Meet Gatsheni: the Indian man breaking barriers through isiZulu

DANNY Govender, known as 'Gatsheni', grew up speaking isiZulu from age five and now dedicates himself to teaching the language to others.

This cobbler, pastor, and cultural ambassador is breaking stereotypes and building bridges between communities in Pietermaritzburg.

In a world where language is often a barrier, Govender stands out as a unifying voice.

He grew up immersed in the rhythms and richness of the language, thanks to close ties with isiZulu-speaking communities. 

The 44-year-old, who is driven by his deep respect for the culture and a passion for sharing knowledge - dedicates his life to teaching isiZulu to others.

Govender, who goes by the name of ‘Gatsheni’ on TikTok, started speaking isiZulu at the age of 5 after his family moved to Thornville, Pietermaritzburg, from Cliffdale, in 1986. 

“I grew up surrounded by many isiZulu speakers after we moved. My dad, Moonsamy Govender, was a vegetable farmer. At the time, we lived and worked among isiZulu speakers and in order to communicate better, we learned the language. 

“My whole family is fluent in isiZulu. We taught them English and they taught us isiZulu. We integrated well,” he said.

Now living in Copesville, Pietermaritzburg, Govender said his love of the language went far deeper than just being fluent. He is also knowledgeable about clan names and history. 

“I was mentored by some great people who gave me the name ‘Gatsheni’. I was honoured and even had the privilege to meet Professor Otty Nxumalo. He is an author of Zulu history, he was very surprised at my knowledge and love for the language.”

Govender hopes to encourage others to learn isiZulu.

“I want to teach as many people as I can, especially Indian children. They may find it difficult to learn from a native isiZulu speaker. Hopefully learning from me – a person who shares their pronunciations or background - may help their learning because of the similarities. 

“I want to start classes next year, not only for school pupils or university students but also those who just want to learn the language.”

As a cobbler (a shoe-maker), Govender meets many different people. 

“I like interacting with people, especially when I can speak in their language. People get excited when they hear me speak isiZulu. They often say I speak better than them. It makes me proud to see others appreciate my proficiency.

“There was a time last year when I appeared on an SABC show, speaking isiZulu. Many people remember the show. They often ask me if I use AI when I speak. They were shocked to hear the words come out of an Indian man's mouth.”

Govender is also a pastor at The Christian Fellowship Life church where he gives sermons in isiZulu.

“I sing and preach in isiZulu and one day soon hope to conduct weddings in isiZulu.”

He said his two daughters, Isabella and Tiara were also fluent in isiZulu.

“I am motivated to teach others the language which is why I started my Youtube and TikTok channels. I want to help others by educating them and hopefully they will educate others. My channel teaches the basics on everything you need to know from grammar, spelling and pronunciation to the history of clan names.

“People always learn from one another and I hope I can introduce more of my people to the beautiful language,” added Govender. 

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