Today’s isiZulu phrase is asisa thembi. Asisa thembi is we no longer trust/we are no longer trusting/we no longer have faith/we have become gunshy.
Johannesburg, South Africa (19 June 2020) – Melusi Tshabalala started something we didn’t know we needed back in 2017!
The passionate South African posts isiZulu words and their meanings in the hopes to educate his fellow South Africans on a Facebook page called Melusi’s Everyday Zulu. The passionate South African also shares his educational posts publicly, so it is easy to follow him and get informative updates.
Melusi has grown his language empire to include many South African languages, and most of the posts are educational, thought-provoking, relatable and humorous.
Read his post from today explaining how many South Africans are no longer as trusting:
Today’s isiZulu phrase is asisa thembi. Asisa thembi is we no longer trust/we are no longer trusting/we no longer have faith/we have become gunshy.
Guys, we are a traumatised nation — so many traumas. As a result, asisa thembi.
Maybe those Eastern Cape scooter-pram things are not bad. Maybe they are a great solution. In fact, I went and looked it up, and we are not the only country that has them. But asisa thembi. Niks.
The inspiration for this post is a Whatsapp conversation; I had with a couple of my friends. It went thus:
Friend1: Gents, it seems there has been a medical breakthrough in the treatment of Covid-19. Plus a South African company manufactures the drug.
Me: I smell a rat. It seems that company is owned by Ramaphosa. But when did he get into the pharmaceuticals industry? That man is about burgers and buffalo.
Friend2: Ramaphosa left McDonald’s.
Me: Ok’salayo …
Friend1: What do you mean the company is owned, by Ramaphosa? Where did you get this worrying info?
Me: The newspaper article has a pic of a vile of the drug; it was branded Phospha. Phospha is too close to the Phosa in RamaPhosa.
Friend2: Damn, homey. Daaaaaaamn … It’s a mess.
Doctor friend: You guys really are dipshits. Dumbasses. How are you allowed to homeschool anyone? Phospha is a drug – a type of steroid.
Friend1: Are you sure about this? Where did you get your degree?
Doctor friend: I am 100% sure.
Me: But where did you get your degree?
Doctor friend: Tsek.
Me: Asisa thembi.
Friend2: A. SI. SA. THE. MBI. We don’t trust you and the government.
Friend1: Wait a minute … don’t steroids shrink your junk? I’d rather die of Covid-19.
Doctor friend: God, you are dumb.
Me: A. SI. SA. THE. MBI. We don’t trust you, your fake degree, the government and these junk-shrinking steroids.
Friend1: Anyway … So Cyril doesn’t own Phospha?
Doctor friend: I don’t know. I wouldn’t be surprised if he owns the company that makes it. Asisa thembi.
Thought-provoking… do you think South Africans are no longer as trusting?
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