The role of songs in performance politics and how the struggle history intersects with the present was dissected in the Equality Court on Friday through the testimony of African literature scholar Professor Elizabeth Gunner, reports TimesLIVE.

Gunner is an expert witness in the case brought against EFF leader Julius Malema, MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi and the party by lobby group AfriForum over the alleged singing of Dubul’ ibhunu (‘Shoot the Boer’).

She spoke of the deeper meaning of political songs and their role in the public life of a state, particularly an African state, given the long cultural matrix and history.

‘Songs can be used to inspire people. It has to be taken beyond a literal context. It has to be taken as a call to courage, not to be afraid and not fall down when you feel like falling down. Songs can be used to articulate a desire for political change,’ Gunner said.

Using a different song for context, Malema o tshela thupa (‘Malema will wield the stick’), sung at EFF rallies, Advocate Mfesane Ka-Siboto, who represents the EFF, asked what she thought about the use of the song in the context of democracy.

‘You can see the song as an example of a song working to call people together, to make a point about the South African present and history, using it as a means and expression of defiance. The song is saying “we’re not going to give up, don’t take us lightly”. The stick is a metaphor for “don’t forget we’re strong”. It was an illustration of defiance against (former President) Jacob Zuma and his government,’ Gunner said.

Struggle songs were not static and belonged to no individual, and could be used differently without changing the core meaning or instructing violence, said Gunner.

She also referenced Chief Albert Luthuli’s famous Thina sizwe (‘We, the black nation’) as an example of ‘a very important intervention in 1953’, reports TimesLIVE. 

Umshini wami (‘My machine gun, my machine gun, please bring me my gun’) famously used by Zuma was a metaphoric song.

Full TimesLIVE report