‘Die Stem’ sung at Belgian fest

ON THE eve of Human Rights Day, a video has gone viral on social media showing the apartheid-era anthem Die Stem being sung at a national event in Belgium.

Minority rights group AfriForum shared the video on its Twitter page.

It was taken during the 82nd Flemish National Zangfeest (Singing festival) in the Antwerp Lotto Arena in the Flemish region of Belgium at the weekend. In it, the old anthem can be heard sung in full voice from what a local paper said were thousands of Flemish people, including the Antwerp mayor and “Flemish-minded politicians.”

The Zangfeest has been around since 1933, and Die Stem was performed at the festival for the first time in 1939. An extract taken from the work, translated as the nature of diplomatic, political and cultural relations between South Africa and Flanders, the folk song movement Algemeen Nederlands Zangverbond (ANZ) chairperson Hugo Portier said in 2001: “Singing Die Stem is a highlight. Most people know the words and we will never omit them from our programme. The singing of the anthem is above politics, it is purely cultural and historical ties that we have with South Africa.”

AfriForum deputy chief executive Alana Bailey said: “Die Stem has been part of the Zangfeest for many years, sung as the beautiful art song that it is, in a language closely related to Flemish. Not for any political reason we know.

“This is proof of an older, more mature democracy than South Africa, where mutual recognition and respect are very active and where there is room for a wide variety of symbols from the past.”

Nelson Mandela Foundation spokesperson Luzuko Koti said yesterday they received reports of the old anthem being sung and the old flag being used on a regular basis.

“We must exercise caution when approached with such things, and as much as we would like to comment, we will have to refrain at this time.

“Right now we are preparing ourselves for when the matter regarding the old official flag of apartheid South Africa constitutes hate speech before the Equality Court,” he said.