
Shona, one of the many Zimbabwean languages
A Pre-colonial language free from any bias
It screams diversity, it shouts culture
But more than anything,
It is pregnant with meaning
Meaning that took form in one simple word for me, ‘zororo’
Zororo, a word that is a world on its own
The most direct translation being ‘rest’
Rest, peace, quiet, tranquility, that sums up ‘zororo’
22 February 2023,
The most ironic day
The sun had not even come out of hiding
yet my tears were already flowing.
With an unbelieving mind and shaky heart
felt without peace, tranquility, l was restless,
l was without zororo!
A day with and without this word
A day with and without ‘zororo’
A day with and without ‘zororo’?
A restless day it was indeed
But he rested in peace!
A day that was void of any peace
But still, he rested in peace!
The irony lay in that he who took the peace, rested in peace
It is during days like the 22nd of February that l needed a word of courage
I needed a word of motivation, l needed advice.
As the southern Sotho speakers of Africa would have it, l needed Moeletsi, an advisor.
An advisor to maybe bring back a bit of the peace
An advisor to maybe bring back a bit of the tranquility
Moeletsi, to bring back the ‘zororo’!
22 March, 2023