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Ku tlula ka mhala swi letela n'wana wa le ndzeni
Xitsonga proverb · Xitsonga
Literally: “The way the impala jumps teaches/guides the young one still inside (the womb).”
Meaning: Children imitate and inherit the behaviour of their parents; a parent's conduct shapes and instructs the next generation, even before the child is fully formed.
Background
A classic Tsonga proverb built on the image of the impala (mhala), an animal central to the bushveld world of the Tsonga. The leaping of the adult is cast as a lesson the unborn already absorbs, expressing the conviction that parents model the conduct their children adopt.
How it is used
Used to stress parental responsibility and example-setting — invoked when an adult's behaviour is being copied by the young, or to remind parents that children learn by watching, not only by instruction.