DeLaReyCaseStudy

DeLaReyisconsideredasoneofthemostcontroversialsongsinSouthAfrica.Ononehand,
itwaswelcomedwithexcitementamongthewhiteAfrikaanscommunity,whereontheother
hand,thesongtriggeredcontroversy,whichfuelledtheexistingcomplexitieswithintheSouth
Africansociopoliticalenvironment(Kees&Robins,2011).Isupportthefactthatthesong
shouldnotberemovedasthemacroenvironmentalfactorsandtheunderlyingimplications
arevalidjustifications.Fromapoliticalstandpoint,JacobZumadidmobilizehisfollowers
withthefamousliberationsong.Hejustifiedhisactionbywhatheconsideredverysimilarto
DeLaReysong,whichhepersonallysupportedashebelievedthatDeLaReywasaboutthe
historyofSouthAfrica(Kees&Robins.2011).Thiswasbynomeanconsideredtobeanew
fact within the south African contexts since the south African political history had been
supportedbymotivationalsongsaroundstruggleandpainwithintheapartheidrepresenting
morethecultureandsociopoliticalideologyratherthananythingelse.Fromasocialfactor
pointofview,theemergenceofthenewAfrikanerisduetothepoliticalchangesthathad
takenchangedduringthetransitionfromtheapartheidthereby,thesongappeartobemorea
reflectoruponanewidentitythathaslongbeenlost(Jansen,2009).Thisinturnoutlineshow
deeplypoliticalissuesarerootedwithinsocialfactors.AssumingthattheDeLaReysongwas
more of a political message rather than a national song, one can say that the Voelvry
Bewegingasamovementwasnotsupportinganynationalistmovement.TheAfrikaansmusic
playedanimportantroleinarticulatingpoliticalandsocialissueswherebythemainfocuswas
counteringtheAfrikanernationalistsshowcasingtheironyaroundtheapartheidpainfulera.
However, there were previous underlying factors that contributed to this
sociopolitical complexity, namely theressertionofAfrikanernationalismlanguage

suchasroadnamechangestherebytriggeringamarginalizationoftheAfrikanslanguage.
With that in mind, economical factors played an important role as the
sports industry represented a huge market opportunity for both sport franchise and
sponsorship,whichrepresentedinvestmentsreaching2.4billionUSduringtheperiod(2003
2005).Themarketingmixisappliedinthiscasewithinthesportsindustrytoindetifythekey
drivers in by one of the 4Ps, namely product. Loftus Versfeld Stadium benefited from
governemnt investments thereby focusing on the sport industry as an economical driver.
Keepingthesongislikelytoangerthegrowingblackmiddleclassrepresentingafuture
buyingpower.However,thecurrentAfrikans(47%)buyingeconomicalforceiskeytothe
currentsportsindustrysuccess,thereforejustifyingthegovernmentR8.4billioninvestment
(Goldman,2009).RemovingtheDeLeReysongmightalsotriggerdisprutionswithinthe
ticket pricing, revenue and the entire promotion landscape as we witnessed through the
involvementofAfriForum.
DeLaReylyricsexemplifiedaneedforculturalcommoditiesratherthanstandardpolitical
movementespeciallythoseactiveduringthepostmodernera.Therefore,theethnonationalist
politicswasmoreofanassumption,wherebythetruerealitywasmoreontherelatedtoa
culturalcommoditydrivenmovement

References:
Goldman,M.(2009).GeneralDeLaReyandTheBlueBulls,GordonInstituteofBusiness
Science,UniversityofPretoria,1,110
Kees,V.&Robins,S.(2011)DelaReyandtheRevivalofBoerHeritage:Nostalgiainthe
PostapartheidAfrikanerCultureIndustry,JournalofSouthernAfricanStudies,37(4),763
779
Jansen,D.(2009).KnoweldgeInTheBlood.Stanford:StanfordUniversitypress.