Last modified: 2008-03-08 by bruce berry
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image sent by Antonio Martins, 02 Sept 2004Details of the New South African Coat of Arms as unveiled yesterday, the 6th anniversary of Freedom Day by President Mbeki. These Arms replace those which have been in use since 17 September 1910. The Coat of Arms is a series of elements organized in two distinct circles placed on top of one another.
The Motto: !ke e:/xarra//ke, is written in the (now extinct)
Khoisan language of the /Xam people and literally means: diverse people
unite. It addresses each individual effort to harness the unity between
thought and action. On a collective scale it calls for the nation to unite
in a common sense of belonging and national pride - Unity in Diversity.
Elephant Tusks symbolize wisdom, strength, moderation and eternity.
The ears of wheat in the circle formed by the tusks symbolize
fertility, growth and the development of the potential, the nourishment
of people and the agricultural aspects of the earth.
The shield is shaped like a drum and has a dualistic function
- the display of fertility and of spiritual defence.
The human figures on the shield are derived from the images
of the Linton Stone, a world famous example of South African Rock Art,
which is now housed and displayed in the South African Museum in Cape Town.
The Khoisan, the oldest known inhabitants of South Africa, testify to our
common humanity and heritage as South Africans. The figures are depicted
in an attitude of greeting to symbolize unity. This also represents
the beginning of the individual's transformation into the greater sense
of belonging to the nation and by extension, collective humanity.
The spear and knobkierie are dual symbols of defence and authority
and also represent the powerful legs of the Secretary Bird. The spear
and knobkierie are lying down to symbolize peace.
The protea is an emblem of the beauty of South Africa and the
flowering potential of the nation in pursuit of the African Renaissance
and also symbolizes the holistic integration of forces that grow from the
earth, nurtured from above.
The Secretary Bird, characterized in flight, is the natural
consequence of growth and speed. It is a powerful bird whose legs,
depicted as the spear and knobkierie, serve it well in its hunt for snakes
symbolizing protection of the nation against its enemies. It is a
messenger of the heavens and conducts its grace upon the earth, in this
sense it is a symbol of divine majesty. Its uplifted wings are an
emblem of the ascendance of the nation, whilst simultaneously offering
us its protection.
The rising sun is an emblem of brightness and splendour.
Its symbolizes the promise of the rebirth, the active faculties of reflection,
knowledge, good judgment and will-power. It is the symbol of the
source of life, of light and the ultimate wholeness of humanity.
The completed structure of the of the Coat of Arms combines the lower
and higher circles in a symbol of infinity. The path that connects
the lower edge of the scroll, through the lines of the tusks, with the
horizon above which the sun rises at the top, forms the shape of a cosmic
egg from which the Secretary Bird rises. In the symbolic sense this
is the implied re-birth of the spirit of South Africa.
The coat of arms was designed by Mr Iaan Bekker of the design agency,
FCB.
A previous design submitted by the Heraldry Council was rejected by
the Cabinet, which then approached design agencies to present their concepts.
Mr. Bekker's design was one of three which was considered by the Cabinet.
Bruce Berry, 28 Apr 2000
Some weeks ago Jos Poels gave me the next text which he received by email from the SA government:
The Bureau of Heraldry hereby gives notice in terms of section 5 (a) of the Heraldry Act, 1962 (Act No. 18 of 1962), of the registration of the new national coat of arms of the Republic of South Africa.
Arms: Or, representations of two San human figures of red ochre, statant
respectant, the hands of the innermost arms clasped, with upper arm, inner
wrist, waist and knee bands Argent, and a narrow border of red ochre; the
shield ensigned of a spear and knobkierie in saltire, Sable. Thereabove
a demi-secretary bird displayed Or, charged on the breast with a stylized
representation of a protect flower with outer petals Vert, inner petals
Or and seeded of nine triangles conjoined in three rows, the upper triangle
Gules, the second row Vert, Or inverted and Vert, and the third row Vert,
Or inverted, Sable, Or inverted and Vert. Above the head of the secretary
bird an arc of seven rays facetted Or and Orange, the two outer rays conjoined
to the elevated wings. Upon a riband Vert, the motto !KE E:/XARRA //KE
in letters Argent. Issuant from the ends of the riband two pairs of elephant
tusks curving inwards, the tips conjoined to the wings of the secretary
bird, Or, therewithin and flanking the shields, two ears of wheat Brunatre.
Source: Government Gazette
of 28 April 2000 (No. 21131)
Mark Sensen, 27 Jun 2000
I was just wondering what South African flags will be affected by the
new coat-of-arms. For instance, under apartheid the presidential flags
had the coat-of-arms on them, but I don't know if presidents Mandela and/or
Mbeki use a presidential flag.
Mark Sensen, 29 Apr 2000
What I'd like to know is how one reads that "thing". I read somewhere
that the exclamation mark is for sound of "clicking" with tongue, but what
are the slashes and double shlashes?
Željko Heimer, 30 April 2000
The Dispatch newspaper, quoting the news agency SAPA, gave a guide to
the pronunciation of the motto:
"An approximate pronunciation of the new motto is: (click)-eh-air-(click)-gaara-(click)-eh.
The first click is produced by flicking the tongue against the front
of the palate.
The second is produced by pressing the tip of the tongue against the
front teeth.
The third is made by sucking air through the side of the mouth. The
"g" is guttural."
So, just start practising your San.
Jan Oskar Engene, 30 Apr 2000
They are also clicks, as also the colon. Human languages may have up
to six different clicks (thrown kiss, good wine, donkey pusher and three
other -- IYKWIM), and Khoisan had probably the most of them. Glyphing these
sounds with strange symbols instead of using normal consonant letters is
a way to "civilize" these "primitive" cultures and a generation later prove
them that our white man's language (English, Russian, French, Portuguese,
whatever) is much more simple and pretty to write and spell --
clearly superior to strange looking url-like galimaties... Instead
of "!ke e: /xarra //ke" it could have looked like "Qke egh jhxarra
whke" Or something like that...
Antonio Martins, 30 Apr 2000
Bruce did say the Khoisan were extinct. Last figures seem to suggest
that somewhere between 8.000 and 11.000 still exist, Free to move inside
the Kalahari Desert and Gemsbok Park - about 700,000 sq km (250,000 sq
mi), situated between South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. The Khoisan language
is NOT related to Xhosa (not even the click sounds). Xhosa is like all
other southern African languages, Bantu related. The Khoisan language and
the San People (Hottentots, Bushmen, Khoikhoi, Pygmies, or whatever other
name they have been known under), are the only exception.
Franc Van Diest, 01 May 2000
San was chosen because they were the first South African people, and
it is meant as a subtle sort of reminder that considering that fact, all
other South African peoples are interlopers of a sort, and perhaps they
should all just try to get along.
Roger & Pam Moyer, 02 May 2000
Does anyone know when the new coat of arms officially adopted? The government
homepage mentions the new coat of arms was announced on Apr 27 2000. Is this the official
date of adoption?
Nozomi Kariyasu, 03 Jun 2000
The official date of adoption of the new South African Coat of Arms is 27 April
2000.
Bruce Berry, 05 Jun 2000
A "Coat of Arms Corporate Identity Manual" for the South African Coat of Arms
can be found at:
http://www.gcis.gov.za/services/govt/corpid.pdf
Jan Oskar Engene, 13 Jan 2008
![[South African CoA 1910-2000]](../images/z/za)old.jpg)
image from this site,
reported by Bruce Berry, 20 Feb 1998
ARMS: Quarterly per fess wavy: I, Gules a female figure
representing Hope, resting the dexter arm upon a rock, and supporting with the
sinister hand an anchor Argent; II, Or, two black wildebeest in full course at
random, both proper; III, Or upon an island an orange tree Vert fructed proper;
IV, Vert a trek wagon Argent.
CREST: On a wreath of the colours, a lion passant guardant Gules, supporting
with the dexter paw four staves erect, alternately Argent and Azure and branded
Or.
MANTLING: Argent and Gules.
SUPPORTERS: Dexter a springbok and sinister an oryx (gemsbok), both proper.
COMPARTMENT: Below the shield, on a compartment grassed Vert, two Proteas each
with two flower heads proper.
MOTTO: EX UNITATE VIRES (Unity is Strength)
The shield is quartered with symbols from each of the original four areas
(later provinces) which came together to form the Union of South Africa, viz
Maiden of Hope (Cape of Good Hope), wildebeest (Natal), orange tree (Orange
River Colony) and the trek-wagon (Transvaal).
Bruce Berry, 20 Feb 1998
1930.gif)
scan by
Bruce Berry, 20 Sept 2006
The Arms of the Union of South Africa as recorded by
the London College of Arms in 1930. An "embellished" version was approved
on 21 September 1932 and came into use during 1933 and became the official coat
of arms although versions of the so-called "un-embellished" arms as shown above
continued to be used on official documents, government stationary etc.
Bruce Berry, 20 Sept 2006
1910.gif)
scan by
Bruce Berry, 20 Sept 2006
The first coat of arms of South Africa were adopted following the formation of the Union of South Africa on 31 May 1910. Since the Union was created out of the Cape Colony, Natal Colony, the Orange River Colony and the Transvaal (the latter two being the former Boer republics which had ceased to exist at the end of the Anglo-Boer War in 1902), there was adequate heraldic material on which the new arms could be based. Accordingly, the shied of the new arms was divided into four and contained images from the arms of the four colonies which formed the Union of South Africa.
The blazon of the new arms as granted by Royal Warrant on 17 September 1910 reads as follows:
"Quarterly per fesse wavy First Quarter Gules a female figure representing Hope resting the dexter arm upon a rock and supporting with the sinister hand an Anchor Argent Second Quarter Or two Wildebeesten in full course at random both proper Third Quarter Or upon an island an Orange tree Vert fructed proper Fourth Quarter Vert a Trek Waggon Argent And for the Crest On a Wreath of the Colours A Lion passant guardant Gules supporting with the dexter paw four staves erect alternately Argent and Azure and branded Or And for the Supporters, On the dexter side A Spring Buck and on the sinister side An Oryx (Gemsbuck) both proper together with the motto EX UNITATE VIRES"
The wavy partition line per fesse represents the Orange River which flows through the country while the four former colonies are represented in shield, viz:
Cape Province in the first quarter by the female figure (Maiden of Hope)
Natal Colony in the second quarter by the wildebeest
Orange River Colony in the third quarter by the Orange tree
Transvaal Colony in the fourth quarter by the trek wagon.
The motto is from that of the former Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek's (Transvaal) Eendracht maakt Magt being translated into Latin as Ex Unitate Vires (Unity is Strength).
The Arms were used until 1930 when, following criticism of their artistic merit,
it was decided that they be redrawn.
Bruce Berry, 24 Sept 2006