Reason in Zulu

Beached whales. They ran away from home, polluted by oil companies.

Billionaires want profits.  Killing nature is standard practice.

Reason isi-zathu in Zulu.

I-si-za-thu. You say the first part like email, the second like system, the third like Zagreb and the last like took.

There’s always a reason, for arriving late, climate change, war, racism, murder, divorce, homelessness and all the things that erode the soul. But, there’s also a reason for the rainbow and toddlers’ smiles.

African children have reasons for their names. What is interesting though, is that I don’t know of any South African parents that named their children isizathu (reason).  Kids have names like sun, hope, success, waiting, all girls, all boys etc. but never reason.

ZULU	REASON
Yini isizathu?	What is the reason?
U-naso isi-zathu?	Do you have a reason?
Asikho isi-zathu sokushaya abesifazane.	There’s no reason for wife abuse.
Wazibulala. Yini isi-zathu? Asazi.	She killed herself. What was the reason? We don’t know.
Wayeka emsebenzini, isi-zathu u-basi.	She resigned. Her boss is the reason.
Abahloniphi. Internet isi-zathu.	They have no respect. The internet is the reason.
I-traff ic isizathu.	Traffic is the reason (common excuse).
Lomisile. Isizathu ayikho imvula.	There’s drought. No rain is the reason.
Thulani, awushadile yini isizathu?	Thulani you are not married. What’s the reason?
Zanele, awushadile yini isizathu?	Zanele, you are not married. What’s the reason?

This is another ‘written podcast’ by Nonqaba waka Msimang.