The remarkable story of a Xhosa giant

Tiyo Soga’s 19th century hymn, “Lizalis’ Idinga Lakho” (Fulfill Your Promise) has been having a revival through the melodic singing of the singer-songwriter Zahara. In most African churches its popularity has never waned.

Those who know anything about the history of our liberation will know that this song used to be sung as some form of a national anthem at all African gatherings. In fact it was sung at Bloemfontein at the first meeting of the South African Native National Congress in 1912, which later became the African National Congress.

The song obviously inspired Sontonga’s first verses of “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika” (“God Bless Africa”), which became our national anthem, indeed a continental anthem. The iunfluence of Soga, who lived from 1829-71,  is also clear in the verses added on later by SKE Mqhayi on that song.

Soga wrote the hymn in July 1857, when he returned to Africa from his studies in Scotland.

This was the tragic time when the Xhosa nation was losing its self-sufficiency after following the false prophecies of Mhlakaza’s niece Nongqawuse and her friend Nokosi.

Soga arrived at what was then known as Algoa Bay (now Port Elizabeth) to be greeted by the trail of death caused by famine that followed the killing of the Xhosa cattle. Moved with compassion, he wrote the hymn “Lizalis’ Idinga Lakho”.

The song as the whole is poignant, but the last verse is profoundly moving and captures Soga’s attitude to the historical events of that era. It is still very relevant for our times also: “O Lord, bless the teaching of our land; Please revive us, that we may restore goodness.”

Soga was greatly influenced by the great Xhosa prophet Ntsikana, who came before him. Ntsikana prophesied the arrival of white settlers in the southern tip of Africa. He urged the Xhosa people, mostly amaNgqika, to choose from what the white people were bringing only the book with a red mouth (trhe Bible), and not the button without a hole (money).

There was something Abrahamic about Ntsikana, his personal theology being formed by the religious apparitions to which he was prone. This in turn laid for him a foundation to easily accept the Christian message.

He was amoing the first major Xhosa converts to Christianity, and his conversion influenced a lot of people among amaNgqika. He wrote great hymns about Qamata, whose son he called Tayi, “Usifub’ Eside” (Broad Chest). Hence the Christian notion of one God with a son fitted well with him. His most popular song to this day is still sung by most Xhosa choirs, “Ulo Tixo omkulu, ngoseZulwini” (Thou Art the Great God in Heaven).

Ngqika, who gave the the amaNgqika clan its name, was very sympathetic to the Christian message, but he ended up being greatly despondent about the loss of amaXhosa’s independence and eventually took to alcoholism. This is the reason why his land proliferated with Christian missionary stations, most of which turned into great schools like Lovedale, where Soga had his early education. What later became Fort Hare is also in Ngqikaland.

Soga’s father Jotello was Ngqika’s advisor. When his wife Nosuthu, a fervent convert to Christianity, asked him to release her from marital duties to live with his son among the missionaries, he agreed. Soga ended up going to Scotland for his studies and became the first ordained black cleric, not that this saved him from the rampart racism of the times. He married a Scottish woman, Janet Burnside, with whom he had seven children.

Ngqika’s militant first-born son, Maqoma, was de facto leader of amaNgqika during the Xhosa Wars (or Frontier Wars) against British encroachment on Xhosa land. He was greatly feared by white people, referred to as “Isitshingitshane” (the Tornado), he raided and burned down most missionary stations because he saw in them nothing but colonialism by the backdoor.

Maqoma asked Soga to fulfill his duties to the clan by taking over the advisory job of his father. Soga refused, preferring to stay out of the military work, preferring instead to forge his war with pen and prayer. He also declined a position of translator offered him by the colonial government.

Soga felt extremely isolated in his difficult short life. He felt personally challenged by the idea of  black and white nations at war. He taught his children to walk the divide with dignity; to pull to the centre, and never be ashamed of being the product of the best of both worlds—white and black.

In all his endeavours he had the unfailing support of a very strong and frugal woman in Janet, giving proof, as the Proverbs say, that a poor man with integrity is better than all wealth the world can give:

“A foolish son is destruction to his father, and the contentions of a wife are a constant dripping. House and wealth are inheritance from the father, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.”