Cape Town – Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of Jacob Zuma, has faced criticism for her inability to speak isiZulu, her father’s native language.
In a viral video, she apologised to MK Party supporters in KwaZulu-Natal for addressing them in English, attributing her lack of fluency in isiZulu to apartheid, which prevented her from learning her mother tongue.
“I am sorry, I can’t speak isiZulu. I am a victim of apartheid, so 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’m trying; I’m learning,” Zuma-Sambudla said.
Born and raised in Mozambique, where she was taught in Portuguese, Zuma-Sambudla has lived in South Africa for over 25 years but has struggled to learn isiZulu.
Social media users criticised her, citing examples of non-South Africans who have quickly learned local languages, like American Elizabeth Matlou, who recently spoke fluent Sepedi at her wedding.
A is Chris Pappas, a white man and he can speak isiZulu very fluently.
B is Duduzile Zuma, a black woman and a daughter of a former president. She can’t speak isiZulu blaming it on the apartheid system that ended 30 years ago.
A B pic.twitter.com/93l3sMZlZZ
— TakaSyo (@bigkoostar) October 8, 2024
Apartheid ended when Ms. Duduzile Zuma was 12 years old. Today, she is 42 years old yet but she can’t speak IsiZulu and she is blaming Apartheid?????. https://t.co/RO9k73cvEt
— Mlungisi Ntshangase (@Mlu__N7) October 7, 2024
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
