Mhembwe urombo ndohwayo, haisweri musvo rimwe nembudzi

Munhu haadi kufambidzana nemunhu kana vanhu vanowirirana nemuvengi wake.

The duiker is to be pitied for it cannot even spend a day with goats.

One is never comfortable to associate with those who interact with their enemies. Another way of putting it is, my enemies' friends must be treated as enemies.

The duiker is a small antelope that is synonymous for the tuft on its forehead. It was and still makes for scrumptious game meat and hence is a prime target to hunters. Due to its size, dogs are easily set on the duiker because the duiker is the same size as goats and may even look like a goat. However, unlike other animals who will freely graze with others that look like them, the duiker will never graze with the goat. The goat may be harmless to the duiker but because it lives among humans and dogs, which are its hunters, the duiker can never trust the goat. In this observation our elders sought to teach us about the suspicions and risks of one regularly being in the presence of those that associate with their foes.

The proverb is used to explain situations where people dislike or refrain from associating with those who have relations with their enemies even of those people pose no immediate danger to them. It is also used as a comment or warning in observing such a scenario.