A s Z im b ab w e an s tud e nts at th e Unive rs ity of Joh anne s- b urg w e are am b as s ad ors of our country. A s s uch, w e s h ould s h ow cas e th e b e auty of our culturald ive rs ity w h e n give n a platform s uch as th e Inte rnationalFe s tival ins te ad of pre s e nting

A s in th e w ord s of Ph ath is a N y ath i, language is critical to th e pe ople in th at it is th e m e d ium in th e trans m is s ion of th e ir future ge ne rations. Language is th e s oul of th e culture. It give s a s e ns e of id e ntity to its s pe ak e rs h ow e ve r it is als o a pow e rful w e apon w h ich can b e a s ource of conflict as it can b ring pe ople toge th e r or d ivid e th e m. A n e xce lle nt e xam ple of th is is th e anim os ity th at e xis ts b e tw e e n th e m ajor e th nic groups of Z im b ab w e, th e N d e b e le s and th e Sh onas. Th is anim os ity is appare nt e ve n at ins titutions of h igh e r e d ucation s uch as UJ, w h ich is w h y y ou b are ly find N d e b e le s tud e nts s upporting Z im s oc le t alone re gis te ring as m e m b e rs of th e s ocie ty. Th is m ay b e d ue to th e notorious G uk urah und i or th e acculturation ad opte d b y th e s tud e nts living in th e d ias pora.

Th e acculturation is not uniq ue to N d e b e le s tud e nts b ut is m ore com m on th an am ong Sh ona s tud e nts. Th e firs t group of N d e b e le s h ave ad opte d th e as s im ilation m od e of acculturation. W h e n th e N d e b e le s com e to South A frica d ue to s im ilaritie s b e tw e e n th e Z ulu and th e N d e b e le culture and language th e y los e th e ir N d e b e le ne s s. Th e y d o not m aintain th e ir id e ntity as N d e b e le s b ut ins te ad th e y ad opt th e Z ulu m anne ris m s and language

Th e s e cond group of N d e b e le s, lik e m e, ad opt inte gration. Th is group h igh ly inte racts w ith South A fricans and s pe ak s th e ir language s b ut at th e s am e tim e is proud ly Z im b ab w e an, m aintaining b e ing A m and e b e le k aM- zilik azi,

“ uM zilik azi k aM ats h o- bane, uM ats h obane k aLanga uLanga K aSip h ah la uSip h ah la k aZ ulu uZ ulu k aN d aba uN d aba K aK h um alo

, U M ntungw a, U M bulazi.”

N d e b e le s lik e m e e m b race b e ing from k oBulaw ay o, K oN tuth uziy ath unq a, k oM fazi uts h ay a ind od a, Is izw e s ik aM th w ak azi.

Th e Sh ona s tud e nts on th e oth e r h and ad opt s e paration m od e as th e y h ard ly id e ntify w ith th e South A frican culture. Th e y m aintain s trong conne c- tion w ith th e Sh ona culture. Th e y id e ntify th e m s e lve s as proud ly Z im b ab w e an us ing th e ir language fre e ly around th e cam pus and form ing cliq ue s w ith fe llow Sh onas.

I gue s s C h ak ab ay a ch ik aty ok e ra b e caus e I d oub t th os e patte rns w ill ch ange ove rnigh t. Th e b ottom line is w h e th e r Sh ona or N d e b e le all Z im b ab w e an s tud e nts s h ould lift up th e flag of our country and b e am b as s a-

d ors of our b e autifulculturally

UJZIMSOC | ISSUE 2