Zulu Lesson You Don't Listen

Prince Louis and his mother Kate Middleton. What kids do in public is an extension 

of what they get away with at home, or with people who look after them, like nannies.

We don’t listen. Eating out is so much fun. Instead of listening to people at our table, I'm usually fascinated by tables where somebody is talking, but nobody is listening because they are mesmerized by their phones.

This Zulu lesson is a little bit complicated because it is a combination of being stubborn, intentional un-listening if we can call it that, kids’ forgetfulness or being slow mentally. So, let’s start with the basics. 

Izwi = is a word, something that is spoken. Christians preach about ‘the word’ of Jesus presumably. Izwi is also authority. Biden, in his capacity as the U.S. President, is the word for creating world wars, while keeping America safe in its far away distance.

Zwa = listening and understanding. We are punished if we don’t follow company policy. Boston Celtics, a basketball team fired Ime Udoka for breaching company policy with a woman. She kept her job. Husband and wife fight because they accuse each other of listening, but ignoring what is being said. It goes in one ear, and goes out the other, to quote my grandmother’s favourite proverb.

Factories don’t listen about pollution and climate change. A-be-zwa. You say the first part like Anna, the next like Lilibet, Prince Harry’s daughter and the last like swastika, a symbol of home in India, but Hitler used it for hatred and power.

ENGLISH	ZULU
Ja Morant doesn’t listen/stubborn.	Ja Morant ake-zwa.
Trump doesn’t listen/stubborn.	Trump ake-zwa.
Nomali doesn’t listen. (It’s a girl’s name that means money).	Nomali ake-zwa.
The government doesn’t listen.	Umbuso awu-zwa.
Boys don’t listen.	Abafana abe-zwa.
Girls don’t listen.	Amantombazane awe-zwa.
Who told you?	U-zwe ngobani?
The grapevine.	We heard, from those who heard (a proverb).
Mother, we heard and understood.	Mama, si-zwile.
Father, they heard and understood.	Baba, ba-zwile.
I have suffered.	Ngi-zwile.

Pronunciation: zwi-le. You say the first part like swing with a -Z- and the last  like leg.

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.