Name: S’naye.

Surname: Khumalo.
Grade: 10B
School: Masibonisane High School
Subject: History

HISTORY HERITAGE RESEACH TASK

The coat of arms of South Africa is the main heraldic insignia
of South Africa. The present coat of arms was introduced on
Freedom Day, 27th of April 2000, and was designed by Laan
bekker. It replaced the earlier national arms, which had been
in use since 1910.

The role of a Coat of Arms.

A national coat of arms, or state emblem, is the highest visual
symbol of the state.
The coat of Arms is also a central part of the Great Seal,
traditionally considered to be the highest emblem of the
state. Absolute authority is given to every document with an
impression of the Great Seal on it, as this means that it has
been approved by the President of South Africa.

The symbols of the Coat of Arms,

The motto.
The motto is: !ke e: /xarra //ke, written in the Khoisan
language of the /Xam people, literaly meaning 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.
The ears of wheat
An emblem of fertility, it also symbolizes the idea of
germination, growth and the feasible development of ant
potential. It relates to the nourishment of the people and
signifies the agricultural aspects of the Earth.

Elephant tusks
Elephants symbolize wisdom, strength, moderation and
eternity.

The shield
It has a dual function as a vehicle for the display of identity
and of spiritual defence. It contains the primary symbol of
our nation.

The human figures

The figures are derived from images on the Linton Stone, a
world-famous example of the South African rock are, now
housed and displayed in the South African Museum in Cape
Town. The Khoisan, the oldest known inhabitants of our land
and most probably of the Earth, testify to our common
humanity in general. The figures are depicted in an attitude
of greeting, symbolizing unity.
The spear and knobkierie
Dual symbols of the defence and authority, they in turn
represent the powerful legs of the secretary bird. The spear
and knobkierie are lying down, symbolizing peace.

The Oval Shape of Ascendance

The Protea
The protea is an emblem of the beauty of our land and the
flowering of our potential as a nation in pursuit of the African
Renaissance. The protea symbolizes the holistic integration of
forces that grow from the Earth and are nurtured from
above. The most popular colours of African have been
assigned to the protea – green, gold, red, and black.
The secretary bird
The secretary bird is characterized in flight, the natural
consequence of growth and speed. It is the equivalent of the
lion on earth. A powerful bird whose legs – depicted as the
spear and knobkierie – serve it well in its hunts 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 our
nation, while simultaneously offering us its protection. It is
depicted in gold which clearly symbolizes its association with
the sun and the highest power.
The rising sun.
And emblem of brightness, splendor and the supreme
principle of the nature of energy, it symbolizes the promise
of rebirth, the active faculties of reflection, knowledge, good
judgment and willpower. It is the symbol of the source of life,
of light and the ultimate wholeness of humanity.
The completed structure of the Coat of Arms combines the
lower and higher oval shape 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 and the sun rising at the
top, forms the shape of the cosmic egg from which the
secretary bird rises. In the symbolic sense, this is the implied
rebirth of the spirit of our great and heroic nation.

The design process

The then department of Arts, Culture, Science and
Technology requested ideas for the new Coat of Arms from
the public last year. Based on the ideas received, along with
input from the Cabinet, a brief was written. The Government
Communications and Information System then approached
Design South Africa - an umbrella body representing design
agencies across the country – to brief ten of the top
designers. Three designers were chosen to present their
concepts to the cabinet. Mr. Iaan Bekker’s design was chosen
for the new Coat of Arms.
HISTORY OF THE SAN PEOPLE.
Not related of the Bantu tribes, the San are descendants of
Early Stone Age ancestors. Clans and loosely connected
family groups followed seasonal game migrations between
mountain range and coastline. They made their homes in
caves, under rocky overhangs or in temporary shelters. These
migratory people do not domesticate animals or cultivate
crops, even though their knowledge of both flora and fauna
is vast. The San categorized thousands of plants and their
uses, from nutritional to medicinal, mystical to the recreation
and lethal. San men have a formidable reputation as trackers
and hunters.

San tracker will follow the ‘spoor’ (tracks) of an animal across

virtually and kind of surface or terrain. Their skills even
enable them to distinguish between the ‘spoor’ of a
wounded animal and that of the rest of the herd. At about
the beginning of the Christian era a group of people who
owned small livestock moved into the northern and western
parts of South Africa and migrated southward. These
pastoralists, called “khoikhoi or Hottentot” resembled the
San in many ways lived by gathering wild plants and
domesticating animals
Coincidently in the eastern parts of the country another
migration was occurring – the bantu speaking people were
moving southward bringing with them cattle, the concept of
planting crops and settled village life. Ultimately, the
“khoikhoi” met these black-skinned farmers and obtained
from them cattle in exchange for animals skins and other
items.

Cultural life
The san have no formal authority figure or chief, but govern
themselves by group consensus. Disputes are resolved
through lengthily discussions where all involved have a
chance to make their thoughts heard until some agreement
is reached.

Certain individuals may assume leadership in specific spheres

in which they excel, such as hunting or healing rituals, but
they cannot achieve positions of general influence or power.
White colonists found this very confusing when they tried to
establish treaties with the san. Leadership among the san is
kept for those who have lived with that group for a long time,
who have achieved a respectable age and good character.
San are largely egalitarian, sharing such things as meat and
tobacco,

Land is usually owned by a group, and rights to land are

usually inherited bilaterally. Kinship bonds provide the basic
framework for political models. Memberships in a group is
determined by residency. As long as a person lives on the
land of his group he maintains his membership. It is possible
to hunt on land not owned by any group, but permission
must be obtained from the owners

San hunting methods

The san eat anything available, both animal and vegetable.
Their selection of food ranges antelope, zebra, porcupine,
wild hare, lion, giraffe, fish, insects, tortoise, flying ants,
snake, hyena, eggs and wild honey. The meat is boiled or
roasted on a fire.
The san are not wasteful and every part of the animal is used.
The hides are tanned for blankets and the bones cracked for
the morrow. Water is hard to come by, as the san are
constantly on the move. Usually during the dry season, these
migrants collect their moisture by scraping and squeezing
roots. If they are out hunting or travelling, they would dig
holes in the sand to find water. They also carry water in an
ostrich eggshell

San belief system

The san belief system generally observes the supremacy of
one powerful god, while at the same time recognizing the
presence of lesser gods along with their wives and children.
Homage is also paid to the spirits of the deceased. Among
the san people, it is believed that working the soil is contrary
to the world order established by the god

Some groups also revere the moon. The most important

spiritual being to the southern san was /kaggen, the trickster-
deity. He created many things, and appears in numerous
myths where he can be foolish or wise, tiresome or helpful

San rituals
The Eland is their most spiritual animal and appears in 4
rituals:
 Boys’ first kill
 Girls’ puberty
 Marriage
 Trance dance
A ritual is held where the boy is told how to track an Eland
and the Eland will fall once shot with an arrow. The boy will
become an adult when he kills his first large antelope,
preferably an Eland. Once caught, the Eland is skinned and
the fat from the animal’s throat and collarbone is made into
a broth. In the girls’ puberty rituals, a young girl is isolated in
her hut at her first menstruation. The women of the tribe
perform the Eland Bull Dance where they imitate the mating
behavior of the Eland cows

San rock art.

Until recently, most amateur and professionals
anthropologists looked at the rock painting of the San and
believed that they could decipher it without problems. The
pieces that they did not understand were passed off as crude
art or that the artist had too much to drink or smoke. This
has been found not to be the case, and their work is
recognized as holding deep spiritual and religious meaning.
Contrary to popular belief, these paintings and engravings of
strange human figures and animals, especially the Eland, did
not depict everyday life but had deeper religious and
symbolic meaning. Gender roles are not jealously guarded in
the San society. Women sometimes assist in the hunt and the
men sometimes help gather plant foods.
When Shaman (medicine men) painted the Eland, they did
not just pay respect to a sacred animal; they also harnessed
its essence (N!um). By putting paint to rock, they would be
able to open portals to the spirit world. San rock paintings
are found in rocky areas in the KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape
and the Western Cape provinces.
The san mainly used red, ranging from orange to brown,
white, black and yellow in their paintings. Blue and green
were never used in their paintings.