The search is on for the most skilled orator in the Zulu language. And the winner will be decided at the world’s first Zulu Speaking showcase on the evening of 4 May 2012.
The head of Toastmasters International inSouthern Africais Erich Viedge, ACS, CL. He says isiZulu is the official language with the most number of mother-tongue speakers inSouth Africa.
“It is also very widely spoken in our country,” he says, “which means a Zulu showcase is accessible to many of our compatriots.”
Viedge says he learnt basic Zulu as a 17-year old and was struck by the lyricism and beauty of the language. He says it’s time that we started promoting our vernacular languages as languages for work, for study and for inspiration – not leaving them just for the home and the street.
Leadership and language
“With nearly 300 000 members in nearly 200 countries, Toastmasters is the largest leadership development organisation in the world,” continues Viedge. “And leadership begins with the ability to clearly articulate your vision for the future.
“If we want to grow leaders, we need to grow people who can inspire us. Let us find those inspirational leaders and give them a platform so that they can show us what the future can be for our country, and for the world.”