When was the coat of arms launched in South Africa?

27 April 2000

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. … In the symbolic sense this is the implied rebirth of the spirit of our great and heroic nation.

Coat of arms, the principal part of a system of hereditary symbols dating back to early medieval Europe, used primarily to establish identity in battle. … Arms evolved to denote family descent, adoption, alliance, property ownership, and, eventually, profession.

The Coat of Arms is a series of elements organised in distinct symmetric egg-like or oval shapes placed on top of one another. … The shape of the shield makes reference to the drum, and contains two human figures from Khoisan rock art. The figures are depicted facing one another in greeting and in unity.

Iaan Bekker

The Khoisan were the first inhabitants of southern Africa and one of the earliest distinct groups of Homo sapiens, enduring centuries of gradual dispossession at the hands of every new wave of settlers, including the Bantu, whose descendants make up most of South Africa’s black population today.

Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi

State Centre of Excellence

Ruy de Sequeira

Probitas Doctrina