Wabenzi

{{Short description|Term referring to corrupt government officials}}

File:Silver Mercedes-Benz SL Type R230 in Dar es Salaam.jpg

Wabenzi is an Anglicization of the pejorative Bantu colloquialism WaBenzi, originally used in Kenya to refer to members of the new ruling class that superseded the colonial regime, that has come to refer to the new ruling class in any post-colonial African country.Eliseev, Alex, [http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/it-s-a-wabenzi-frenzy-1.446221 Its a Wabenzi Frenzi] June 2009, IOL News. Retrieved June 2011 The term usually refers to a corrupt government official, or family member of one, and derives from their being seen as driving an imported car. "Wa" is a prefix that refers to people in some Bantu languages; "benzi" comes from Mercedes-Benz, a car perceived as prestigious. The Anglicized spelling form is more common than the original Bantu WaBenzi.Naipaul, Shiva, [http://www.penguin.co.uk/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780141961972,00.html?strSrchSql=north+of+south/North_of_South_Shiva_Naipaul North of South: an African Journey], September 1996, Penguin Classics, {{ISBN|978-0-14-196197-2}}. Retrieved June 2011