Swimming in Zulu

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Swimming is bhu-ku-da in Zulu.

Summer is around the corner in Europe and North America, which means being outside enjoying the sun and the sea.  This does not include the Dead Sea.  No swimming there, too much sodium.
Kids look forward to swimming, a secret they don’t want to share with us.  It’s scary how they connect with water, especially along the seashore, playing games with waves, something equally mysterious.  It’s one of nature’s wonders and scientists should stay out of it, because if they uncover the secret, it will be developed in laboratories, given a brand name and marketed on the stock exchange.

Swimming used to be political in South Africa.  Africans, the majority and owners of the land could only swim in the smallest part of the beach.  East Indians had their own section.  The rest was reserved for Europeans, the smallest population.  The sea ignored the Group Areas Act because water flowed over the Coloured, black, white and Indian bodies.
People who live inland in South Africa, in provinces such as Gauteng and North West like driving down to Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal during the summer, to visit family or swim in the ocean.  Cape Province also gets its share of what we can call ‘ocean’ tourists.  Ba-zo-bhu-ku-da.  They’ve come to swim.
Bhu-ku-da.  You say the first part like book, the second like kudu and the last one like dye.

ZULU
ENGLISH
Si-yo-bhu-ku-da.
We are going swimming.
U-Niall no Maria ba-yo-bhu-ku-da.
Niall and Maria went swimming.
U-ma-lu-me u-bhu-ku-da e-ku-se-ni.
Uncle swims in the morning.
I-zi-nga-ne zi-ya-tha-nda u-ku-bhu-ku-da.
Kids love swimming.
Mama ngi-ce-la u-ku-yo-bhu-ku-da.
Ma, can I go swimming please?
Cha, ku-ya-ba-nda na-mhla-nje.
No.  It’s cold today.
Phila, u-ya-kwa-zi u-ku-bhu-ku-da?
Phila, do you know how to swim?
Yebo. Ngi-ya-kwa-zi u-ku-bhu-ku-da.
Yes. I know how to swim.
U-Vusi a-ka-kwa-zi u-ku-bhu-ku-da.
Vusi does not know how to swim.
A-ma-Olympic Games a-no-ku-bhu-ku-da.
Olympic Games have swimming.
A-ng-bhu-ku-di.  Ngi-sa-ba o-shaka.
I don’t swim.  I’m scared of sharks.
By:  Nonqaba waka Msimang

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