What Have We Done?
ZULU LESSON
Senzeni? What have we done?
Se-nze-ni? Is a rhetorical question. It has no answer because it is introspection when things go wrong, when plans go haywire. A group of people direct it to themselves. The intention was good, but they missed a step. You know what? Sometimes we do evil to other people, not knowing that we are helping them. Talk about a boomerang.
1. Senzeni? What have we done? Husband beats his wife every week, accusing her of not getting pregnant. The mother-in-law supports him. He drives her out of the house. A year later, his mother sees her in town, highly pregnant. She comes home, puts her hands on her head and wails: Senzeni? What have we done?
2. The year is 2016. American voters put Donald Trump in the White House and give him his own taxi: Air Force 1. He quickly validates the proverb: a leopard can never change its spots. Americans put their hands on their head and cry: Senzeni? What have we done?
3. He lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden. He misses the taxi so he’s running again. Donald Trump demands an early TV debate with President Joe Biden. It takes place 27 June. It goes wrong for the sitting president. The Democratic Party asks Biden to step down. Kamala Harris becomes the presidential nominee and the country becomes enamoured with her. Talk about the boomerang of the year. Trump and his sons put their hands on their head and wail: Senzeni? What have we done?
How do you say se-nze-ni? You say the first part like sell, the second like enzyme and the last part like nip. Please note that -nza is the root syllable. Michelle Obama told the DNC in Chicago to: DO SOMETHING, advice she attributed to Kamala Harris’ mother.
Enza (do something): You say it like enzyme.
We-nza-ni? (what are you doing?) You say the first part like well, the second like enzyme and the last like nil.
Important: Senzeni is a boy’s name. Maybe he was born during a time of regret for the family.
Nonqaba waka Msimang
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