Namibia, Land of the Brave
 | |
National anthem of  Namibia | |
| Lyrics | Axali Doëseb, 1991 |
|---|---|
| Music | Axali Doëseb, 1991 |
| Adopted | December 1991 |
| Preceded by | "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika" |
"Namibia, Land of the Brave" is the national anthem of Namibia, adopted in December 1991. It was composed by Axali Doëseb, who was the director of a traditional music group from the Kalahari desert. Doëseb was chosen to compose it after winning a contest held after Namibia became independent in 1990.
History
Namibia's first national anthem, albeit unofficial, was "Das Südwesterlied" while under German colonization as German South-West Africa.[1] After it became South-West Africa as a League of Nations mandate under the Union of South Africa, the national anthem was changed to "Die Stem van Suid-Afrika" to match South Africa's.[2] Following independence, "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika" was provisionally adopted as a temporary national anthem pending the formal adoption of an official national anthem.[3][4] It was later decided that Namibia needed a unique anthem, and a national competition was held to compose a new national anthem. The competition was won by Axali Doeseb with "Namibia, Land of the Brave".[3] The anthem was first played in public in a ceremony on the first anniversary of Namibia's independence from South Africa in 1991.[3] The similarity of the lyric's first-line phrase "Land of the Brave" to the end of "The Star-Spangled Banner", the national anthem of the United States, has been noted by commentators.[4]
The composition of the Namibian national anthem was supervised by Hidipo Hamutenya, then chairman of the National Symbols subcommittee.[5] In 2006, Hamutenya claimed that he authored the lyrics himself, "on the plane to Cuba". Doëseb denied this claim.[6] In 2023, politicians Andrew Matjila and Ben Amadhila supported Hamutenya's claim.[7]
Legislation
The Parliament of Namibia passed the National Anthem of the Republic of Namibia Act, 1991. This confirmed "Namibia, Land of the Brave" as the national anthem of Namibia; made it an offense to insult it, with punishment upon conviction of up to five years imprisonment or up to a 20,000-rand fine or both; and allowed the President of Namibia to create regulations relating to it.[8]
Lyrics
| English lyrics[5] | German translation | Afrikaans translation |
|---|---|---|
Namibia, land of the brave |
Namibia, Land der Tapferen. |
Namibië, Land van die Dapperes, |
References
- ^ "Song evokes apartheid memories". Windhoek Observer. 2013-10-31. Archived from the original on 2014-05-02. Retrieved 2014-05-02.
- ^ The CVR Tourist Guide to Southern Africa. Chris van Rensburg Publications. 1970. p. 327. ISBN 0948253363.
- ^ a b c "Namibia: Land of the Brave". NationalAnthems.info. Archived from the original on 2014-03-31. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
- ^ a b "National symbols? What happened to the giraffe?". The Citizen. 1990-03-21. Retrieved 2014-05-02.
- ^ a b "National Anthem of the Republic of Namibia Act, #20 of 1991". Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia. No. 321. Government of Namibia. 17 December 1991.
- ^ Sibeene, Petronella (11 October 2006). "Dispute Over National Anthem's True Author". New Era.
- ^ "Amadhila and Matjila unpack anthem". Informanté. 2023-11-14. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
- ^ "Government notice no.146: Promulgation of National Anthem of the Republic of Namibia Act (Act 20 of 1991), of the National Assembly". Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia (321): 1–6. 1991-12-17. Archived from the original on 2014-12-19. Retrieved 2014-05-02.