AFRICAN PROVERBS (Choose your favorite)
Burundian
A king cannot reign without the support of the elders
Cameroonian
An elephant which kills a rat is not a hero
An elephant will reach the roof of the house
If the owner of the calabash calls it worthless, then the others will join him to pack it with rubbish
If you show off your strength, you will start a battle
No matter how powerful one is, one can never make the rain fall only on his own home
The bigger the head the bigger the headaches
The sound of a drum is not determined by its size nor the skills of a drummer but by his strength
There are no shortcuts to the top of the palm tree
Congolese
A needle can overcome a chief
If you are a leader, be like the moon, not like the sun
No matter how full the river it still wants to swell more
Prepare now for the solutions of tomorrow
The art of negotiating is acquired form childhood
The bee is the doctor of flowers
The chief’s wealth is his subjects
The footprint of one person is narrow
The throne upon which the chief is seated does not shake
There is no cock without a comb
Ethiopian
A bull does not bellow in a foreign country
A donkey which goes to grow horns returns with its ears cut off
A wise man cannot save a decaying country as manure cannot save an eroding land
An elephant with a bad leg limps along
Because he lost his reputation, he lost a kingdom
Better a single decision maker than a thousand advisors
Elephants do not beat each other
Great men have big hearts
He who does not know the extent of his power falls and is bruised
He who has power and falls will be bruised
In the house he is a leaf; outside, a camel
Listening acc**ulates power
Madness does not govern a country; discussion does
One does not cut the tusks of an elephant
One person alone cannot rule the country
One who runs alone cannot be outrun
One’s strength in conflict comes from one’s verbal skills
The elephant does not limp when walking on thorns
The foot disdains the head and the head, the foot
The voice of a strong person is obeyed immediately
The sheep with a strong master sleeps with his tail outside the house
The strong bull is overcome when it limps
The weaver must be patient because the weak threads break easily
To kill a lion is to be ready for war
What is inflated too much will burst into fragments
Where a woman rules, stream run uphill
When a strong man sends a message, he sends it with a weak man
When the shepherd comes home in peace, the milk is sweet
Gambian
A smart opportunist can be an intellectual moron
Even in old age the lion lives with power and with strength
If you only tool is a hammer, you will see every problem as a nail
The law is a spider’s web; only the little insects get caught in it
Ghanaian
A crazy chief is more noted than ten normal people
A leader does not listen to rumours
A leader goes to war when he is insulted
A people without a leader ruin the town
An army of sheep led by a lion can defeat an army of lions led by a sheep
Even the lion, the king of the forest, protects himself against flies
Every dog is a lion at his own gate
If there were no elephant in the jungle, the buffalo would be a great animal
It is better to be a lion for a day than a sheep all your life
No man rules forever on the throne of time
One head alone does not go into council
One head does not contain all the wisdom
The elders of the village are the boundaries
The poorest person in the world is not the one without money but one without vision
Those who are born on top of the anthill take a short time to grow tall
True power comes through cooperation and silence
When a fish rots, the head stinks first
When a king has good counsellors, his reign is peaceful.
Guinean
Around a flowering tree there are many insects
Knowledge of leadership is not plucked from the air; one is born with it
Knowledge without wisdom is like water in the sand
Ivorian
Too much discussion leads to a quarrel
Kenyan
A big goat does not snort without reason
A flea can trouble a lion more than a lion can trouble a flea
A fool’s walking stick helps the wise man to stand
An elder is a healer
An elephant is not overpowered by its tusks
A house cannot be repaired when the owner is destroying it
A judge is himself under judgement
A leader does not wish for war
A leader who does not take advice is not a leader
A lion cannot hide in the grass
A man who uses force is afraid of reasoning
A nation is never exulted by disunity
A nose alone does not lead
A person who carries responsibility also receives blame
A slippery person is not a king
A thread follows the path of the needle
An elder can be advised but never insulted
An elephant fears attack from several sides
Avoid singing a song without a soloist
Bad leaders are elected by poor citizens who do not vote
Consensus does not lead to easy decision making
Crookedness does not lead cattle
Do not respond to a mosquito with a hammer because you will miss and hurt yourself
Do not show wisdom, where there is wisdom
Malawian
A big river is enlarged by its tributaries
A bird with a tail is heard when squawking
A chief is like a potato vine; in straightening it, you break it.
A chief is like a swamp where fire ceases to burn
A great leader is an ordinary person with extraordinary wisdom
A quarrelsome chief does not hold a village together
Acc**ulation got the giant rat killed
Cooperation pulled the goat from the hyena
Do not put a stone to block your promise
Even the fiercest leader in the world is overcome by sleep
He beats the drum for himself
He who thinks he is leading and has no one following him is only taking a walk
He who has a leader is not the master of his burden
Those who accomplish great things pay attention to little ones
When the baobab tree has fallen, the goats start climbing on it
Whether a chief is good or bad, people unify around someone
Mozambican
A community without elders does not prosper
Namibian
Leadership does not depend on age
Where the chief walks there disputes are settled
Nigerian
A bird can drink much but an elephant can drink more
A chief is a reward of God
A doctor who invoked a storm on his people cannot prevent his house form destruction
A leader in the community without a pot belly is a stingy man
A leader who understands proverbs reconciles difficulties
A shepherd does not strike his sheep
Being happy is better than being king
If a man wants to grow a long tooth, he should have the lip to cover it
If the sun claims that it has power over the moon, let it shine in the night
If you think you have someone eating out of your hands, it is a good idea to count your fingers
In the moment of crisis, the wise build bridges and foolish build dams
Other people’s wisdom prevents the king from being called a fool
Strategy is better than strength
The elephant’s tracks cover the camel’s tracks
The king who shuts his eyes during famine in the land will soon see ancestors
North African
A tyrant is only a slave turned inside out
Discord between the powerful is a fortune for the poor
Every cock is a town crier in his own dung heap
He who wants to be famous will have many sleepless nights
If you fear something you give it power over you
In its own nest the beetle is king
The multitude is stronger than a king
Those in power never give way and admit defeat; they plot and scheme to regain their lost power and privilege
Who is brave enough to tell the lion that his breath smells?
Senegalese
The strong do not need clubs
Sierra Leonean
A big fish is caught with big bait
A clear thinking leader is a sign of stability and an agent for change in society
If the cockroach wants to rule over the chicken, then it must hire the fox as a body-guard
The palm tree that encourages birds to nest in it should not cry over shattered leaves
Somali
A bridge is repaired only when someone falls into the water
A cat in its castle has lion’s teeth
A string is needed to gather scattered beads
Be a mountain or lean on one
Even the king needs to be taught
He who dictates separates himself from others
The key to a healthy body is a good head
To agree to have dialogue is the beginning of a peaceful resolution
To destroy the bones of an elephant, strike them against other elephant bones
Wisdom does not come overnight
South African
A chief is a chief because of a nation
A chief is a hornless cow
A chief’s hands are long
A clever king is the brother of peace
A crowd can easily overpower a bull
A kraal is built around a chief’s voice
A man who takes away another man’s freedom is a prisoner of hatred
Do not call a dog with a whip in your hand
Even an ant can hurt an elephant
Good behaviour must come from the top
Horns which are put on do not stick properly
It takes a long time to unite an entire village hunting group
The house of a leader who negotiates survives
The jungle is stronger than the elephant
The power of the crocodile is in the water
Kings have no friends
When the chief speaks, the people listen
Sudanese
A large chair does not make a king
He is like a drum which makes a lot of noise but is hollow inside
Patience is the key which solves all problems
The elephant needs noise
Swahili
We do not suffer illness when the doctor is around
Tanzanian
A boat cannot go forward if each rows his own way
A small thing can cause the downfall of a powerful person
A wise person will always find a way
Bribery is the enemy of justice
Do not forget what is to be a sailor because of being a captain yourself
For the sake of peace, hard decisions must be made
If you are filled with pride, then you will have no room for wisdom
The humble pay for the mistakes of their leaders
The ship that is wrecking has no pilot
What is famous does not last
Ugandan
A cock fears a cock which removes its feathers
A deputy chief settles only small cases
A generous chief makes you thankful
A joyful leader is not ignored
A leader’s handbag is never completely empty
A ruler who is weak puts a load on his head
Arrogance burned the chief’s compound
Being a leader is like a borrowed garment
Being a small chief is better than being second in command
Better a poor hut than a palace of a tyrant
Cheekiness does not make a good leader
Climbing up is easier than climbing down
Curses do not fell a buffalo
Do not be a leader and use it to your own advantage
Even a hired shepherd sings epics about his cattle
For lack of criticism, the trunk of the elephant grew very long
He who fears the sun will not become chief
He who is destined for power does not have to fight for it
He who walks in front gives you wisdom
Horn blowers, blow in unison
Zambian
A tree is strong because of its roots
Build the bridge first
If two wise men always agree, then there is no need for one of them
Teamwork without coordination brings confusion
The more feathers a chicken has, the bigger it looks
The wise continues while the fool is always beginning
The worlds of the elders do not lock all the doors; they leave the right door open
Threats and insults never rule a country
To protect an individual is to protect society
Too many cocks crowing at the same time make the dawn take too long
When the head is too big, it cannot dodge blows
Zimbabwe
A clever bird builds its nest with other birds’ feathers
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