KwaNdongaziyaduma
Awuleth’ Umshini wami! This one phrase has become the anthem by which you can identify any die hard Zulu. UMsholozi, I don’t believe kukhona ongamazi. Wait, before you press back give me a chance. This article is not solely developed to discuss, at various lengths, the good, bad and ugly ngo Bab’ uZuma. Cha. This is my lamentation, my outcry at the patriotic and incorrect stereotypes that exist within the black South African community. Ngumzulu. I am a Zulu, I happen to find myself in a tricky, jammy situation living in a metropolitan such as Johannesburg. Egoli, The Place of Gold, don’t be deceived its not perfect. I mean duh, akukho soka elingenasici, right?
Kuzothiwa ngangiyaphi eGoli uma lizojika lingihlule, Truth is I was allured by the bright lights and vivacious night life of South Africas very own Big Apple. Im a student so it’s a hustler’s life, cha not ukuhhosha, I mean hustling in the good way, the legal way. Uyangithola? K, let me rather rephrase that, It’s a dog eat dog kinda world. Ikhoth’ ey’khothayo engay’khothi iyikhahlela umlomo. Now u get me. I don’t particularly hate Jozi, in fact I like it, kodwa impilo yala ihamba kwi emergency lane. Akushelwa, siyabonana, uyangichaza, ngiyakuchaza, and the rest is history. Cool, anginankinga lapho, perhaps courtship is only practised phakathi KwaZulu kuphela manje. Ivaar. Asidlule lapho. But what happens when the pace of life is so fast that theres no time for even ijazi likamkhwenyana? The powers that be do their best to try educate us, provide us with protection. Kodwa, cha, we want skin on skin right? I mean ubhanana uwudla kanjani unekhasi? Aids. Enough has been said about it what new light could I possibly shed on this done to death topic? None . Case closed
Lets come to the real reason I wrote this article, I am sick and tired of abantu bala eGoli being prejudice against me. Because I am umZulu does that mean I am violent , hardcore and iqaba? Is every Zulu dame that comes to Jozi supposed to fit the Dudu-come-to Jozi type of image? First they assume awufundile and that you are only good for making children and looking after your taxi driver boyfriend whilst he goes around test driving other vehicles. Cha, angivumi. If it’s not that kuthiwa sinodlame, apparently even our language embodies violent connotations. I mean to my amazement and abhorrence, I was accused of always seeking to be right because I am Zulu. Must I retreat and say that I am wrong when I am right just because I am proud of my language which has even more clicks than a Bic pen? Why should I be judged unnecessarily, not to mention inaccurately? I think perhaps we have been marginalised so long our ability to rationalise and process thoughts has become impaired. Cha, angisho ukuthi ondlebe zikhanyiLanga who are responsible for our sheer stupidity but maybe segregation has resulted in black South Africans feeling threatened by one another. With BEE and Affirmative Action we have come to be in competition with each other continuously. Kodwa lets not pour blame onto our govt’s initiative to make jobs more accessible for us. Bayasizamela nathi njengo darkie. Osekusele is that we meet them halfway.
Next time ngihleli nawe in a taxi Miss Rosebank and I move my head to the rhythm of the infectious beat of Platform 1, don’t turn your nose up at at me! Put on your ipod and gyrate to the chauvinistic and vulgar thrown-together lyrics of 50 Cent, Young Buck et al. Im not hating on you so please return the favour. Ngumzulu, I speak vernacular, I struggle to eat with a fork and knife at the Dining Hall, but okusalayo ngyayazi imvelaphi yami. Can you say the same about yourself? When did you decide that Ukhozi FM was boring? Was it at the same time that you decided ujeqe was fattening and that ubhontshisi causes flatulence? Im not trying to force my strong belief in culture onto anyone but ntombi yomuZulu zigade. Im talking from experience Ive already lost myself once in big bad Jozi. My culture is blueprinted onto my soul (lame, I know. Hee hee.) and there is just no escaping it. Im not that old, im not even wise but being engulfed by Jozi has been an eye opener. Id rather be labelled violent and rough than not be able to give my children the gift of culture and heritage. Just a thought. Use it, don’t use it , its up to you.