South African colloquial language never seizes to make headlines in the social informal settings. Suka emabozeni is an isiZulu street language used to caution one, on goodwill, or alert a person of the detrimental effects subscribing to something without having full knowledge on the concept. Simply put in lame man’s terms: move away from the bosses or you will get hurt.
Financial liberation will always be topical in our country given the historical landscape, for those who are fortune enough to have tasted economic emancipation or even had a sniff at it in the mass market will surely rub it in your face. The ‘Suka emabozeni uzolimala …’ phrase kicks in when these individuals broadcast their expensive branded items or rather the access they have recently acquired into the luxury market. The current economic melt down is not entirely indicative of doom and gloom but a widening gap between the haves and have not.
What’s interesting is this term is the second part of it ‘… Uzolimala’ denoting that one will get hurt. This hurt is not physically felt, it speaks to emotional pain and/or financial. Take the saying “ keeping up with the Jones” when you think of this effects ascribed to this isizulu saying.
Staying in your lane is important and clapping hands for those that have made it in life.
