Ukuba uMzantsi Afrika ibingumntu, iCoat of Arms ibizakuba ngumtyikityo. iCoat of Arms ibonakalisa isitampu esisesikweni okanye into yokuvala amaphepha asemthethweni, kanje nge satifiketi sokuzalwa.
Isenokusetyenziswa njenge bheji kwizakhiwo zika rhulumente, okanye njenge emblem kwimali ezingamaqekembe ukubonisa ukuba zezalapha eMzantsi Afrika azingomgunyathi. iCoat of Arms yeSizwe yenziwe ngamaphawu aliqela, iphawu ngalinye lithetha into ethile, nezithi xa zidibene zincede ekubaliseni ibali loMzantsi Afrika.
Intetho ka Mongameli
Ngethuba kwakutyhilwa iCoat of Arms entsha okokuqala e Kwaggafontein ngomhla wama 27 Apreli 2000, uMongameli Thabo Mbeki wenza le ntetho: “Namhlanje, Ngalemini yethu ye Nkululeko, sithe nqwadada apha namhlanje sizokutyhila olunye uphawu, elimele ubuni besizwe sethu, iCoat of Arms yethu entsha.
Yeyalapha eMzantsi Afrika nase Afrika yonke iphela. Yeyase Afrika nakwi hlabathi lonke liphela. Imele ukuvuselela imbali yethu, impilo yethu yanamhlanje kuny nengomso lethu njengokuba liya lisondela phambi kwamehlo ethu. Imele ubuni bethu obusisigxina kodwa obukwtshintshayo babemi boMzantsi Afrika. Ngale Coat of Arms intsha, sinika imbeko kwimbali yethu. Sifuna ukwanga nokubhiyozela iinkolelo zabantu bethu, ngokuthi sibonakalise imbeko yobudlelwane phakathi kwabantu nendalo.
Ikhumbuza ngamaxesha abantu bethu babekholelwa ekubeni kwakukho umoya phakathi kwendalo nowawudibanisa abaphilayo nabalele ukuthula. Inika imbeko kumhlaba wethu kunye nelizwekazi lethu njengesiqalo sabo bonke abantu abasehlabathini-Apho ubomi babantu baqala khona. Umfanekiso osembindini wale Coat of Arms yethu intsha kukho intaka ephakamisele amaphiko phezulu. Le ntaka ngumkhuseli wethu olwa neentshaba isikhusele kubo bonke abo bafuna ukusonzakalisa.
Entla kwale ntaka kukho ilanga eliphumayo, nelinika ukuphila logama likwagxotha nobumnyama. Likwa bhiyozela nokufunyanwa kolwazi, ukuqonda kwezinto ebezikade zisemfihlakalweni, likhanyisela ubomi obutsha obuzayo- isizwe sethu esitsha njengokuba sizalwa sisiya sikhula. Ezantsi kwale ntaka kukho indlungi/protea,intyatyambo yase Mzantsi Afrika nemele ubuhle besizwe sethu.
Le ntyatyambo ikwamele nokuhlalisana ngoxolo sizizizwe ezahlukeneyo, ukudubula okwentyatyambo kwesizwe sethu njengokuba siya sikhula sisingise elangeni. Iingqolowa zona zimele ukutyeba komhlaba wethu nonike ukuphila nesondlo kubantu bethu kangange sigidi seminyaka, kwaye usezakuqhubeka nokwenza njalo. Amaphondo endlovu yase Afrika, azotywe abamabini amele amadoda nabafazi, abonakalisa ulwazi, amandla nokuzimisela. Embindini kume ikhakha nelibonakalisa ukhuseleko lobuntu bethu ukusuka kwisizukulwana esinye ukuya kwesilandelayo.
Entla kwalo kukho umkhonto negqudu. Zombini ezi zikhali zimele ukukhusela okunoxolo hayi imfazwe. Eli khakha loxolo, nelikwa ntama igubu le Afrika, lihambisa umyalezo wabantu abawathandayo amasiko, ze le ndawo ingentla imelwe yi protea/indlungi. Phakathi kweli khaka kukho ezinye zemiboniso yokuqala yabantu. Leyo ibonisiweyo, ngabantu bokuqala ukuhlala kumhlaba wethu,abantu bohlanga lwama Khoisan.
Le mifanekiso ithetha ngokuzinikezela kwethu ekubhiyozeleni ubuntu nokukhuthaza ukwaneliseka kwabantu bonke abaselizweni lethu nase hlabathini jikelele. Le mifanekiso ithatyathwe kwimifanekiso ekwilitye lohlobo lwe Linton, umzekelo odume kwihlabathi lonke we South African Rock Art.
Le mifanekiso ibonakala ibulisana, nto leyo ibonakalisa umntu njengophila nabanye, kuluntu apho omnye axhomekeke komnye ukuze aphile. Imotto ekwi Coat of Arms yethu entsha, ibhalwe ngolwimi lwama Khoisan labantu besizwe sama /Xam people,nelithetha ukuba: Bantu abohlukileyo manyanani. Sikhethe ulwimi lwakudala dala lwabantu bethu. Olu lwimi sele lwatshabalala kuba akusekho mntu uphilayo ulithethayo njengolwimi lwakhe lwenkobe.
Oku kubonakalisa usizi lwezigidi zabantu abalandulelayo eli kuyo yonke leminyaka ngenxa yolunya nenkohlakalo yabanye abantu. Ikwathetha nokuba thina buqu asisayi kuze sibengabantu ngokupheleleyo ukuba omnye wabantu bethu utshatyalalisiwe. Umntu ngamnye uyinxalenye eyenza isizwe esipheleleyo nesiphumelelayo.
Ngokubhala lamagama kwi Coat of Arms yethu-!ke e: /xarra //ke – senza isifungo sokubuxabisa ubomi, sihloniphe zonke ilwimi namasiko kwaye sichasane nocalulo ngokobuhlanga, ngokwesini, ukubulala ngolunya ezinye iintlanga nokuphatha kakubi nangenkohlakalo abanye abantu.
Yiyo lonto sizinikezela ukuba sizakuhlonipha uxanduva esiluthwaliswe kukukhula nokutshintsha kwendlela yabantu- Ukubulela into yokuba eli lizwe lilifa lethu sonke kwaye likwayenye yeendawo zesiqalo somntu. Apha ngolwimi lwembali yethu yakudala dala, sithetha simele izizukulwana ezimiyo kunye nezo zisezayo, sizifundisa ngokubaluleka komanyano nokusebenzisana. Sithi ke, kwintliziyo yakhe wonke umntu kukho ukubaluleka, nobuntu obenza wonke umntu afune ukumanyana nabanye abantu.
Oku ke kusenza sibe ngaba bantu singabo, kwaye kusixelela ukuba sifuna ukuyaphi njengabantu base Mzantsi Afrika. Le Coat of Arms inemifanekiso yeqanda, neluphawo lokwanda kobomi ngonaphakade. Kukuya phambili okuza kusisa kwi African Century nasempumelelweni ye African Renaissance.
Ndicela nina nonke abalapha namhlanje ukuba niyange le Coat of Arms njengeyenu. Ibeli qhyiya lenu, elimele amaphupha esizwe esiphumelelayo. Isizwe esiyaziyo imiceli mngeni engaphambili kodwa sizithembe ukuba sizakumelana nazo zonke ezi nzingo. Njengokuba iflegi yethu siyiphakimisele phezulu ngegugu, sivuselela umoya womanyano lwesizwe sethu, makubenjalo nakule Coat of Arms, nengumzekelo wobuchule babantu bethu yonke leminyaka. Masikhuthazane ekuqhubeleni isizwe sethu phambili, sikhanye njengelanga. ” - Thabo Mbeki
Translated by Zizipho Silwana