Kalanga Mzilikazi

So honourable Nhlahla Simon needs do more than just plagiarize my posts on forums dot gov dot bw. He must understand that no one is disputing the heroics of his King Mzilikazi (or should I say Nzi Lukadzi). Mzilikazi was a brave Kalanga warrior. In Kalanga we have a saying – “Tjo kumbudzwa kanyi  ngo sunugwa”. The saying can be unpacked as follows:

Tjo: It, as in “it gets reminded...”

Kumbudzwa: be reminded, as in “it gets reminded...”

Kanyi: of home, as in “it gets reminded of home”

 Ngo sunugwa: by castration, as in “it gets reminded of home by castration”.

The Kalanga saying above means that it’s only when a stray cat gets castrated at its new home that it will head back to the home it deserted. When King Shaka of the Zulus decided to punish Mzilikazi for some cattle rustling, only then did Mzilikazi think of Nkami. By heading for what is now known as Bulawayo, Mzilikazi was actually heading back home to Nkami, in case you didn’t know!