The hype about De La Rey.
February 20, 2007
I write this post in reference to the posts on my friend Cobus’ site http://emergingsa.wordpress.comabout De La Rey. In his post the themes of Afrikanerism, Racism, Patriotism etc. comes to the foreground. However I would like to take on the subject of interpretation, interpretation in the media and of theology.
A very important subject that the writers of this song (Sean Els and Bok van Blerk) didn’t take into consideration was the interpretation that South Africans in general, but also on the Afrikaner (in this context: an Afrikaans speaking white person). Especially in a post-apartheid situation, where it seems that the “new” government” is trying to erase “Afrikaner” tradition, history and culture, this could be a very volitile situation!
Surely the songwriters should have realised how this song could be interpreted, that an ethnic group in the process of redefining it’s identity, a process of neo-Africanism (like neo-Nazism etc.) could be started which definitely wouldn’t be a good thing! On attending a show of Bok van Blerk, at the Hillfox Powercentre in Roodepoort, Gauteng, I was quite appalled and kind of bowed my head in shame when people in the crowd (and there where quite a few) were waving around the old South African flag. Clearly this isn’t a very positive gesture, it could rather be interpreted as an act of regression, trying to dig to much into the past, trying to get things back to how they were, living in denial and not working towards an integrated and positive future.
Meanwhile old Bok is laughing all the way to the bank.
The same situation of interpretation is true in the way theology is practised, that people need to be careful in what they say from a pulpit and how theologians react in the media. We need to be in a process with the people that listens to us, giving them enough solid food to eat but not giving them more than they can chew. This is a very important issue, because congregants need to be kept up to date with what is going on in theology, where the new nuances are, what is important and which subjects should be brought under their attention, otherwise we’ll have people writing to the Beeld again what a hero and saviour (and messiah) Ferdi Muller was!
If only people would be more careful, with whatever they put out there and what they listen to…
Entry Filed under: Church for today, Everyday Life, My Links, Theology. .
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1.
EW | February 20, 2007 at 8:29 pm
“not working towards an integrated and positive future. ”
You really think there is one?
2.
Annemarie | February 20, 2007 at 9:29 pm
Now that you talk about the old SA flag, I’m thinking about my brother. Currently his studying at CTI. The guys he is living with are going to make T-shirts for themselves. On one of the shoulders (I think) their gonna put the old flag. After hearing this, I didn’t say anything.
What can you say to your own brother or any other person who is partaily (or totally) racist?
There’s a lot of things in such a conversation that can lead to unnecessary fights. I was always a fan of raising your voice and to let people know what your opinions are, but these days I’m scared of doing it, because you never know who you might offend.
3.
cobus | February 22, 2007 at 10:08 pm
I think I understand. You kind of get tired of fighting, and just want to go on, just want to chat with people that understand how you feel. Sometimes we get into relationships where we are free to differ without having to fight. Maybe we should try to be like that, be a kind of person that alows people to differ with us, without them feeling they have to fight.
4.
Annemarie | February 27, 2007 at 8:56 pm
Thx Cobus.
You understand correctly. YOu can get into those relationships. But say you are one of those people that allows others to differ from them. It’s emotional strain. Not only in relationships with other races, but also within the different friendships around you. You get along with your friends but your friends don’t get along with each other.
This builds tension. In some cases it is very extreme. You feel ripped apart. Who do I chose? Who is right and who is wrong? Once again you can’t force your friends to get along. One can see each relationship as a seperate one. Bring these people together but keep away from the topics that starts a quarrel.
That’s how I’ve been trying to handle it. On some ocassions it works. But I think the best way is to let them sort it out in their own way, and then just go with the flow. Still staying friends but keeping them “apart”.
5.
Madeleine | March 6, 2007 at 10:34 am
Kan ek asseblief die ou wat die Tshirts wil maak met die ou vlag op se kontak nommer of email kry ek soek ook van daai tshirts. Dis beslis tyd vir die afrikaners om op te staan teen moord, verkragting, roof en ander barbaarse, klaarblyklike sosiaal aanvaarbaare kak wat hier aangaan.
6.
Pete | March 6, 2007 at 1:16 pm
I’m sorry Madeleine but I don’t have the nuber for that and the old South African flag and regression to Afrikaner Nasionalism is something that goes against the grain of what I stand for and what I believe. It goes against integration and building a new future for our country. I agree with you that something should be done about the crime and violence, but I don’t think that the answer is to be found in the “oranje, blanje, blou.”
7.
Annemarie | March 8, 2007 at 9:16 pm
Hey Madeleine
Sorry. Can’t give you his contact details. Firstly becuase I don’t know him and secondly (like Pete) it goes against what I beleive in.
OK fine. Maybe these guys are all for the Afrikaans or bust tradition, but can it really work? I have respect for these people, mainly becuase my brother lives with them in the same house. I also love my brother very much, but that doesn’t mean that I agree with everythng he does.
Pete is right. We can’t go back to something old (like the old SA flag) to “fix” something new. The old flag, I think, will only arouse more conflict. The only way to stop what is going on, is to accept that everyone is different and that everyone is human and should therefor be respected and treated that way.
We should take a stand. Not as Afrikaners but as South Africans.
8.
Inkiebear | March 9, 2007 at 2:12 pm
I am sure Bok van Blerk did not anticipate such a huge uproar. I do agree that he should have contemplated the consequences and the intentions he had with this song.
I am a proud Afrikaner but I have never been bothered with the fuss of bringing the old flag and anthem back as I agree that it is meaningless to do so. It represents a part of our past and is better remembered but left in the past.
We should definitely cherish our history and where we came from, that is an important part of our heritage and I will pass this on to my kids one day. The important thing is how it is done, in a positive manner.
The most important thing is for kids to know that there is more to life than cellphones and playstation where they can play games outside and catch ‘goggas’. It doesn’t matter from which culture or race or religion you are, kids need to be left to be kids but still need a knowledge of belonging.
They also need to experience life without having a storm cloud of pre-taught beliefs and perceptions of everyone around them. It is a big load to carry and totally unecessary, causing them to float around aimlessly in search of some stability.
As for most Afrikaners, we do hang on to our heritage and would love to show our claws if someone starts criticising us but we prefer not to. We accomodate and tolerate all the things that come our way. The only thing that we ask is for us to know that we will still be able to speak Afrikaans and for our kids to be taught in Afrikaans until the day that the last Afrikaner blows out their last living breath.
I am sure that this goes for all the different races, cultures and religions and we are all petrified of anyone taking it from us. We all want to go on with our lives in peace and co-existence.
I think this needs to start with us, we need to lead the way. We need to take the scariness out of the day of tomorrow and what is going to happen next and change it into comfort so we can all relax and enjoy our lives to the full.
9.
Sue | March 14, 2007 at 9:45 am
This comment may be a little late, but I just discovered your blog, Pete!(Hoe gaan dit, Dominee?)
Madeleine, please open your eyes! The Afrikaners are not the only people that are victims of crime and violence. Everyone in SA are vulnerable to these. Yours is a general mislead view of who are victims and who are the criminals or violaters or whatever. There are Afrikaner people who fall into the criminal category as well, it is not just other races.
10.
Bernardvw | March 14, 2007 at 7:42 pm
I just think we must stop making such a big fuss about De La Rey, and try to show people there is a better alternative than Bok’s. Bok van Blerk himself said he didn’t want De La Rey to be connected with the old flag. I am not going to repeat everything I feel about it here, but I think that, for those of you that didn’t yet, go and check out emergingsa. The link is on the main page. There I said everything I feel, but there came people with intresting feelings about De La Rey
PS Did you know that General De La Rey’s first name was Koos
11.
Hannelie | April 5, 2007 at 4:18 pm
Hi All,
I read bits and pieces of what everybody said, and here’s my thought on this…
First of all, if we as afrikaans speaking people want to have a future in this country we need to accept and respect the authority which God has put in control, I’m sure the Israelites didn’t appreciate the exile in Babilon but that is where God placed them for a specific reason. Daniel and Esther gave their best to a foreign government and just look at how much God has blessed them.They added value and contributed to the economic growth of the foreign country but very impotant without comprising on their christian values and principles. I am employed buy a semi goverment organisation and the person who has supported me the most over the past three years is my hindoe (indian) boss and you know things are at a point where is starting to ask me, a christian women to pray for him when he write exams and he past them all because I asked God to have mercy on him. This boss thaught me two very important lessons in life 1. You’re either part of the problem or you’re part of the solution, in our current circumstance De la Ray is NOT part of our solution it is only compounding our problem. 2. When communicating keep in mind there is a sender and a receiver communication is only successfull when the receiver has intrepret the message send by the sender correctly in De La Rey instance how do you think our ethnic groups are interpreting the message?
12.
Claude | June 11, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Good day everyone,
I kind of stumbled onto this blog, looking for some up to date imagery of the South African rural areas. I’m conducting a study on History and the way it’s it perceived by the common Joe. The major subject is handling the American international actions during the past 2-3 years and how it is brought to the people, both in the US and elsewhere. How much of it still contain the true facts, and how much has been altered. My partner in crime, going for her Social Psychology major, is handling the social impact of the ‘history recording’ which reaches the common people.
Let me first state that I’ve been a very openminded individual, for as long as I can remember. But looking at my recent projects, I’ve come to steer away from ‘Liberals’. In all the documentation I could get my hands on, all theinterviews, and all the recorded facts, it was usually this group which prophecized relativity, openmindedness, equality, basically having a lenient attitude to everything around them. But those are the first to turn a blind eye when things go wrong.
The case studies I’ve conducted and which are near completion, show that a lot of facts of history are being contorted to suite a running political ‘flavor’, like you would for example use additives in cooking recipes to suite your taste. History on the other hand, defines culture, and the evolution of current societies.
I’ve spent the past 4 months in a dusty library in The Netherlands, researching the VOC – Dutch East India Company – and trying to decypher some Old Dutch, not even able to speak Dutch myself. Within the 1st 3 weeks, I’ve found around 30 facts, which have been ‘flavoured’ in the current official South African History books. Mostly making colonial immigrants being portrayed as the initial aggressor when conflicts arose during their historical settlements around the Cape region. Let’s just say, propaganda is in abundance. The documents I studied were decendend for the 1600 era itself, wavery torn pages, crumbling to the touch when not used with care.
The current SA government is altering history, not matter for what reason.
As for my opinion on the De La Rey Song… I’m glad some youth remember their history as it was, and are proud of it, before it is erased, replace with terrorists hailed as heroes. Just have in mind the new name changes being run though your country. If people want to band together to save what remain of their values, language and culture, like their forefather (even before the word apartheid existed) then it is their right.
For people receiving it a