De la Rey and a revival in Afrikaner pride

I only really became aware of a resurgence of Afrikaner pride sparked by a song about the Second Anglo-Boer war general, Koos de la Rey.  The song is being performed by a local artist by the name of Bok van Blerk whose performances are often sold out.  The song has become a strong unifying force for Afrikaners and perhaps even a spark of a new form of Afrikaner nationalism?  What I find amusing is the government’s concern that the song could be abused by right wing elements as an anthem for supporters of a struggle against the government.  The Democratic Alliance pointed out that this song is not nearly as problematic as former deputy president Jacob Zuma’s own anthem, "Umshini wami" ("Bring me my machine gun") which he (Zuma) performed at virtually every popular event.

In any event, the De la Rey song is music to the ears of a nation marginalised since the shift to majority rule about 13 years ago.  13 years later white South Africans are still on a massive guilt trip about Apartheid and the government doesn’t hesitate to blame all of our woes on Apartheid.  Given that we are now over a decade into majority rule, I don’t think it is unreasonable to expect the government to start to deal with the issues facing us all a little more proactively and progressively.  Afrikaners in particular have been virtually synonymous with the Apartheid government and the absence of any real, unifying leadership means Afrikaners are up a sad creek with a really small paddle.  Rather than criticising the song as subversive, the government should encourage cultural phenomena like this song as a way to heal the Afrikaner nation and the country as a whole.

Tags: de la rey, bok van blerk, umshini wami, anglo-boer war, song, culture, afrikaners, national pride, afrikaner pride