We are proud to announce the the winners of the DA’s 2022 Heritage Day poetry competition.
1st place winners:
Category 6-13: Amber Travers (12)
From all the lands I’ve heard of,
And all the lands I know,
There’s not one that is as unique as this one though.
Our deep and vast seas of blue,
And crashing waves of thunder,
Fill anyone who watches them with awe and wonder.
Covered by blankets of mist and cloud,
Our mountains tall and high,
Longingly reach up to the bright blue sky.
Our fine and dainty fynbos flowers,
Our grass and bushes and trees,
Fill the fields and hillsides with colour
And attract the honey bees.
The massive desert, called the great Karoo
Stretches far and wide.
With small creatures, and large ones too,
All camouflaged to hide.
Our delicious foods, made with love,
With lots of passion and joy,
Put on the table with great kindness,
Ready to enjoy.
And finally there are our brilliant cultures,
A special and unique combination.
They are what truly make us the colourful nation.
All of this, yes, all of the above,
Is what I will forever love
About this beautiful land of SOUTH AFRICA
Category 14-18: Nonkazimulo Zwane (17)
Engikuthanda NgeNingizimu Afrika
Izintaba ezimathafathafa zigcwele e Ningizimu Afrika
Ubuhle bendalo buqhakaza ebusweni beziziba
Izihlahla ziletha ukuphila ebantwini
Akekho ongaziqhenyi ngokuba se Ningizimu Afrika
Abantu bakhona banendlela yabo yokuphila
Kuyabambiswana bonke abantu bayimbumba
Isaga esithi izandla ziyagezana sichaza i Ningizimu Afrika imbala
Siyaziqhenya ngamabala ahlukahlukene e Ningizimu Afrika
E Ningizimu Afrika sinemithombo yemvelo esisiza ukuthola ubecwebe nokuningi
Izinhlonhlobo zezimbali zihlobisa i Ningizimu Afrika iqhakaze
Amathalente agcwele e Ningizimu Afrika atshengiswa ezinye izizwe jikelele
Uthola abaculi nosaziwayo bezinto ezahlukahlukene
Impela amathalente amaningi abhakwa khona la ezweni lakithi
Ngiyimi nje ngiyazigqaja ngokuba um’Afrika
Ngizigqaja ngezintaba neziziba ezabonwa obabamkhulu kuqala
Kwedlulela kwesethu isizukulwane
Ngethembe nesilandelayo isizukulwane siyokubona ukukhazimula kwezwe lakithi
Bethi beyeya thina sithi phambili Ningizimu Afrika phambili qhubeka ube yinkanyezi emhlabeni wonke jikelele.
2nd place winners:
Category 6-13 category: Franco Barnard (12)
Wat ek liefhet van Suid – Afrika.
Van Grootbrak tot Kaapstad
Van Mosselbaai tot Plettenbergbaai
Van Victoria tot Pretoria
en oor Tafelberg is ek so erg.
Van die sonsopkoms waar my oë groot rek
Na die sonsondergang waar ek my hande na die sterre uitrek
Van Oudsthoorn se volstruis na Mosselbaai se sandsteen huis.
Die land is in my hart,
Met sy vreugdes en smart
As ek dit ooit verlaat, sal ek my hart moet agterlaat.
Ek bly positief want my land het ek lief.
Category 6-13: Abigail Kuhn. (18 years)
In die bekommernis, pyn en seer,
Die geskiedenis wat stadig verrot en verweer,
bewonder ek my land se prag.
Fynbos glimlag op na die Afrika-son,
die berge staan regop maar hulle sou slaap as hul kon.
Die verlore kindertjies hardloop en baljaar in die straat
ons verskille en hartseer heeltemal in die agtergrond verlaat.
Van waar Oupoot tussen bome skuil,
en Afrika-jagters hul trots in ons geskiedenis teken,
van hoe die hiënas in die bosse sit en huil,
hoe die mossies vir God bewys wat hulle beteken.
Suid-Afrika, Suid-Afrika
Ek roep jou in my moedertong,
Vanuit die blouste hemel en die diepste see,
Ek vra jou tog – sal jy krag aan ons mense gee?
Die elf van ons, met ons eie dialek,
Die woorde van ons almal wat oor ons land rek,
Ons land, ons land dis hier waar ons smeek
Sal jy dan die Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika oor ons spreek?
3rd place winners:
Category 6-13: Sinethemba Ayanda Xaba (7)
RATO LA AFRIKA BORWA
Thehang tsebe le mamele,
Ke eme sebakeng,
Ke thoholetsa lerato;
Rato la Afrika Borwa.
Afrika Borwa o a rateha,
O motle,o tshwanetswe ke thoriso
O mmaditlhofa ka sebele,
Bohang botle bo bokalo.
O re sitsa ka lebese,
Bese la lerato.
O motswadi ka sebele;
O mokokotlo o sephara.
Kajeno ke Raqhwe, nkokonono, kwakwariri,
Ke Big short sebele;
Lentswe laka le fofa moyeng,
Ditaba tsa ka di a ananelwa,
Ho Tik Tok ke a tsebahala
Afrika Borwa o lerato la pelo ya ka !!!!
Category 14-18 category: Lucy Parsons (16)
Rough-cut Gem
In the land of fiery dawn
And rough-hewn peaks
Where the sun always shines, and the rain never comes
We were born.
From the shores of our east
to vineyards of our west
And the bustling concrete heart that never sleeps
We prosper.
From under the palm trees,
A top our rocky table
From our deepest mine to our mountains steep
We fight.
Under foot we were crushed
But like the Cape tide we rose
Like Karoo dust we settled
The rough-cut gem at the foot of Africa.