The Sjambok

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A sjambok (pronounced sham-bock) is the name for a long whip used for herding cattle, as riding crop and very often a means of chastisement or self-protection. The Afrikaans version of the name is written sambok (and pronounced "sum bock"). According to Wikipedia[1], The name seems to have originated as cambuk in Indonesia, where it was the name of a wooden rod for punishing slaves, where it was possibly derived from the Persian chabouk or chabuk. When Malay slaves arrived in South Africa in the 1800s, the instrument and its name were imported with them, the material was changed to hide, and the name was finally incorporated into Afrikaans, spelled as sambok. It is known in Bengali as chabuk.

Publications using the name Sjambok

The Sjambok (19**-19**)

The Sjambok ("The whip") was a short-lived critical newspaper published in South Africa as an initiative of the Schlesinger Organisation. It was edited for them by journalist and playwright Stephen Black. The publication was soon forced to close however, because of the many libel suits brought against it.

The New Sjambok (1931)

In July 1931 Black himself started The New Sjambok, but fell ill and died shortly afterwards in Johannesburg on the 8th August 1931 of lung cancer. Which meant the end of his new endeavor.

Sjambok the website (200*)

Sjambok is a website was a satirical online publication created in 2004 and carries the subtitle: "sjambok'ing [i.e. "whipping"] the world for love, not money!". According to the website it is intended to make readers laugh, and now and again to make them think about the things that come under the lash of the "sjambok".

In this respect it is important to note that the main page of the website is headed by two caveats: "Don't be stupid. This isn't real news" and "Not for under 18's or the easily offended!".

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sjambok

http://www.sjambok.co.za/