U-Enoch Mankayi Sontonga (c. 1873 - 18 April 1905) wayengumqambi waseNingizimu Afrika, owaziwa kakhulu ngokubhala iculo lesiXhosa elithi "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika" (ngesiNgisi: "God Bless Africa"), elifushanisiwe. yaculwa njengengxenye yokuqala yeculo Lesizwe laseNingizimu Afrika kusukela ngo-1994.
Ngaphambili, bekuyiculo elisemthethweni le-African National Congress kusukela ngo-1925. Labuye lamukelwa umakhelwane weNingizimu Afrika osanda kwakhiwa enyakatho, iZimbabwe futhi lahunyushelwa olimini lwesiShona. "Ishe Komborera Afrika" kusukela ngo-1980 kwaze kwaba ngu-1994.
USontonga, umXhosa, wazalelwa edolobheni lase-Uitenhage e-Eastern Cape Colony. Uqeqeshelwe ubuthishela eLovedale Institution wabe esesebenza njengothisha kanye nomculi wekwaya esikoleni saseMethodist Mission eNancefield, ngaseGoli iminyaka eyisishiyagalombili. Ivesi lokuqala kanye nekhwaya ye-"Nkosi Sikelel" iAfrika" yaqanjwa ngo-1897 futhi kwakuhloswe ngayo ukuthi kube iculo lesikole.
Eminye imithombo ithi leli culo walibhala ngawo lowo nyaka, kodwa eminye ithi le ngoma yabhalwa uJoseph Parry njengethi “Aberystwyth” nokuthi uSontonga uvele wabhala amagama amasha. Yaculwa okokuqala emphakathini ngo-1899 ekugcotshweni kukaMfundisi uMboweni, owayengungqongqoshe wokuqala wesonto lamaWeseli lesiTsonga. Kamuva imbongi yesiXhosa uSamuel Mqhayi yabhala amanye amavesi ayisikhombisa. USontonga washona ngo-April 1905. USontonga washada noDiana Mngqibisa bathola amadodana amabili (eyodwa yamadodana akhe uJefferson Greely Sontonga. Umkakhe washona ngo-1929.
Ingoma yaqala ukwaziwa kakhulu ngemva kokuba ikhwaya kaJohn Langalibalele Dube Ohlange Institute yalisebenzisa. Bayidlala emhlanganweni weSouth African Native National Congress ngo-1912. Yahlatshelelwa ngemva komthandazo wokuvala futhi i-ANC yayithatha njengehubo layo lokuvala elisemthethweni ngo-1925. Yaqoshwa eLondon ngokuthi "Nkosi sikelel" iAfrika" ngo-1923 yashicilelwa yiLovedale Press ngo-1927.
Kwase kuyiminyaka eminingi indawo yethuna likaSontonga ingaziwa, kodwa lagcina lisendaweni "yeNative Christian" emathuneni aseBraamfontein ekuqaleni kwawo-1990. Esinye sezizathu ezenza lendawo Ithuna lakhe lahlala liyindida ukuthi labhalwa ngaphansi kwegama elithi "Enoch" hhayi ngesibongo sakhe "Sotonga".
Mhla zingama-24 kuMandulo 1996, ithuna likaSontonga lamenyezelwa njengesikhumbuzo sesizwe nesikhumbuzo esikule ndawo sembulwa nguMongameli wangaleso sikhathi. Nelson Mandela. Emcimbini ofanayo, i-Order of Meritorious Service yaseNingizimu Afrika (Igolide) yanikezwa u-Enoch Sontonga ngemva kokushona kwakhe.