By Nasiha Khan
UMhlanga resident and former Miss India South Africa, Maashi Rampersad recently celebrated the launch of her book ‘Your Basic IsiZulu Guide to the Kingdom of the Zulu’, a tool that she hopes will bridge the gap between communities and show the world the beauty of the language.
“The book is a tool to learn the basics of the language. It appeals to all ages groups and contains everyday conversations in isiZulu which include greetings, days of the week, months of the year, modes of transport as well as vocabulary under the themes of weather, shopping, transport, restaurants, birthday celebrations and the like. It also highlights the rich Zulu culture and tourist sites in KwaZulu-Natal. It is easy to follow and understand, and also has beautiful illustrations,” said the author.
Rampersad’s soulful isiZulu journey began over 20 years ago when she embarked on her tertiary studies and took a strong interest in languages and communication. She felt instantly drawn to studying isiZulu and at that point knew that isiZulu would be a fundamental part of her future career.
“I completed a BA degree at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), majoring in isiZulu and English. I then studied a higher diploma in education. My yearning to learn, and my immense love for isiZulu, inspired me to choose isiZulu as one of my major subjects. I went on to complete my honours in isiZulu and studied towards a masters degree in isiZulu,” said Rampersad.
She added that isiZulu is the most widely spoken language in KZN, yet about 22% of the population don’t speak isiZulu as their home language. She said: “I’m sure at some point people who don’t speak the language have thought to themselves that they would love to speak isiZulu. The last two years have divided people in South Africa. We have had to deal with changes sprung upon us. My aim is to empower people from all over the world to speak isiZulu with a sense of ease and to promote social cohesion. The recent KZN riots that occurred in July of 2021 also motivated me to write this book in order to unite our people, and to provide them with a sense of belonging.”
Rampersad said that one of her fondest memories was meeting former President Nelson Mandela during her reign as Miss India South Africa. She recalls him being proud on her ability to fluently speak the language and encouraged her to help more people speak the isiZulu.
“Today, I still consider my conversation with him life-changing because when I heard the father of our nation giving me his blessings in my goal to make a difference and to unite South Africans across cultural and language differences, I knew I had a purpose to fulfil his wishes. I feel incredibly honoured to have included in my book, a photo capturing a moment we shared. I was also inspired by my parents, Jack and Geetha Ramdutt who gave my siblings and I the gift of education. We did not come from a privileged background and in spite of the fact that my dad was the sole breadwinner, both him and my mum still managed to educate us through difficult times,” said Rampersad.
She added: “I live by Nelson Mandela’s quote If you talk to a man in a language that you understand, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart,” she concluded.
For further information, contact Maashi on maashirampersad@gmail.com or learnzuluwithmaashi.co.za
