The daughter of former president Jacob Zuma and parliamentarian, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, has faced severe criticism by netizens on social media for not being able to speak isiZulu fluently.
In a video circulating on social media, Zuma was seen addressing members of uMkhonto weSizwe, stating she is a victim of apartheid and is, therefore, not fluent in her mother tongue.
“I am sorry, I can’t speak isiZulu. I am a victim of apartheid, this is one of the things that happens. We don’t get to grow up in South Africa and learn our mother tongue, but I am trying; I am learning. Give me a few more years,” she said.
Speaking her mother tongue haltingly, Zuma-Sambudla told members that the MK Party had reached milestones especially since it was still in its months of infancy.
She congratulated them for clinching some wards during the by-elections run.
The MK Party recently won Ward 45 in the Rustenburg Municipality, North West; and Ward 14 at the Ray Nkonyeni Municipality, in KwaZulu-Natal, unseating the ANC from its position.
“The MK Party is a growing party, I am sure you can see it has become a tsunami. Last night I was sitting with President (Jacob) Zuma, and he was just talking about discipline. He said that by the time he came out of prison, he was about 30 to 32 years old. He spoke of the discipline he had that made him survive,” she said.
Despite the MK Party’s achievements, Zuma-Sambudla’s lack of fluency came with backlash.
Netizens on X accused her of being disinterested in learning her mother tongue three decades after apartheid came to an end.
“I’m sure if Duduzile made an effort, she would have been fluent in speaking Zulu by now. She can’t speak it due to lack of interest in learning it. For example, even Somalians who have hardly stayed five years in South Africa are already fluent in speaking a South African language,” said @Makarbatsi.
https://x.com/Makarbatsi/status/1842883297635893414?t=dTEEzwg7_DJ7oZ4NTomMdg&s=19
“So, even when she had a whole father as a president for nine years, apartheid was still stopping her from learning her language? Not any of her other family members were able to help her learn a few words in the last 30 years?” questioned @GenduToit.
https://x.com/GenduToit/status/1842915221985247732?t=dTEEzwg7_DJ7oZ4NTomMdg&s=19
“What nonsense is that? She does not speak isiZulu because she looks down on darkies (black people), but pretends to love you when she wants your support,” said @Bracken_132.
https://x.com/Bracken_132/status/1842975942815400156?t=dTEEzwg7_DJ7oZ4NTomMdg&s=19
“This is worrying. It says a lot about the father actually. Now I believe those who wrote about the ANC elite in exile; those cadres aspired to be a neoliberal middle class, who just did not like racism because it also affected them. Not that they actually cared about the masses,” said @nkulesoldier86.
https://x.com/nkulesoldier86/status/1843027320757752124?t=dTEEzwg7_DJ7oZ4NTomMdg&s=19
Zuma-Sambudla was recently sworn in as a member of the Pan-African Parliament.
The Star