“Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu” “I am, because you are.”
Origin: South Africa
A Person Is a Person Because of Other People
There’s many ways to say it: “Motho ke motho ka batho” in seSotho, or “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu” in isiZulu — this phrase roughly translates to “A person is a person because of other people”, or “I am, because you are.”
This proverb is the bedrock of South Africa’s society, which is rooted in community.
Africans have the Spirit of Ubuntu without having to try, it is part of who we have always been, and the acknowledgement of the fact that we are a product of each other’s actions and decisions.
Ubuntu is a reflection of what it takes to live in true unity, and explores what it means to work, live, and thrive together.
Stay tuned to this space ww.globalafricantimes.com for more Wise African proverbs and their meanings.
