Brenda Fassie’s 1997 hit song Vulindlela still raises questions about South Africa as a nation
IN 1997, South Africa’s most famous music star had a huge hit. Brenda Fassie’s Vulindlela became a national pop anthem, played especially at weddings and celebrations. Vulindlela can be loosely translated from the Zulu language as an instruction to “make way” or, if you like, “clear the path”. The song is about making way for the groom (and bride) at their wedding. In 1997 South Africa was emerging from the racist apartheid system and was celebrating its own “wedding” across the colour bar after democratic elections in 1994. Apartheid and its policy of separate development for different ethnic groups made…