☝️ Key Points
- 'Asimbonanga' is a political song written during the apartheid in South Africa that calls for freedom
- 'uMandela thina' refers to Nelson Mandela, who was imprisoned when the song was created
- The lyrics express feelings of separation and isolation and hope for a time when this separation will be overcome
- The lines 'A seagull wings across the sea / Broken silence is what I dream / Who has the words to close the distance / Between you and me' urge communication between the separated population groups
- The song acknowledges that other anti-apartheid activists also suffer and encourages all listeners to join the movement to end apartheid
Interpretation
The song 'Asimbonanga (Mandela)' by
Johnny Clegg is a political message and a call for freedom, written during the apartheid era in South Africa.
'Asimbonanga' means 'We have not seen him' in Zulu, and 'uMandela thina' refers to Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid activist and later President of South Africa, who was still in prison when the song was written.
The lines 'Laph'ekhona' and 'Laph'ehlikhona' mean 'At the place where he is' and 'At the place where he is being held', respectively. This refers to Mandela's imprisonment at Robben Island prison.
The lines 'Oh the sea is cold and the sky is grey / Look across the Island into the Bay / We are all islands till comes the day / We cross the burning water' express the feeling of separation and isolation caused by apartheid. They also describe the hope for a time when this separation will be overcome.
The line 'A seagull wings across the sea / Broken silence is what I dream / Who has the words to close the distance / Between you and me' is a call for communication and understanding between the separated population groups in South Africa.
The song also mentions other anti-apartheid activists such as Steve Biko, Victoria Mxenge, and Neil Aggett, who also suffered under the apartheid government.
The closing lines 'Hey wena (Hey you!) / Hey wena nawe (Hey you and you as well) / Sizofika nini la' siyakhona (When will we arrive at our destination)' are a call to all listeners to join the movement to end apartheid and question when the journey to a more just society will finally be completed.