NATIONAL ANTHEM WRITER WANTS TO SEE KING, PM

JERUSALEM – Eswatini national anthem writer Andreas Enock Fanyana Simelane, says he wants an audience with the King and the prime minister, before he dies.

A national anthem is a song that is officially adopted by a country as an expression of national identity. Most nations have anthems defined as ‘a song, as of praise, devotion or patriotism.
National anthems are sung during national events and international  games in many countries’. Before independence, most African countries shared a continental national anthem ‘Nkosi sikelel’ iAfrika’, which was composed by Enoch Mankayi Sontonga, a Methodist Mission teacher, in 1897.  

Simelane (90) of Jerusalem, expressed his desire to meet the authorities during an interview at his homestead last Saturday. He was interviewed after he constantly reminded his children about his desire to meet the authorities. The senior citizen said he had a lot to share with His Majesty the King and the head of government. He said part of the things he wanted to share with the authorities pertained to his welfare.  “My life is withering and I fear that I will die before seeing the King and the premier. I would have gone to the King and the premier, had it not been for my deteriorating health,” he said.

He added that he dreamt of himself in another world, something that worried his children. He repeated his desire for the next world, stating that he had enough of pain due to his illness. Some residents wondered why the story of the elderly man, who made history, was untold. “We did not know that we live with a man who wrote the national anthem in our area. The elderly man is quiet and does not speak about it,” said one of the residents. Asked how he arrived at writing the national anthem, Simelane said he joined a competition, where emaSwati were invited to compose and reduce a national anthem into writing, after Eswatini was promised independence in 1967.

The former head teacher and musician said he submitted four entries for the competition. He said he registered the entries in the names of his now deceased wife, Flora Nomsa Simelane and his daughters Phangisile and Delisile. “I qualified together with my wife, after the song writers were shortlisted. We were taken by surprise when we learnt through a newspaper known as Izwi LamaSwazi, that we had won. The results were also announced through a magazine of the time,” he said.

Edited

He said his wife, who was also a teacher, had no interest in writing the national anthem, hence he wrote it on her behalf. He said the national anthem was never edited before the second phase, where emaSwati were invited to reduce the written song into notes (tune). The senior citizen, who also served as a pastor and Bible interpreter, said he did not take part in the composition of the notes (tune). Asked how the song came about, Simelane said he felt duty-bound to thank God for His blessing upon emaSwati. He said it came to him to thank God for blessing the nation with the King. He said it was pleasing that the country, mountains and rivers, were going to be fully owned by the nation after independence.

Simelane said he felt duty-bound to seek God’s blessing for Their Majesties and those in authority. The musician said he deemed it feet to ask God to strengthen the nation. “I was cautious in my composition, because we were warned against duplicating the African Continent National anthem ‘Nkosi sikelel’ iAfrika’. We were urged to compose something different from the continental song,” he said. He said he always expected good results as a song writer and musician. He said he benefitted a lot from Mhlosheni, which was a missionary school in the area. The song writer’s children shared the same sentiments with their father. They said their father was not in good health since he started treatment.

They said their father required a taxi to ferry him from Jerusalem to Manzini or Mbabane, for chemotherapy. As a result, they stated that they parted with more E1 000 each time the senior citizen had to be taken to hospital. “We tried to report the predicament to the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office, but we did not get a clear direction on how to meet the deputy prime minister. We also made means to make an appointment with the prime minister, but we did not get a clear response on how to meet him. Also, we did not have enough time with the King when we presented tetfulo,” they said.

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