zulu culture

By : Ralf Sibande with Steve & Eugenie Banhegyi

Note: this article is written using the perspective of Zulu leadership and knowledge systems.

The western business leadership education model provides comprehensive and detailed information in myriad specialist fields but fails to emphasise a holistic and integrative approach to human development in the context of working life. This lack of a holistic approach causes a problematic discontinuity between the experience of home/community life and the world of work where the all-important ‘soft skills’ of interpersonal behaviour are rarely reflected upon.

Unyawu aluna mpumulo - Literally: The foot does not have a nose.

Background.

This is said of a smart-aleck type of a guy, who eventually walks into a trap as a well deserved “serve him right” situation.

… because had he known, where his feet were taking him, they would have smelled the trouble and gave him due warning to keep off; as it were feet do not have olfactory faculties and through his own advice he walked into a sticky situation.

So it sometimes reads: The wise guy eventually walks into trouble of his own making.

Ukufihla induku emcubeni - Literally: To hide a staff in the cow dung

Background:

In Zulu culture the cattle kraal is the main meeting place where ordinary, ceremonial and spiritual matters are discussed and enacted . It’s smells of urine, and cow dung are reassuring to the men folk because they mean life, wealth and continuity of the bloodline. It is alleged the first creatures to emerge with man from the primordial bed of reeds were cattle. Without cattle there can be no African. All important rituals involve the lowly cow.

Ukhamba lufuze imbiza - Literally: The calabash resembles the fire pot.

Background:

This is said of a child or offspring who takes after the parent. The obvious logic being that the same clay mined at the same mud hole, was used by the potter in making both the fire pot and the calabash. Therefore the contents may differ but the substantial matter of constitution is the same for both the fire pot and the calabash.

So this proverb actually says: Don’t you see, he actually takes after his father anyway!

There is agreement here with other ancient cultures in the Middle East and Egypt who actually saw the Creator as the Great Potter who fashioned men and women with his hands and in a way He sees fit. This metaphor was not lost to Zulus as well.

This proverb is not used for physical resemblance but for conduct, temperament and other behavioural attributes in a negative sense.