What’s in a name?
SIKONATHI MANTSHANTSHA: Zuma is living his name every day
I have no clue what treachery Gedleyihlekisa Zuma’s parents may have had in mind
Ahead of childbirth, many would-be parents spend long hours discussing suitable names. The chosen name usually is something the new parents wish the child would turn out to be in life, particularly in the African context. It reflects their fantasies and ambitions. In the SA context the names will usually have deep and beautiful messages that are not easily discernible to foreign-language speakers. Through these names you can easily gauge the parents’ state of mind. In adult life, however, the children don’t always live up to the lofty expectations they carry in their names. Thus we have such beautiful names as Lumka, which in Xhosa is either a warning to be careful, or the female version of Lumkile, the wise one. Sipho is not only a gift to the particular parents, but to the nation as a whole. Or so the parents hope. Dineo is "gifts" in Sesotho. Mondli is the one who feeds the clan. Bathabile is one who makes others happy, or leaves happiness behind.
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