Enoch Mankayi Sontonga | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | 1873 |
| Died | 18 April 1905(1905-04-18) (aged 32) |
| Occupation(s) | Music composer,Teacher,Choirmaster,Poet |
Enoch Mankayi Sontonga (c. 1873 – 18 April 1905) was a South Africancomposer, who is best known for writing the Xhosa hymn "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika" ("God Bless Africa"), which, in abbreviated version, has been sung as the first half of thenational anthem of South Africa since 1994. Previously, it had been the official anthem of theAfrican National Congress since 1925. This song was first adopted by Tanzania (Then Tanganyika) as her national anthem in 1961 when she got her independence from Great Britain, translated it in Swahili. In 1964 Zambia also adopted it as its national anthem followed by Botswana and Zimbabwe (who translated into Shona "Ishe Komborera Afrika" from 1980 until 1994. South Africa took it as its National Anthem in 1994 after independence.
Sontonga, aXhosa, was born in the city ofUitenhage in the EasternCape Colony. He trained as a teacher at theLovedale Institution and subsequently worked as a teacher and choirmaster at theMethodist Mission school inNancefield, nearJohannesburg for eight years.[1]
The first verse and chorus of "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika" wascomposed in 1897 and it was originally intended to be a school anthem.[1] Some sources say he wrote the tune the same year.[2] It was first sung in public in 1899 at theordination of Reverend Mboweni, who was the firstTsonga Methodist minister.[1] Later the Xhosa poetSamuel Mqhayi wrote a further seven verses.
Sontonga died on 18 April 1905. According to his death certificate, he died of gastro-enteritis and a perforated appendix which was a common cause of death at the time - the water was not very safe.[2]
Sontonga married Diana Mgqibisa, the daughter of a minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and they had a son. Mgqibisa died in 1939.[1]
The song started to be more well known afterJohn Langalibalele Dube'sOhlange Institute's choir used it. They played it at theSouth African Native National Congress meeting in 1912. It was sung after the closing prayer and the ANC adopted it as its official closing anthem in 1925. It was recorded in London as "Nkosi sikelel' iAfrika" in 1923 and it was published by theLovedale Press in 1927.[1]
For many years, the site of Sontonga's grave was unknown, but it was finally located in the "NativeChristian" section of theBraamfonteincemetery in the early-1990s. One of the reasons why the location of his grave remained a mystery is that it was listed under the name "Enoch" and not by his surname "Sontonga".
On 24 September 1996, Sontonga's grave was declared a national monument and a memorial on the site was unveiled by then-PresidentNelson Mandela. At the same ceremony, the South African Order of Meritorious Service (Gold) was bestowed on Enoch Sontonga posthumously.[1]
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