Article: Sbu Mpungose from women24

No one knows just yet who's worse between the 100% Zulus and the Xhosanistas – the accolade for arrogance is still being contested. But really though, when did Zulu and Xhosa become the lingua francas?

A generational thing...
Generations scriptwriters should get a golden star for effort. In recent times I've noticed how different characters in the soapie have expanded their vocab to speak a number of African languages, including Afrikaans.

For example, the lady-in-charge Karabo Moroka (Connie Ferguson) often greets and wars with S'busiso Dlomo (Menzi Ngubane) in smatterings of isiZulu. And not so long ago we were entertained by Grace's mother (Helene Lombard) when she delivered a plausible performance as a coloured woman from Cape Town who speaks Xhosa, Afrikaans and English. And even baddy Kenneth Mashaba (Seputla Sebogodi) has on a number of occasions dueled in Shaka's language and spoken lovingly in Verwoerd's .

There's just one snag – it seems the language stream is flowing one way.

If my memory serves me correctly, I've never heard characters whose main language is isiZulu, attempt to be multilingual. Why doesn't Gamla (Menzi Ngubane) attempt to say something civil or horrible to the other characters in their mother tongue, I've often wondered?

One of course could argue that it wouldn't be believable if say, a character like Khetiwe (Winnie Ntshaba) who started off as a farm girl from KZN were to suddenly wax lyric in sePedi. But, it wouldn't be a bad idea if Paul Mashaba (Siyabonga Twala), who has a Pedi brother in the make believe world, could actually utter a word in Pedi, instead of always communicating in isiZulu.

It does send a terrible message when all the Zulu speaking characters don't even attempt to converse in any of the other 10 official languages. It says that the Nguni tribe's lingo is more superior and that other languages enjoy an inferior status.

But to lay all of this on Generations' doorstep would be disingenuous. The problem is deeper – the soapie is merely imitating reality.

Repeat that in Zulu please
Have you ever noticed how, say, a Venda or Sotho is more likely to be multilingual? One might blame it on the Mfecane/Diaspora or that other tribes are much smaller, therefore the Ngunis (because of their sheer numbers) by default enjoy more space in the media and government platform.

My friend made an observation about her workplace; although there are equal number of Xhosa and Sotho speakers, the conversation (if not in English) is almost always conducted in isiZulu.

She had also observed how the Sothos at the office are more interested in other languages, while she felt this was not reciprocated. I've also noticed that if two Tswanas get into a taxi not knowing they were from the same clan, they were more likely to chat in isiZulu, even though they were both struggling to express themselves.

I'm also not without fault because, although I studied in Tshwane for four years, I rarely ever practice seTswana. I used to hide behind the fact that I was scared that people would laugh at me if I ever tried to string along a sentence in Sotho. My fear perhaps can be likened to the French who hardly speak any English lest they be ridiculed.

Whatever my reason, I don't think it's good enough. I'm no better than a white African that has his roots in this continent, yet he can't say dumela or Ndaa.

What do you think? How many languages do you speak, and which do you choose when at work or meeting people?