Maxi-bus

OPINION: Five Misconceptions People Have about Zulus & KZN

As a Zulu guy who was born in KwaZulu-Natal I sometimes read some stereotypical things some people say about our tribe and go “which Zulus are they talking about?” writes Eggs Benedict Ngwenya

  1. KZN Hogs All Big Events (Cup Finals and Awards Ceremonies)

    This is absolutely not true! Event organisers opt for KZN as a venue because the people here are very supportive. Look at big teams like Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates and their failure to fill their very own stadiums in Gauteng. Does that bode well for a big brand which has a lot of big sponsors? No.

    Do they get better numbers in KZN. Yes, hence Kaizer Chiefs has made Moses Mabhida Stadium their alternative home ground over the last few seasons and it’s paying dividends.
  1. Zulus Don’t Want to Learn Other Languages

    I have lived in the multilingual province of Gauteng for some time and I realized how difficult it is for a native Zulu speaker to learn other languages because everyone kind of converses in Zulu, albeit broken one. For example, you’ll hardly ever find a Tsonga and Sotho using Xhosa or either of their two native languages to communicate. It is mostly Zulu.

    It takes a lot of desire and determination from a native Zulu to get someone to teach them another language.
  2. Zulus Like to Impose Their Language on Others, Even on TV

    It is no secret that the language is dominant on TV like Seputla Sebogodi correctly said but you should ask yourself why. Why does a so-called Afrikaans soapie like 7de Laan have to include Zulu? Why does a Sepedi soapie like Skeem Saam need to have Zulu actors? Why does there have to be Zulu in a Muvhango?
    This is purely a business idea from production companies because isiZulu is the most spoken language in the country. You want your product to appeal to as many people as possible and what better way than including the most spoken language?

    Uzalo which is 100% isiZulu is the most watched soapie on TV with over 5.6 million viewers. Is it because it’s the best soapie? I think it mostly has to do with the language. Shaka ILembe leads the way on DStv with almost 1 million viewers.
  3. AmaZulu Like to Fight

    I think this was just Mkhize’s character in Emzini Wezinsizwa misleading the masses. AmaZulu are one of the most respectful tribes in the world. Mkhize’s character wasn’t a representation of the entire tribe.

    Every tribe does have quarrelsome people but it’s easier to spot such habits from people who form a huge percentage of the population.
  4. AmaZulu like Polygamy

    I’m going to end this list on a lighter note because some tribes choose to stay away from Zulu guys in fear of subjected to polygamous marriages. Please don’t be scared of us because only a small percentage of Zulu men opt for that which is also good for them.

    Let me just make these clear examples – Chiefs Azwindini from Muvhango and Senegalese singer Akon have multiple wives but they’re not even close to being Zulus.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *