Politics in isiZulu

All education is political.

Education is a political tool for designing society.

The course name is: “Transformation-centred Christian Education”.  With iNyanga* Herbert Moyo from Zimbabwe as lecturer it goes without saying, that the course will be contextual. I am glad to be his colleague. Earlier this week he collected his doctorate at the graduation. From my position I was able to take a nice picture:

iNyanga Moyo is being capped by the Chancellor of UKZN.

If all education is political, Christian education is also political. If education is used by politicians to design society, it can also be used in the church, to design society or at least to influence the society, in which we live.

We discussed about heaven. Traditionally Christian Education in general and sermons in particular have been interested in teaching people about heaven, instead of dealing with the situation in this world. In class we agreed (I think) that there is no contradiction to teach both about heaven on earth and heaven eschatologically. (Eschatology = theology about the end of time). The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) and especially the School of Religion, Philosophy and Classics (SRPC) wants to be contextual. Theology which has no relevance in ordinary life is not so common here.

This means I learn a lot about this society, when we do theology together. Like the words for “politics” in isiZulu.

“Umbusazwe” is a word for politics which also means “fighting”. Many politicians use it, because politics in the past meant fighting against apartheid. But it also meant that different political parties were fighting with each other. And some of these groups are still fighting.

But there is also another word: “umbangazwe”, which means: “governing”. If one uses this term, politics becomes something else.

My only problem is of course, that I don’t speak isiZulu. But it still gives me some insight in how people in this context understand a phenomenon like politics. When we talk about it I must be aware, that the word “politics” can mean different things. Just like any other word.

* iNyanga is traditionally a kind of doctor, which in English would be described as an herbalist. Therefore Herbert uses the seTswana word Ngaka, when he talks about me.