POLITICS and music met as the leadership of the Economic Freedom Fighters took to the stage to sing part of the national anthem at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto today at the party's local election manifesto launch.
"Phansi Die Stem, Phansi!" declared national chairperson Dali Mpofu, before launching into the original liberation struggle rendition of Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika, which, unlike the current national anthem, does not include Die Stem.
"We are not against Afrikaans," asserted Mpofu.
"[But] we can not be expected to sing a song, sung by [apartheid-era prime minister Hendrik] Verwoerd and the SADF [SA Defence Force] to kill our people."
Without any instrumental accompaniment, Mpofu then heartily bellowed out the words into his microphone, keeping in tune with mixed success. Before the anthem was sung, various head honchos of the party, including commander-in-chief Julius Malema, got grooving to a track written for the party Lyrics included "sing the song of unity" and "listen not to the capitalist agents".
Large floral arrangements with abundant greenery and red orchids adorned the stage, matching the red overalls and berets, and offset by accents of green army fatigues worn by some EFF leadership.
