LEIGH-ANN MATHYS | New EFF album renews legacy of Struggle songs

It is 2014 in Mangaung, Free State, and the inaugural conference of the EFF. The first spokesperson of the organisation, Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi takes the podium. The hall is full and a large sea of red is spread out in front of him.

He begins a chant before belting out “From Cape to Cairo, Morocco to Madagascar, iAzania lizwe lethu, soyithata ne EFF…”. We all stand up and join in., “Azania, Azania, Azania…” In that moment, Ndlozi and we connect with the heart of the nation of SA: music.

Throughout history, music has played a vital role in the fight against oppression and the quest for liberation. In the SA context, music has been the heartbeat of our Struggle, and it continues to resonate as a driving force for change. The EFF recognises this transformative power of music and has harnessed its influence to fuel our political movement.

Music has become an integral part of our political mobilisation and discourse. We released our very first album in 2014 for the elections titled Jazz Hour, which was a remake of many of the popular Struggle songs. This included Aroba Roba, Senzeni Na and Thina Sizwe. We even courted a case of copyright infringement from the song Thupa as the popularity of our revived songs grew. This is why we have leaned into Struggle music specifically because of what it rouses within us; we brought new life into these old songs and imagined anew what we have to fight for.

Our very own national anthem, Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika, in its original indigenous hymn format, became the spirit song for the young students during the #Feesmustfall.The use of this song, stripped back down to its bare bones and given a new voice, captured the younger generation’s own sense of struggle and communicated across generations, connecting the current struggles with the history of protest in our country.

This new sense of meaning found by the youth of #Feesmustfall highlights just how many lives our liberations songs have, and with time they find new meaning depending on the context.

This was the case when, in 2020, AfriForum took the EFF and our president, Julius Malema, to court for “hate speech” in relation to singing the Struggle songs Dubul’ ibhunu! (Shoot the Boer) and Biza a ma’firebrigate (Call the Fire Brigade) after EFF supporters sang these songs outside a court in Senekal.

There was a hearing in which two black men had been falsely accused of killing their farm manager.

The charge was that the songs were hate speech and discrimination, according to the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act. However, the judge ruled that these songs needed to be taken in the context of the liberation Struggle and not taken literally.

Malema further pointed out how, since 1994, the songs have been directed towards the issues of land justice and now the ire previously reserved for the apartheid ruling “Boer” is now turned towards the failures of the current government in this regard. The “Boer” in our current context has been extended to anyone in a form of oppressive power.

It is crucial to acknowledge that music alone cannot bring about the radical socioeconomic change we seek. It is but one component of a broader political struggle. However, its ability to touch hearts, evoke emotions and mobilise communities should not be underestimated.

Our newest album, in celebration of our 10th anniversary, will be released this July and it will be a renewed feast of liberation songs. We will continue to harness the power of music to amplify the voices of the marginalised, inspire unity and push for the radical change our society so desperately needs.

Mathys is national spokesperson of the EFF