Zulu Lesson Forward

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Forward is phambili in Zulu.

Pha-mbi-li. You say the first part like palm, the second like umbilical cord and the last like leak. The trade union movement used to like phambili. You heard the following chants during protest marches.

Phambili ngaba sebenzi. Forward with workers!

Phambili nga-maholo. Forward with wages!

Conferences. What is frustrating about conference or company retreats is that employees are divided into groups. Each group chooses the chairperson. Groups discuss finance, billing, customers etc. Groups then bring their findings to the plenary, the bigger conference.

The overall Conference Chair combines them into one company policy, then he makes an earth shattering statement: what is the way forward? It usually means nothing, the big wigs will continue running the company or government department the way they want.

Pha-mbi-li is subjective. It is usually controlled by people with money or  leaders have bribed to push their agenda. They are called sell-outs or snitches in certain countries.

Ideally, forward should be subjective. Can you live with how you voted or people you endorsed? That’s important because of the evening. We all go to bed, sleeping is another matter. Can you sleep with decisions you made? Did you compromise your beliefs?

ZULU

ENGLISH

Hamba phambili.

Go in front.

Bahamba phambili.

They are walking in front.

Siyobonana phambili.

We’ll catch up in front.

Ubani ophambili?

Who is in front?

Sekuse duze phambili.

We are almost in front.

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.

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