Umphakathi, Amasiko, Nemikhosi Yomphakathi
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Address elders, officials, and community gatherings respectfully, choosing the correct level of formality for the setting.
- Use kinship terms, clan names, and formal name conventions correctly when introducing yourself or others in a public setting.
- Recognize and use a small set of praise related expressions as cultural literacy, without being required to compose original praise poetry.
- Open and close a short public address using the ceremonial formulas practiced in this chapter.
- Extend a formal invitation, and accept or decline one, in language appropriate to a community setting.
- Maintain the register control, subordination, and reported speech markers from Chapters 5 through 8 while adapting them to spoken public address.
Communication Scenario
Word of Nomvula's report has reached the local community structures, and the ward councillor's office has invited her to speak briefly at an upcoming imbizo, a community gathering, where residents and students will discuss shared use of campus facilities. Nomvula has never addressed a public gathering of elders and officials before. Her aunt, who has attended many such gatherings, reminds her that a good speaker greets everyone properly first, names herself and her family with care, and only then moves to her subject, and that thanking the gathering at the end matters as much as the content of what was said.
- This chapter activates respectful public address, kinship and name conventions, and ceremonial opening and closing formulas for full productive use.
- Learners then prepare a short public address that greets a community gathering properly, introduces the speaker respectfully, states a brief message, and closes with thanks.
Where This Chapter Fits
Chapter 8 taught learners to structure a written report for a single reader, a supervisor, using section labels that a busy reader can scan. Chapter 9 moves the same register discipline into a different setting, a spoken address to a community gathering that includes elders, officials, and residents of different ages and backgrounds, all at once. The underlying skill, saying the right thing in the right way for the audience in front of you, has not changed, but the audience is now a room rather than a single reader, and the opening matters more than any section heading ever could. Nomvula is still speaking about the same booking system, but now she must greet the room, name herself properly, and close with thanks, before her message can be heard at all.
Coming From Chapter 8
Productive control of formal opening and closing formulas, section structure, and a single clear recommendation, developed for written correspondence and reports.
New in This Chapter
Productive control of respectful public greetings, kinship and clan name introductions, praise related cultural literacy, and formal invitation language for community settings.
Looking Forward
Chapter 10 consolidates Chapters 6 through 9 into the first integrated performance check, combining argument, correspondence, and public address into one connected task.
Vocabulary: Community and Ceremony
This chapter introduces the markers a speaker needs to open a public address respectfully, name themselves and their family appropriately, and close with thanks suited to a community gathering rather than a single reader.
| isiZulu | English | Note |
|---|---|---|
| umphakathi | community, the public | class 3 noun, names the gathering as a whole |
| imbizo | community gathering, public meeting | class 9 noun, a widely recognized term for a called meeting of residents |
| ngiyabingelela | I greet, I extend greetings | opens a public address, usually followed by a list of those present |
| isibongo | clan name, surname | class 7 noun, used when introducing oneself or another person formally |
| ngingu- | I am, my name is | formal self identification formula, followed by name and isibongo |
| ukuhlonipha abadala | to show respect to elders | fixed phrase naming the general pragmatic principle underlying this chapter |
| ngicela imvume | I request permission | used before speaking or acting in a formal gathering, followed by a subjunctive clause |
| ngiyanimema | I invite you (plural) | extends a formal invitation to a group, followed by the event and reason |
| ngiyabonga ngesikhathi senu | thank you for your time (plural, respectful) | closes a public address to a group, plural form of the Chapter 8 closing |
imbizo, ngiyabingelela, isibongo, ngingu-, ngicela imvume, ngiyanimema, and ngiyabonga ngesikhathi senu form the working markers for the public address structure practiced in this chapter.
Pronunciation and Register in Public Address
A community gathering includes listeners of different ages and levels of formality, so a speaker's pace, volume, and pausing carry as much respect as the words themselves. This chapter's pronunciation focus is register carried through delivery, learning to slow down and pause at exactly the points where a listener expects a greeting, a name, or a closing thanks to appear.
A public speaker should pause briefly after ngiyabingelela and again after stating their name and isibongo, giving the gathering a moment to register that they have been greeted, and that the speaker has properly identified themselves, before the main message begins.
- ngiyabingelela (I greet): worth rehearsing with a clear pause afterward, since it signals the formal opening of the address.
- ngingu- (I am): worth rehearsing at a slightly slower pace than the surrounding speech, since a name and isibongo spoken too quickly can be missed by listeners at the back of a gathering.
Grammar: Respectful Public Interaction
Purpose: this section activates respectful public address, kinship and name conventions, and ceremonial opening and closing formulas for full productive use, and shows how these markers work together with the register control from Chapter 1 and the reported speech and correspondence markers from Chapters 7 and 8, so that a learner can address a community gathering appropriately.
9.1 Opening a public address with ngiyabingelela
ngiyabingelela opens a public address, and is usually followed by a short list naming those present, moving from the most senior or official role toward the general gathering, before the speaker introduces themselves.
- Ngiyabingelela ikhansela, abadala bomphakathi, kanye nani nonke enisibekele lapha namuhla. I greet the councillor, the elders of the community, and all of you who have gathered here today. ngiyabingelela opens the address, the list moves from the official role to the general gathering
9.2 Introducing oneself with isibongo and ngingu-
ngingu- introduces the speaker's name, and is typically followed by the isibongo, the clan name, which situates the speaker within a family known to at least some of the gathering, and often by a brief statement of the role the speaker holds.
- Ngingu-Nomvula, wakwaMkhize, ummeli wesigungu sabafundi sesikole sokuqeqesha. I am Nomvula, of the Mkhize clan, representative of the training school's student council. ngingu- introduces the name, wakwa- introduces the clan name, the role follows last
9.3 Requesting permission with ngicela imvume
ngicela imvume requests permission before speaking or acting in a formal gathering, and is followed by a subjunctive clause naming what the speaker wishes to do, which keeps the moment brief while still marking it as respectful.
- Ngicela imvume yokuthi ngichaze kafushane ngohlelo lokubhukha amakamelo okufunda. I request permission to explain briefly about the study room booking system. ngicela imvume introduces a subjunctive clause naming the requested action
9.4 Extending a formal invitation with ngiyanimema
ngiyanimema extends a formal invitation to a group, and is followed by the event and the reason for the invitation, since a community invitation is normally expected to state clearly why the gathering is being asked to attend.
- Ngiyanimema emhlanganweni olandelayo, lapho sizoxoxa khona ngezinguquko ezicatshangelwayo ohlelweni. I invite you all to the next meeting, where we will discuss the changes being considered to the system. ngiyanimema introduces the invitation, followed by the event and its purpose
9.5 Closing a public address with ngiyabonga ngesikhathi senu
ngiyabonga ngesikhathi senu closes a public address to a group, the plural counterpart of ngiyabonga ngesikhathi sakho from Chapter 8, and is usually followed by a brief final greeting rather than a repeated summary of what was said.
- Ngiyabonga ngesikhathi senu, ngiyanibingelela futhi ngiyanithanda nonke. Thank you for your time, I greet you again and I wish you all well. the closing stays brief, using the plural forms suited to addressing a gathering
9.6 The verb template inside a public address sentence
Learners are asked to study the model text below, then prepare their own public address in the writing workshop and performance sections.
Model Text: Words at the Imbizo
Read Nomvula's short public address below, prepared for the community imbizo. Notice how it opens with a greeting to the gathering, introduces the speaker by name and clan, requests permission before the main message, and closes briefly with thanks and an invitation to the next meeting.
Amazwi kaNomvula embizweni (Nomvula's words at the imbizo)
Ukubingelela: Ngiyabingelela ikhansela, abadala bomphakathi, kanye nani nonke enisibekele lapha namuhla.
Ukuzethula: Ngingu-Nomvula, wakwaMkhize, ummeli wesigungu sabafundi sesikole sokuqeqesha esiseduze nomphakathi wakini.
Isicelo semvume: Ngicela imvume yokuthi ngichaze kafushane ngohlelo lokubhukha amakamelo okufunda, olucatshangelwa esikoleni sethu. Umongameli wesigungu sabafundi wathi uhlelo luzosiza abafundi abaningi, ikakhulukazi ngesikhathi sokuhlolwa, futhi umnyango usukwazi ukuthi kufanele ucacise ukuthi ubani ozothatha izinqumo ezithile.
Isimemo: Ngiyanimema emhlanganweni olandelayo, lapho sizoxoxa khona kabanzi ngendlela uhlelo oluzosebenza ngayo, nokuthi umphakathi ungabamba iqhaza kanjani.
Isiphetho: Ngiyabonga ngesikhathi senu, ngiyanibingelela futhi ngiyanithanda nonke.
The address reuses wathi from Chapter 7 to report the council chairperson's words faithfully within the permission request, links back to the department's response from Chapter 8 without repeating the full report, and closes with an invitation rather than a recommendation, since a public address to a gathering builds continued participation rather than proposing a single next step to one reader.
Imibuzo yokuqonda — Comprehension questions:
- Ubani okuqala okubingelelwayo embizweni kaNomvula? (Who is greeted first at Nomvula's imbizo?)
- Isibongo sikaNomvula sithini, futhi sivela kuphi esimeni sokuzethula? (What is Nomvula's clan name, and where does it appear in her self introduction?)
- Ngobani uNomvula ememela emhlanganweni olandelayo? (Who does Nomvula invite to the next meeting?)
Listening Practice
Ask your instructor, a study partner, or a qualified isiZulu speaker to read the address aloud, pausing clearly after the greeting, after the self identification, and before the closing, so that each part can be identified by ear.
If no speaker is available, this is a Listening Script for Independent Use. Read the address aloud yourself, pausing after each labeled part, then check your pauses against the printed breaks. All audio models must be verified by a qualified isiZulu speaker before being treated as a pronunciation model.
Umsebenzi wokulalela — Listening task:
Listen to the address read aloud, then write down which part each sentence belongs to, using only the part labels rather than full sentences.
| Umusho (Sentence) | Ingxenye (Part) |
|---|---|
| Ngingu-Nomvula, wakwaMkhize, ummeli wesigungu sabafundi. | ______ |
| Ngiyanimema emhlanganweni olandelayo, lapho sizoxoxa khona kabanzi. | ______ |
Umbuzo olandelayo — Follow-up question: Ngabe uNomvula ubabingelele kahle abadala bomphakathi ngaphambi kokuzethula, noma kukhona angakhohlwa khona? Bhala impendulo yakho ngemisho emibili.
Writing Workshop
Write your own short public address, suited to a community gathering, either continuing Nomvula's imbizo scenario or a different community setting your instructor provides.
Umsebenzi wokubhala — Writing task: Write an address of eight to ten sentences in total, organized under five labeled parts, ukubingelela, ukuzethula, isicelo semvume, isimemo or umyalezo, and isiphetho. Open by greeting the gathering using ngiyabingelela, introduce yourself using ngingu- and your isibongo, request permission using ngicela imvume, deliver a brief message or invitation using ngiyanimema, and close using ngiyabonga ngesikhathi senu. Then apply the Chapter 19 self editing routine from Volume III before presenting your final version.
- Greet the gathering. Use ngiyabingelela to greet those present, moving from the most senior or official role to the general gathering.
- Introduce yourself. Use ngingu- and your isibongo to identify yourself, followed by a brief statement of your role.
- Request permission. Use ngicela imvume, followed by a subjunctive clause naming what you wish to explain or discuss.
- Deliver the message. State your main point briefly, reusing reported speech markers from Chapter 7 where relevant, then extend an invitation using ngiyanimema if appropriate.
- Close briefly. Use ngiyabonga ngesikhathi senu, followed only by a brief final greeting.
- Audit your draft. Apply the Chapter 19 repair categories, then check that the greeting, self identification, and closing each appear in the correct place and are not skipped or shortened.
Isikhungo sokuhlola — Editing checklist:
- The address opens with ngiyabingelela and greets those present in an appropriate order.
- The speaker is introduced using ngingu- and an isibongo, before the main message begins.
- Permission is requested using ngicela imvume before the main explanation.
- The closing uses ngiyabonga ngesikhathi senu and stays brief.
- Object concords, extensions, subordinate clauses, and the reported speech markers from earlier chapters remain accurate throughout.
Speaking Practice
Ukuzilolonga — Controlled practice: reading the address aloud by part
Read Nomvula's address aloud part by part, pausing clearly after ukubingelela, ukuzethula, isicelo semvume, isimemo, and isiphetho, then check that each pause matches a part break in the printed text.
Umsebenzi wokuxhumana — Communicative task: presenting a public address
With a partner, one person presents a short public address on a real or invented community topic, using all five parts from this chapter. The other listens as the gathering would, and states back the invitation or main message in one sentence, to confirm it was clear.
Ukuzilolonga wedwa — Solo alternative
Record yourself presenting your written address aloud, part by part. Listen back and check that a listener could identify your name, your clan name, and your invitation without needing to hear the address again.
Culture and Communication
At many community gatherings in South Africa, a speaker is expected to greet those present in a recognizable order, often naming officials or elders first, before addressing the wider gathering, since skipping this step can be read as a lack of respect, regardless of how good the speaker's message is.
Stating one's isibongo, clan name, in a formal introduction is common practice in many isiZulu speaking communities, since it situates the speaker within a family that some listeners may recognize, and is often felt to add warmth and legitimacy to a formal self introduction.
Praise poetry, izibongo, is a respected oral art form in many isiZulu speaking communities, often performed for chiefs, respected elders, or significant occasions. This chapter introduces awareness of the form and a small number of fixed, respectful phrases drawn from everyday praise related speech, as receptive cultural literacy, since composing original praise poetry is a specialized skill that lies beyond this chapter's scope.
The format and expectations of an imbizo can differ between rural and urban settings, and between traditional and municipal structures. Some gatherings follow closely observed traditional protocols, while others follow a more general civic meeting format. This chapter's practices are widely applicable, but a speaker should always take a cue from local conventions when possible.
Common Mistakes
Error: Beginning directly with the main message, such as the explanation of the booking system, without first using ngiyabingelela to greet those present.
Correction: Always open with ngiyabingelela, naming those present in an appropriate order, before moving to self identification or the main message.
Error: Introducing oneself using only a first name, such as Ngingu-Nomvula, without the isibongo, in a setting where a fuller formal introduction is expected.
Correction: Include the isibongo after the name in formal community settings, as in Ngingu-Nomvula, wakwaMkhize, unless local convention or the speaker's own preference clearly indicates otherwise.
Error: Closing a public address to a full gathering with ngiyabonga ngesikhathi sakho, the singular form correct for a single reader in Chapter 8, rather than the plural form suited to a group.
Correction: Use ngiyabonga ngesikhathi senu when closing an address to a group or gathering, reserving the singular sakho form for a single reader or listener.
Chapter Review
Ingxenye A — Ukuqonda (Comprehension)
1. Buyela emazwini kaNomvula, uphendule le mibuzo emifushane: (Return to Nomvula's words, and answer these short questions.)
- Yiziphi izigaba ezinhlanu ezakha inkulumo kaNomvula?
- Yini uNomvula ayicelayo ngaphambi kokuchaza ngohlelo lokubhukha?
Ingxenye B — Isigabisigabi (Grammar)
1. Chaza ngokufushane umahluko phakathi kwe-ngiyabonga ngesikhathi sakho nge-ngiyabonga ngesikhathi senu. (Briefly explain the difference between ngiyabonga ngesikhathi sakho and ngiyabonga ngesikhathi senu.)
2. Bhala umusho owodwa osebenzisa ngiyabingelela ukubingelela umphakathi. (Write one sentence using ngiyabingelela to greet a community gathering.)
3. Bhala umusho owodwa osebenzisa ngicela imvume ukucela imvume ngaphambi kokukhuluma. (Write one sentence using ngicela imvume to request permission before speaking.)
Ingxenye C — Ukufunda (Reading)
1. Buyela emazwini kaNomvula, uphendule: (Return to Nomvula's words, and answer.)
- Iyiphi ingxenye yenkulumo esebenzisa amazwi omongameli ngqo, njengasesahlukweni 7?
- Kungani isimemo sibalulekile ekupheteni kwenkulumo kaNomvula?
Ingxenye D — Ukubhala (Writing)
1. Bhala inkulumo yakho yombiko emphakathini, ulandele izinyathelo zomsebenzi wokubhala ngenhla, bese usebenzisa isikhungo sokuhlola sesahluko 19 kaMqulu III ukuwuhlola. (Write your own community address, following the writing workshop steps above, then use the Volume III Chapter 19 editing checklist to audit it.)
Ingxenye E — Ukukhuluma (Speaking)
1. Vezela iqembu labangane bakho inkulumo yakho, usebenzisa zonke izigaba ezinhlanu. (Present your address to a group of friends, using all five parts.)
Ukubuyekezwa okuhlanganisiwe — Cumulative review from Chapters 1 through 8
Choose the correct word or form in brackets to complete this short connected passage, drawing on register control from Chapter 1, stacked concord agreement from Chapter 2, causative and passive extension accuracy from Chapter 3, reciprocal and neuter-stative accuracy from Chapter 4, subordination from Chapter 5, argument markers from Chapter 6, reported speech and commentary markers from Chapter 7, and report structure from Chapter 8.
Ngiyabingelela ikhansela, abadala [bomphakathi / lomphakathi], kanye nani nonke. Ngingu-Nomvula, [wakwaMkhize / kaMkhize], ummeli wesigungu sabafundi. Ngicela imvume yokuthi [ngichaze / bachaze] kafushane ngohlelo lokubhukha, njengoba umongameli [wathi / bathi] luzosiza abafundi abaningi. Ngiyanimema emhlanganweni [olandelayo / abalandelayo]. Ngiyabonga ngesikhathi [senu / sakho].
Practical Performance Task
Chapter 9 Checkpoint
Preparing and Presenting a Community Address
Complete the following three connected tasks, in order, as a single integrated performance sequence, addressing a community gathering as Nomvula addresses the imbizo about the study room booking system.
- Greet and introduce. Open respectfully using ngiyabingelela, then introduce yourself using ngingu- and your isibongo.
- Request permission and deliver the message. Use ngicela imvume before explaining your topic, then extend an invitation or state a brief message using ngiyanimema where appropriate.
- Close and present. Close briefly using ngiyabonga ngesikhathi senu, then present your address aloud, self edited using the Volume III Chapter 19 routine.
| Criterion | What is assessed |
|---|---|
| Formal register consistency | The address opens, continues, and closes in a consistently respectful register, with no unmotivated shift to casual forms. |
| Structural accuracy | The address includes all five parts, ukubingelela, ukuzethula, isicelo semvume, isimemo or umyalezo, and isiphetho, in the correct order. |
| Greeting and introduction accuracy | The greeting names those present in an appropriate order, and the self introduction includes name, isibongo, and role. |
| Reporting accuracy | Reported speech, where used, remains faithful, reusing wathi and ngokusho kuka- correctly from Chapter 7. |
| Self editing evidence | The final written address shows evidence of the Chapter 19 self editing routine having been applied to each part. |
This checkpoint assesses respectful public address, kinship and name conventions, and ceremonial opening and closing formulas now activated for production, together with the reported speech and commentary markers active since Chapter 7, the correspondence structure active since Chapter 8, the claim, evidence, counterpoint, and conclusion markers active since Chapter 6, and the causal, temporal, conditional, and purpose subordination active since Chapter 5. No item on this rubric requires grammar beyond what this chapter and the volumes before it have activated.
Answer Key
Model Text — Comprehension
- The councillor is greeted first, followed by the elders of the community, and then the wider gathering.
- Nomvula's isibongo is Mkhize, and it appears in her self introduction immediately after her name, in the form wakwaMkhize.
- Nomvula invites the whole gathering, the community and students together, to the next meeting.
Listening
Model answers: the first sentence belongs to ukuzethula, since it introduces the speaker by name and clan. The second sentence belongs to isimemo, since it extends the invitation to the next meeting.
Chapter Review — Ingxenye B
- Ngesikhathi sakho addresses a single reader or listener, as in Chapter 8's written report, while ngesikhathi senu addresses a group or gathering, as in a public address to a community.
- Model answer: Ngiyabingelela abadala bomphakathi kanye nani nonke enisibekele lapha namuhla. (Any sentence using ngiyabingelela to greet a community gathering is acceptable.)
- Model answer: Ngicela imvume yokuthi ngichaze kafushane ngalolu daba. (Any sentence using ngicela imvume to request permission before speaking is acceptable.)
Cumulative Review — Correct answers
bomphakathi / wakwaMkhize / ngichaze / wathi / olandelayo / senu
Looking Ahead
Okungakwenzeka manje — What you can do now
You can open a public address respectfully, introduce yourself using a name and clan name suited to a formal community setting, request permission before speaking, extend a formal invitation, and close briefly, all while keeping the subordination, extensions, and reported speech markers from earlier chapters accurate.