By Henry Kyambalesa
The National Anthems of Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe are based on a Christian hymn entitled “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika” (or “Lord Bless Africa”) composed in 1897 by Enoch Sontonga, a Xhosa clergyman, at a Methodist mission school near Johannesburg in South Africa.
The purpose of this article is to suggest a few minor changes to the National Anthem of the Republic of Zambia, which became the country’s official Anthem upon the passage of the National Anthem Act by the National Assembly in September 1973.
The following are the lyrics of the current National Anthem of the Republic of Zambia:
“Stand and sing of Zambia, proud and free,
Land of work and joy in unity,
Victors in the struggle for the right,
We’ve won freedom’s fight.
All one, strong and free.
Africa is our own motherland,
Fashion’d with and blessed by God’s good hand,
Let us all her people join as one,
Brothers under the sun.
All one, strong and free.
One land and one nation is our cry,
Dignity and peace ‘neath Zambia’s sky,
Like our noble eagle in its flight,
Zambia, praise to thee.
All one, strong and free.
Chorus:
Praise be to God,
Praise be, praise be, praise be,
Bless our great nation,
Zambia, Zambia, Zambia.
Free men we stand
Under the flag of our land.
Zambia, praise to thee!
All one, strong and free.”
Firstly, we need to change “for the right” in Part I of the Anthem to “for our rights.” Secondly, we need to add the following soon after the “Brothers under the sun” line in Part II: “Si’ters under the sun,” where “Si’ters” would represent “Sisters.” Thirdly, we need to change the “is our cry” in the first line of Part III to “are our cry.”
And fourthly, we need to change the “Free men we stand” in the chorus to “Free ‘zens we stand,” where “‘zens” would represent “citizens.”
We need to seriously consider the prospect of making the foregoing minor changes to our beloved country’s National Anthem mainly to make it more gender-neutral. The new era National Anthem for the Republic of Zambia would, therefore, be read or sang as follows:
“Stand and sing of Zambia, proud and free,
Land of work and joy in unity,
Victors in the struggle for our rights,
We’ve won freedom’s fight.
All one, strong and free.
Africa is our own motherland,
Fashion’d with and blessed by God’s good hand,
Let us all her people join as one,
Brothers under the sun,
Si’ters under the sun,
All one, strong and free.
One land and one nation are our cry,
Dignity and peace ‘neath Zambia’s sky,
Like our noble eagle in its flight,
Zambia, praise to thee.
All one, strong and free.
Chorus:
Praise be to God,
Praise be, praise be, praise be,
Bless our great nation,
Zambia, Zambia, Zambia.
Free ‘zens we stand
Under the flag of our land.
Zambia, praise to thee!
All one, strong and free.”
In 2005, according to Wikipedia, women’s groups in the country fruitlessly petitioned for a number of the lyrics in “Stand and Sing of Zambia, Proud and Free” to be changed, because they felt that some of the lyrics were too male-orientated. And in 2012, Prof. Michelo Hansungule echoed the women’s concerns that the country’s Anthem was too masculine, and also argued that it might have intellectual property implications because it had the same tune as the National Anthem of the Republic of South Africa.