Food
The most typical food on white South African tables combines recipes the colonists brought from Europe and the rice, spice and curry dishes of the Malays. Bobotie, Kabobs and blatjang are local adaptations of the foods from the East and West. Curries and peppers made by East Indians also became popular. These dishes were altered by adding fruits grown in South Africa such as pineapples and limes. Biltong is dried meat, that evolved from the early necessity of having nourishing food that didn’t spoil during long treks. The diet of most blacks is simple. The main food is corn and usually eaten as porridge.
Sports
The climate in South Africa is suited to many forms of outdoor recreation. The whites are avid sports enthusiasts and have won international acclaim in many different activities. The main winter game is rugby. Cricket is the most popular summer sport. Blacks have also started to enjoy European sports, like soccer and track. Many black athletes suffer from lack of training facilities, money and leisure time.
Health
Health statistics are better for whites than any other group in the country. Whites have easy access to quality medical facilities and more nutritious diets. The most common causes of death among whites are heart disease, stroke and cancer. The statistics for life expectancy and infant mortality are about the same as industrialized nations of the west. The health conditions for blacks, Coloureds and Asians are worse. Many of their health problems can be related to an inadequate diet. Low incomes and continued reliance of traditional foods make it difficult for these groups to receive basic food requirements. Some areas where blacks live lack proper sewers and safe drinking water. These conditions add to the risk of disease. Tuberculosis, malaria, measles and diphtheria claim large numbers of blacks. They are all treatable problems. Excellent private medical facilities exist, but few non-white groups can afford them.
Art & Music
Hugo Naudé, J.H. Pierneef and R. Gwelo Goodman are South African artists who have broken the traditional style of painting that specialized in romantic landscapes. South Africa also produces important works of art in mosaic, tapestry, handmade jewellery and graphic arts. Some interesting examples of ancient art are paintings on the walls of caves that are found from Zimbabwe to the Cape. Carved wooden sculptures and woven cloths are also African art forms. Some classical composers are John Joubert, Arnold van Wyk and Hubert Du Plessis. Folk songs achieved great popularity among whites inside and outside the country. African people have an ancient tradition of dance and music. Music is sung or played on instruments such as drums, reed pipes, xylophones and other percussion instruments. Xhosa jazz singer, Miriam Makeba and trumpet player, Hugh Masekela have achieved international recognition as musical performers.
Trade Unions
Since the 1924, Industrial Conciliation Act, white trade unions have had extensive and well- defined rights. This law didn't recognize black unions and blacks couldn't join white trade unions. In 1981, certain black unions were legalized and could claim bargaining rights. This as a major step in providing basic rights to South African workers. Strikes by blacks were illegal until 1973, when the government passed legislation, designed to give many black workers the right to strike. In August 1987, the black National Union of Mineworkers called the biggest strike in South African's history. It involved at least 200 000 miners. Some of the complaints of the workers were the low wages and the poor benefits. Talks between the union leaders and officials of the Chamber of Mines, which represents mine companies, broke down and clashes erupted. The police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at the striking workers. The mine employees who crossed the picket line were harassed. Thousands of striking miners were fired and dozens of mines were temporarily closed. In the end, companies agreed to improve the benefits but not the raise the salaries. The union accepted this.
History of Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika
Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika was composed in 1897, by Enoch Sontonga. He was a teacher at a Methodist mission school in Johannesburg. He was a keen singer who composed songs for his students. The words in first stanza were originally written in Xhosa as a hymn. In 1927, seven more Xhosa stanzas were added, by Samuel Mqhayi, a poet. Most of Sontonga's songs were sad because of witnessing the suffering of African people in Johannesburg. They became popular after his death in 1905. Choirs used to borrow them from his wife. Solomon Plaatje, one of South Africa's greatest writers and a founding member of the ANC was the first person to have the song recorded in London, in 1923. The Sesotho version was published in 1942 by Moses Mphahlele. Reverend J. L. Dube's Ohlange Zulu Choir popularized Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika at concerts in Johannesburg. It became a popular church hymn that was also adopted as the anthem at political meetings. For many years Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika was regarded as the national anthem of South Africa by the oppressed and it was always sung as an act of defiance against the apartheid. A proclamation issued by the State President on April 20, 1994 said that both Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika and Die Stem (The Call of South Africa) would be the national anthems of South Africa. A shortened, combined version of the two anthems was released as the new National Anthem in 1996. There aren't any standard versions or translations of Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika so the words vary from place to place and from occasion to occasion. Usually the first stanza is sung in Xhosa or Zulu, followed by the Sesotho version.
