The recent unfortunate and barbaric outbreak of xenophobia in South Africa has been widely attributed to your utterances regarding the expression of your perception about foreigners, especially of your fellow Africans from neighboring countries.
As such, I am compelled to deliver a sermon to you and those of your mental gravitation.
This sermon is aptly entitled 'Mind Your Language' because there is an urgent need for you to master the art of public speaking especially when you are a person of royal authority who must be exemplary in both speech and conduct.
Firstly, let me introduce you to the world of communication and that is its meaning and consequences and then later on I will highlight to you what a fellow but wise king named Solomon once said about the use of words.
Communication is simply the exchange of data between and among individuals and groups in order to achieve a certain intended purpose.
This exchange of data is mostly done through the spoken or written words which people share on almost a daily basis depending on circumstances.
Now, having defined communication and after identifying how people generally exchange data, we must be careful and be aware of the information that we exchange with others because it determines their imagination, decisions and actions.
The wise king, Solomon, of whom I assume you must draw inspiration and direction from, once said that reckless speech calls for punishment because it causes chaos.
As you might be aware, his reasoning in this regard is based on the fact that it is difficult to promote real positive development in a chaotic environment and thus uninformed utterances must be avoided at all cost or be punished once uttered.
Proverbs 18vs.6-7 A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes: 7 A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.
Now, please note that if and when we are not careful about the words that we speak, we may end up creating a situation that makes it difficult for us to live in peace, love and harmony with our family, friends, neighbors and foreigners.
As a person of authority in general and more specifically as a man of royalty, you need to understand that the messages that you send out privately or publicly, have the power to build or destroy your own life and the lives of others.
Proverbs 18vs.20-21 A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled: 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
Therefore, please do not allow your heart to generate words that promote bitterness and also do not allow your lips to release words that create chaos, hate and confusion at the expense of your own subjects and the people they interact with.
Carefully select the words that you speak and do not let ignorance, anger, emotions and sentiment force you into saying the wrong words because you may not be able to withdraw such words once they are spoken out.
Colossians 4vs.6 Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
As a leader, you need to make an effort to study the people under your influence and those that you talk to and then measure their level of maturity and understanding before you exchange any data or information with them.
Please, take note of the fact that information or data is simply the signs and symbols that people use for decision making.
As such, if people misinterpret your words because of your careless attitude in speech, they will make the wrong decisions and take the wrong action which in turn will have negative consequences.
These negative consequences generally waste people's time, energy and resources at the expense of the current and future generations and as such, carelessness in speech must be avoided at all costs.
So please, go ahead and study your audience and carefully choose your words in order to avoid regrets and loss of respect both at home and abroad.
I thank you.
Brian Kazungu is a Christian, a Media Practitioner, Entrepreneur and an Opinion Leader. +263 773 539 832, kazungu.brian@gmail.com, @BKazungu-Twitter
Post published in: Africa News