Totenda dzamwa mombe dzaswera nebenzi.
We can only believe when cattle tended by a fool have drank water.
Tsanagudzo
Chinhu chinoitwa nemunhu asingavimbisiki hachifaniri kungotenderwa kusvikira vanhu vaona kuti chaitwa zvakanka.
What the Words Say
We can only believe when cattle tended by a fool have drank water.
What It Means
One must not place their faith in someone who has failed to deliver before.
Cultural Context
The proverb is based on the act of tending to cattle where one important aspect is to ensure that before the day is over the cattle have at least two opportunities to drink water. In old days this meant knowing where the waterways were, and herding the cattle in that direction in the morning and towards the end of the day, before they return to the kraal. Regardless of how good the rains were a fool may still be unable to move the cattle to the right place at the appropriate times. Hence our elders were relaying the lesson that faith in incompetency or proven ineffectiveness is highly misplaced.
How It's Used
The proverb is used to show concern and a lack of faith in someone who has proved before to be untrustworthy or incompetent. Unlike other proverbs of a similar nature like “Totenda maruva tadya chakata” which have a similar message, this one is specific to the misplaced trust in a person.