A little red book called The Miners’ Dictionary – Woordeboek vir Mynwerkers (Fanakalo and Afrikaans) lies on my desk. My mother spoke kitchen Fanakalo. My father spoke mine Fanagalo. I learnt the language formally on the Hendrik Verwoerd Dam and was quite fluent. Now I remember only the echo of the sounds and the smells of the kitchen and fresh concrete ever tumbling into new formwork. We were forever shouting kipa lo vibrator (extract the concrete vibrator lest you induce seggregation of the concrete and the French QA inspector see us.)
The dictionary on loan to me was issued in 1969, reprinted 1972, by the Chamber of Mines Services (Pty.) Limited for the Prevention of Accidents Committee of the Chamber of Mines of South Africa. I had forgotten that communication was considered a safety issue.
There are now scholarly articles on the internet about the development of Fanakalo as a pidgin and as a creole. There are detailed dicussions of its grammar (basically English) and its vocabulary (basically Zulu) and whether it is even still used on the mines. I found one news report from 2006 in which somebody complained that they were sworn at in English and Fanakalo, so it is obviously still around.
I found three CD by Francois Buttet entitled Fanakalo Collection. Can’t be sure he sings in Fanakalo though – can you help?
For fun, consider that the title of this Blog, IThinkMining, translates into Fanagalo as mina cabanga lo mayin.
If you know or can tell me more about the current status of this language and other pidgins and creoles on mines worldwide please do, via e-mail at jcaldwell@infomine.com or in the comments below.
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February 20, 2007 at 8:25 pm
andy ballantyne
On the mines in Zambia some of the workers still use Fanakalo. I also helped to start to reclaim the tailings dams at the Anglo Platinum Western Limb Plant. I was later asked to monitor the slurry that was in the return water dams back thru the plant again. The four local workers that I had to workwith could not communicate in English or Afrikaans, but we could
communicate in Fanakalo so that theywhat I needed done. This was in March to July 2004.
I understand that you used to work at Rustenburg .
Regards
Andy Ballantyne
March 4, 2007 at 6:43 pm
Weekend words on mining (English, Spanish, & Portuguese) « I THINK MINING
[...] Speaking Fanakalo in the mines [...]
April 1, 2007 at 8:51 am
Smit Steyn
Used to work on the gold mines many years ago and also attended the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) circa 1956 and later. At the time, fanakalo was widely used on just about all mines in South Africa. You can still go a long way with fanakalo at present with many people on the platteland, particularly with Zulu-speaking people and also with people living in Zambia and other countries north of South Africa. At university we used to sing a song called “Munje Koki Robin” (The spelling may not be correct) (Ubani digga lo grave?, Mina with my muscles fanakalo Tromp van Diggelen, Mina digga lo grave). If anyone could help with the words of this old song, I would appreciate it very much. Why do you not contact the Chamber of Mines and ask for the fanakalo dictionary. Surely, if anyone would know about fanakalo, they ce4rtainly would. Regards
May 3, 2007 at 3:52 am
Steve Gillman
I too worked on the gold mines of SA. (Gold Fields LOTC based at Kloof and Wits Tecknikon). I ended up as a shift boss on West Drie back in the mid 80’s. I remember the little red book quite well.
The language varied with region e.g mlungu was white man on the reef but in Messina (I worked on the copper mine for few months) it was makiwa. My crew called me ‘baas maglassan’ (I wore glasses).
Can’t say I miss those days! But it is fun to use the language but I’m very rusty now. While traveling in France I would often revert to fanakalo to force the person to whom I was talking to at least try and understand my schoolboy French.
October 21, 2007 at 8:35 pm
Johnny Walker
I remember a second Fanagalo book which must be hidden away amongst the books in my attic. I think it was this one which had as an example the fabulous phrase ” the leopard has just bitten my maternal aunt” – strange I never had chance to use that one….
Only spent a few months on Harmony Gold Mine, in the OFS during 1980 but it had a lasting impression, although what little Fanakalo I managed to pick up has sadly drifted from my memory.
November 16, 2007 at 10:17 pm
Herb Nolan
I worked on the Globe & Phoenix gold mine in Que Que S. Rhodesia and on the Copperbelt in N. Rhodesia. Fanakalo was the only means of communication with the indigenous people. My wife and family emigrated to the USA in 1974, we still communicate with each other when we do not want others to understand. This was very annoying to our children.
I have a collection of satires by Wrex Tarr in Fanakalo, if anyone is intrested
September 22, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Lee W John
Hello There Herb, I am the current owner of the Globe and Phoenix and would be very interested to hear your stories or see you pictures etc. Cheers Lee W John.
January 31, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Mike Treleaven
I worked for a couple of years in the Gold Mines 1996 to 1998 and the Gold Fields Training Services were still teaching Fanakalo at teh time. I did not get a ‘little red book’ but a blue ‘Miers’ Dictionary’ which went from English to Fanakalo and Afrikaans to Fanakalo and was issued by the Mine Safety Division of the Chamber of Mines of South Africa. Fond memories….
February 1, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Mike Treleaven
Herb, Would love some of the satires in Fanakalo, where can I get my hands on them?
February 18, 2008 at 4:27 pm
roberta moore
I worked on the mines in SA for a year — during 1976 as a physiotherapist in the mine hospitals at Western Deep Levels and Vaal Reefs . I had a blue book about the size and shape of A4 landscape. I remember it well!! I enjoyed every minute of it and had to shout instructions to the exercise class in Fanakalo!! Im sure the men had a good laugh at my attempts, especially since they were spoken in a N. Irish accent!! Thanks for the memory jogger!! My assistants were Harrison, Lira and Samuel.One of my patients who got a prosthetic arm was Mzwamadoda – wonder how he is doing?
I remember when the men wanted quick recovery they used to say to us “yenza lo plan”!!
May 29, 2008 at 9:22 am
Rob Walker
Hi Guys
If you want more information on Fanakalo try searching under Chilapalapa, which is the Zimbabwe/Rhodesia version. It is much the same and there is quite a rich tradition of jokes, stories and general use of Chilapalapa amongst ex Zimbos/Rhodies, as we practically all learnt Chilapalapa as children. It was further popularised by Wrex Tarr, a comedian who made a series of comedy records in the language, which are now much sort after collectors items. One of the comments above mentioned the song Cocky Lobin, which was written by Wrex Tarr. he has obviously not been asking the right people for words, as practically every Zimbo I know can sing it by heart. I saw that a re-release of Wrex Tarr’s songs was made recently under the title “The Cream of Chilapalapa”. I haven’t seen it on sale, but it is certain to include “Cocky Lobin”. Incidentally, for lexographers who constantly say that Fanakalo/Chilapalapa is mainly based on Zulu, I am living in Mozambique now and I am constantly noticing how much of Shangaan there is in it. The “sound” is more like Shangaan than Zulu. Then I realised that there are also some Portuguese words in it (Picanini = small in fanakalo, Pequenino = small in Port. It looks diferent but its pronounced almost exactly the same except for the last “i”)
January 21, 2009 at 1:18 pm
fiona tracey
great to know chilapalapa is still going strong was in rhodesia in the 1950sfor 7yrs been back in scotland neary 50yrs but still think in it and realy missbeing able to converse as there are not many ex pats where i stay there are some s africans but they dont have a clue i would love toget in touch with a few people to chat to before i get too rusty snd old and f0rget it completley