A Teacher’s Novels

This chapter examines the issue of learning Zulu in Sibusiso Nyembezi's novels. It first considers what Nyembezi tells us about the struggle over patrimony between fathers and sons and how it relates to learning Zulu before discussing Nyembezi's The Rich Man of Pietermaritzburg (1961) and Mntanami! Mntanami! (My Child! My Child!, 1950). It then reads Mntanami! Mntanami! in the light—or in the shadow—of Alan Paton's 1948 classic Cry, the Beloved Country , as well as Nyembezi's translation of the latter, entitled Lafa elihle kakhulu . In particular, it analyzes two scenes of language learning in Lafa elihle kakhulu and how the novel is connected to Learn More Zulu . Whereas both Lafa elihle kakhulu and Learn More Zulu exclude non-standard forms of Zulu, Mntanami! Mntanami! entertains non-standard forms of Fanagalo.