president.. but God has the final say..
We should all just relax about Zuma. It’s disgraceful that the ANC has changed to the point where it will elect someone like Zuma, but he’s nothing yet, only the president of the ANC. We, the people must decide if we want him to run our country, and I doubt that more than half of us will vote for him.
Zuma is a perfect son of the soil that represent the interests of the masses and reality of African life. Education has little relevance to reflect good leaders. The opposite might be true as so called professors leading our education system at universities and DOE, has for many years failed our nation. The same holds for best businessman. Can oneone in the world claim that the most successful businessmen were the most educated. Tell us academic qualofications of the top richest men and women in the world and in Msanzi. People are born as leaders. There is no school or university that could claim to produce world leaders except crookes like Bush and Tony Blair who misled nations. Zuma is a graduate of best learning system human race was ever blessed with. White people who are offended by Umshini wami, fear for their sins. They looted the riches of our land and in the name of international investors found refuge to scare government from implementing redistribution of land ro its rightful owners, Africans. When I was at varisty we used to sing this song to show how serious we were with our demand for change. The stop is sung even today at various varsities. So stop misleading the world. Africa belongs to those who not only live in it, but to those who would proundly stand out to declare their African identity, without using colour. Africans are those who will not emmigrate but define themselves with the sun, the valleys, the rivers and the mountains that define Africa.
Stop giving excuses Umshini wami is our struggle song. Until we are free, the song will be sung, in all corners of the continent.
MBEKI DISAPPOINTED US BY PURSUING FOREIGN PICTURE OF SA AND IGNORE THE FACT THAT TO UNDERGO CHANGE, SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO DIE, SUFFER AND FEEL PAIN, of economic struggle like we did with political struggle.
Millions of us are still living with pains and memories of our political struggle. Now that we are in power, does not mean the struggle is over. We dont need textbook approach to our problems. Our brothers and sisters are living in poverty and it hurts that more families go to sleep hungry now than before 1994, yet Mbeki talks about international investors who are interested in further making our country poorer. Oil prices dismally affect our lifes than it does for US, and EU countries. We have the highest inflation rate, the highest interest rates, and yet we represemt not even close to o.5% of world’s demand for oil. We need to clean this country from fake investors and promote partnering with mutual beneficiation. We give you give. Until that happens, the struggle continues.
This 2007 December festives, bears testimony to this. Majority of white South Africans were enjoying their breakfasts and dinner at american franchise resturants, while most of our people are sleeping without food. The prices of South African soil is not less than R500k, way too expensive for the average working South African. In ten years time – 2017, a 400 sqm land will cost at least R1m. Most whites and very few middle income blacks will afford that. What about the masses. We have 45m population size, and 75% of these will not afford to buy land for their shelter.
Our brothers and sisters and families bear the consequences. Ou communities have been poisoned with alcohol and drug dependency, amid the economic suffering brough about by capitalism. We used to farm and enjoy our cultural cohension that translated into Ubuntu and prosperity. They are all gone. The west is in control through economic apartheid that benefit the whites ( mena and women) and continue to destroy our family fibre by destroying our african culture.
Unless these things change, Awulethi Umshini Wami, I say. VIVA ZUMA. We joined ANC, PAC and AZAPO to reclaim or live. ANC of the post 1994 missed it, so ZUMA is our only hope.
We respect democracy, but should be done in the context of African culture. FULL STOP. LIKE OR NOT WE CONTINUE WITH THE STRUGGLE.
I have a few questions:
1) Zuma has been had up for fraud, is he really going to think about the “poor” or only about linning his own pocket?
2) Does the “poor” masses include the destitute white people?
3) Is South Africa going the same way as Zim?
4) Should I as a white South African, who had nothing to do with imposing the struggle on anyone leave the country? Is that what our masses want?
Good questions Coleena. I am a proud black South African and I would not trust Zuma with my life nor with my resources for that matter. If he abused is position as a Vice President of the nation, what would stop huim form doing it again, if he becomes the next SA president. They can call him a hero, perfect son of the soil. The man or child who goes to sleep hungry, and cold every night would tell you a different story. It’s interesting that all these people who are rallying behind him have nothing to ose but a lot to gain from rubbing shoulders with Zuma. This country is even worse than when it was under aparthied regime. Yes, I said it.It’s disgrace. And you beter think again if you think Zuma is going to do a better job than Mbeki. Zuma is int he position that he’sin because he failed the people he made promises to. His ANC presidency does not mean THING until he delivers. Wake up people.
can someone tell me where I can get this song? I’d like it has a ringtone on my cell!