African Language Theater Night, Spring 2009
UMongammeli u-Obama eNingizimu Afrika naseKenya
(President Obama in South Africa and Kenya)
Written and performed by:
Casey Themba Golomski, Katsuki Mbali Sakai, Beth Khanyisile Restrick.
The text below is in Zulu, an Nguni language spoken mainly in South Africa and
Swaziland. Next to each line is an English translation in Column 2.
Ukuqala: Senze umdlalo ngohlelo lomsakazo
noma eTVni. Sizokhuluma ngezindaba
zaseAfrika. Omunye uzobheka umabonakude
esimenzile ngenkathi ababili bezokhuluma
eTVni. Sizokhuluma ngezindaba zohulumeni
waseMzantsi naseMmelika ngo2006 njalo.
Sifune ukusebenzisa ulwazi lwethu ngesiZulu
ukwakha umdlalo ohlakaniphile.
[Ucingo luyakhala futhi ukhuluma ocingweni]
uKhanyie : Oh! Sanibona Gogo!... Ninjani?
Ubabamkhulu usagula? Cha? Kuhle! Yebo,
sikhona, ngiyabonga... kunjani abazala bami?
Kulungile, kumnandi.....phinda? Angizwi
kahle.... Oh! Ufuna izindaba? Anginazindaba
eziningi lapha, umama wami---phinda?! OH!
Ufuna izindaba eTVni? Ok, kulungile, y-yebo,
kodwa ngizodinga ukubukela umabonakude
kuqala. Yima, yima kancane....
Intatheli /uThemba: Namuhla ntambama
lomunye ozama ukuvotelwa athole ithuba
lokuba umongammeli uBarack Obama wethule
inkulumo eUniversity of Nairobi eKenya.
Lapho ukhulume kubantu abanezikhundla
ezinamandla kuhulumeni. Abafundi nabafundisi
bebekhona futhi. Uyikhulume ngomfutho
incwadi emfishane ehleliwe. Enkulumeni
uObama wabatshela ukuthi iAfrika isenamandla
phezu komlando olukhuni.
Labo bantu bebekhona bashaya imhlombe
kakhulu.
Inhloso yenkulumo bekungumbuso omuhle.
IsiZulu 4 LD 216
Instructor: Zoliswa O. Mali
Introduction/Mbali: We prepared a skit
about a television program. We will speak
about news in Africa. One person will watch
the television that weve constructed as the
other two will speak in the television. We
will speak about government news
concerning South Africa and the United
States in 2006 amongst others. We wanted to
use our knowledge of Zulu to create an
intelligent skit
[The phone rings and she speaks on the phone]
Khanyie: Oh! Hello Grandma! How are
you all? Is Grandfather still sick? No? Thats
good! Yes, we are well, thanks
how are my cousins? Okay, good what was
that? I didnt hear that well.Oh!
You want news? I dont have much news
here, my mom---what?! OH! You want news
from the TV? Ok, ok, y-yes,
but Ill need to watch the TV first .
Wait, wait a moment.
Reporter/Themba: Today this afternoon
the one trying to be voted for the chance to
become president, Barack Obama, delivered
a public address at the University of Nairobi
in Kenya. There he spoke to persons of
positions of power in the government.
Students and professors were also present.
With vigor he delivered a shortened and
edited address. In the address Obama told
them that Africa still retains power and
strength despite a difficult colonial history.
The persons in attendance applauded heartily.
The topic of the speech was good
governance.
uObama: Njengamazwe amaningi ezwekazini Obama: Like many nations across this
leAfrika, lapho iKenya yehluleka kuyindaba
yokwenza uhulumeni osobala othembekile,
okhonza abantu bakhe engenankohlakalo
nabubi. Sonke kufanele sivume ukuthi lapha
eKenya ngamanqamu. (ihlombe) ngamanqamu
impela (ihlombe). Ngamanqamu antshontsha
kubantu abaqotho amathuba abawalwelayo.
Yinkohlakalo egugulekisa izwe iliguqule,
igulisa izindlela zokulunga kuze ukulunga
kungabikho. Imosha amaphoyisa aze angabi
wusizo ekuvikeleni abantu (ihlombe).
Ekugcineni abantu abasamethembi lohulumeni
ukwenza umsebenzi akholo wona futhi
ukubavikela nokuthuthukisa izindlela zabantu
zenhlahla-kahle, uma kungenjalo silahlekile nje.
Yingakho umzabalazo wokulwa inkohlakalo
ngumzabalazo wesimanje manje. Ngiyabonga
kakhulu kini nonke (ihlombe) ngiyabonga
kakhulu (ihlombe).
Intatheli /uThemba: Abanye abantu basole
uObama ngoba ubaba wakhe owashona
ngo1982 ungumLuo futhi uObama uvele wasola
uhulumeni kaKibaki owaqhamuka kumaKikuyu
ahlala empumalanga yezwe leliya. O-Obama
bafika eKenya ngoLwesihlanu olwedlule.
Ubephelekezelwe iDemocratic Party
nenkosikazi yakhe namadodakazi akhe.
UObama wavakeshela udadewabo nogogo
wabo emaphandleni emzini kababa wakhe i-
Alego. Inkosikazi kaObama nguMichelle naye
bazihlolela ingculazi bese futhi babikela abantu
izimo zabo. Uthe wazihlolela "phambi
kwamakhamera ukuze abantu babone ukuthi
akulona hlazo ukuzihlolela iAIDS.
Bayaqhubeka nohambo lwabo lwaseAfrika
abaluqale eMzantsi ngesento eledlule lapho
uObama wavakashela imitholampilo
esemakhaya. UObama ubonakele esola
uTshabalala-Msimang nomyango wezempilo.
continent, where Kenya is failing is in its
ability to create a government that is
transparent and accountable. One that serves
its people, and is free from corruption. We all
here have to admit, and this is a sensitive
point, that here in Kenya it is a crisis,
(applause) it is a crisis (continuous applause).
It is a crisis that is robbing honest people the
opportunities they fought for, a corruption
that erodes the state from the inside out,
sickening the justice system until there is no
justice to be found, poisoning the police
forces until their presence becomes a source
of insecurity, (continuous applause) rather
than a source of security.
In the end, the people cannot trust the
government to do the job for which it exists,
to protect them and promote their common
welfare, all else is lost.
And that is why the struggle against
corruption is one of the great struggles of our
time. Thank you very much everybody
(continuous applause), thank you very much
(continuous applause).
Reporter/Themba: Some people have
criticized Obama because his father who died
in 1982 was Luo and Obama appeared to
criticize the governance of Kibaki who
originated from Kikuyu who live in the
eastern part of that country. Obama arrived in
Kenya last Saturday. He was accompanied by
the Democratic Party his wife and daughters.
Obama visited his sister and grandmother in
the countryside at the village of his father
Alego. The wife of Obama, who is Michelle,
and he tested themselves for HIV/AIDS and
afterwards publicly revealed their statuses.
He said that he tested himself in front of
cameras, so people can see that there's
nothing stigmatizing about getting an AIDS
test. They continue their tour of Africa, they
began in South Africa last Sunday where
Obama visited clinics in the countryside.
Obama appeared to criticize Tshabalala-
Msimang and the ministry of health.
uKhanyie: Yebo, Gogo, yebo ngisekhona!
Ngisabuka iTV -- phinda? Yebo, ngizokutshela
izindaba manje...basitshela ukuthi uObama
nomndeni wakhe wafika eKenya futhi uObama
wakhuluma ngabafundi lapho beyunivesithi
yaseNairobi --yebo Gogo, eKenya! Ngubani?
UObama....yebo!! Wakhuluma kahle, Gogo
wam', wabatshela ukuthi iAfrika isenemandla
ngaphandle komlando wethu olukhuni. Yebo...
bese wasola uhulumeni ngoba akathembekanga
futhi uma abantu bengenathemba abanoxolo!
Uthini? ....Yebo, ngiyazi, Gogo. Kodwa
kukhona abantu laphaya eKenya abathi uObama
usola uhulumeni waseKenya ngoba uKibaki
unguMongammeli futhi ungumKikuyu, ubaba
kaObama ungumLuo....yebo, abantu
bayathanda ukuhleba! Ngingaqhubeka ukubuka
izindaba futhi? Ziyaqala futhi. Bayakhuluma
nowesifazane eAlego ngohambo lolo. [shaya
umsindo]
Inkosikazi ebuzwayo/uMbali: Ngifuna
ukukhuluma ngendaba ukuthi uObama efike
eKenya. uObama noMichelle, nabantwana
babo bavakashela eKenya futhi bazihlolisa
nengculazi. Badla ukudla kwaseKenya balala
nabantu basekhaya baphila njengama-Kenya.
Umongameli ozayo waseMmelika ungumusha
futhi ulalela abantu. I-Afrika idinga
umongammeli onjengoObama ongabaholela
endleleni enhle.
uKhanyie: Gogo wam'? Gogo wam'?
Ngiyaxolisa Gogo kodwa angizwa kahle uma
ukhuluma njalo. Ngicela ulinde kancane?
Ngiyabonga!
Intatheli /uThemba: Endabeni eduze
kaNgwane yenu indoda nowesifazane
abakholwa ukuthi bawine i-LOTTO
engamaR100000 bahleli enkantolo
kwandabazabantu lapho baphikisana
nowesifazane obathengisele ithikithi leli. Laba
babili bakholwa ukuthi lomunye ngumkhohlisi
kodwa uzivikele ngokuthi bayahlanya.
Khanyie: Yes, Grandma, yes Im here!
Im still watching TV what was that? Yes, I
will tell you the news nowthey are telling
us that Obama and his family arrived in
Kenya and Obama spoke to students there at
the University of Nairobi yes Grandma, in
Kenya! Who? Obamayes!!
He spoke well, my Grandma, he told them
that Africa still is powerful despite our
difficult history. Yes then he criticized the
government because they cannot be trusted
and when they dont have trust theres no
peace! What did you say? .Yes, I know,
Grandmother. But there are people there in
Kenya saying that Obama is criticizing the
president of Kenya because Kibaki, the
president, is also Kikuyu. Obamas father is a
Luo. Yes, people like to gossip! Can I
continue to watch the news? Its beginning
again. They are interviewing a woman in
Alego about the trip.
[turns volume up]
Woman being interviewed/Mbali: I
want to talk about the news that Obama
arrived in Kenya. Obama, Michelle, and their
children are visiting Kenya and testing
HIV/AIDS. They eat food from Kenya, sleep
with locals, and live like other Kenyans. Next
president of Amrica is very young and
listens to people. Africa needs a president
like Obama who can lead them to a good
way.
Khanyie : My Grandma? My Grandma?
Im sorry Grandma, but I cannot hear it well
when youre talking. Please wait a little bit?
Thanks!
Reporter/Themba: In the news of
around kaNgwane (a colloquial term
Swaziland) a man and a woman who believe
they won the lottery for R100000 remain in
judicial and customary courts where they
argue with the woman who sold them the
ticket. Those two believe that she is a cheat,
but she defends herself saying they have
gone mad.
uKhanyie: Gogo, uyakhumbula uMama
Ndlovu nomfowabo? EISH! Hehe!!
Basaphikisana ngaleyo nkosazana
leLOTTO...kodwa abazuphumelela lutho!
Uthini? Phinda? .....Yebo! Bazolahlekelwa
yimali enkantolo! SHAME! Ngeke bafunda
neze!
Intatheli /uThemba: Izindaba zenu
ebusuku ziyaphela cosi cosi bangane bethu
sizobuyela lapha ngoMsombuluko. Thokozelani
impelasonto hambani kahle. Bukelani futhi
Isidingo emva kwalokho iBold and the
Beautiful kuChannel 3.
uKhanyie: Gogo? Gogo? Izindaba ziqedile...
yebo, ngiyazi zifishane kakhulu.... ngiyaxolisa!
Ungashaya nocingo ngo5, singabuka
umabonakude futhi, kulungile? Okay...
Sobonana gogo! Sala kahle! ...Hhayi mine
ngithanda labaculi laba! Kuhle bazoya eMavuso
Trade Fair ngeGospel Launch shay impela!
Abadlali bonke:
Woza mmeli wami baba
Woza, woza mmeli wami
Woza mmeli wami baba
Woza, woza mmeli wami
Woza, woza mmeli wami baba
Woza, woza mmeli wami
Uyasinda umthwalo wam
Yitshe, yitshe umthwalo wam
Yitshe umthwalo wami baba
Yitshe, yitshe umthwalo wam
Yitshe umthwalo wami baba
Yitshe, yitshe umthwalo wam
Khanyie: Grandmother, do you remember
Mama Ndlovu and her brother? EISH!
Hehe!! They are still arguing with that Lotto
lady. but they will not succeed! What did
you say? Again? Yes! They will lose
money in court! Shame! Theyll never learn!
Reporter/Themba: Your nightly news is
finished, cosi cosi (joking insertion) our
friends, we will return here on Monday.
Enjoy your weekend and go well. Stay tuned
for Isidingo followed by Bold and the
Beautiful on Channel 3.
Khanyie: Grandma? Grandma? The news
is over yes, I know they were very short
Im sorry! You can call on the phone at 5, we
can watch the TV again, ok? Okay Until
then Grandma! Stay well!... Yo I love these
singers! Great they will be at Mavuso Trade
Fair for a Gospel Launch, they really hit it!
All actors:
Come my advocate, father
Come, come my advocate
Come my advocate, father
Come, come my advocate
Come, come my advocate, father
Come, come my advocate
It is heavy, my burden
A stone, a stone my burden
A stone my burden, father
A stone, a stone my burden
A stone my burden, father
My burden is a (heavy) stone!