Songs by female diviner initiates from Zwelibomvu in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa : a response to patriarchal abuse in their society

Indigenous societies that are steeped in patriarchy have various avenues through which they deal with the abuse characteristic of relations in some of these communities. One such route is songs which allow women to voice that which, bound by societal expectations, they would not normally be able to say. This article presents the cases of several young female diviner initiates in Zwelibomvu, KwaZulu-Natal who have experienced different forms of abuse. These initiates, under the guise of being possessed and through songs that are supported by personal-experience narratives, open up about the ordeals they suffer under patriarchal power in their families.https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rfol202020-09-20hj2019African Language

Resurrecting the “black archives”: Revisiting benedict wallet vilakazi with a focus on the utility and meaning of African languages and literatures in higher education

Although viewed (and dismissed) by many as primarily a tool for communication, language (and literature) cannot be understood only in relation to what it communicates. A study of how it is shaped uncovers the social forces that provide its broad and complex template in the acts of reading and writing. This article focuses on the utility and meaning of African languages and literatures in higher education, with Benedict Wallet Vilakazi’s (1906–1947) poetry at the centre. It argues how, by resurrecting “black archives”, in this article epitomised by revisiting the work of one iconic writer and scholar, Vilakazi, we could give further impetus to the prospect of intellectual efforts in African languages. In this context, the article upholds the value and meaning of this scholar while offering perspectives on the saliency of his work for inter alia the meanings and location of African languages and literatures with regard to epistemic diversity, the “transformation” of curricula, tradition versus modernity, gender, the meaning of identity, and the broader humanist project. In essence, therefore, the article suggests that in an academic context, African languages and literatures require a serious engagement with the “implied reader”, “the native subject” and consequently necessitates greater troubling, unsettling in the way we teach, the way we write, and the way we read. It suggests that acts of rereading (albeit preliminary) are an important intervention in the project of the intellectualisation of our discipline.https://upjournals.co.za/index.php/EAChj2020African Language

Enlightened women and polygamy: Voices and perspectives from within

Within the prevalent patriarchal system, polygamy and ilobolo are deeply-rooted practices that still endure and are considered vital within African cultures. The customs, however, have gender and power implication at times, where polygamy causes anguish for women when men consider them ‘paid for’ or ‘bought commodities’, not deserving to be treated with respect. Traditional men have championed polygamy in terms of ‘tradition and culture’ but a cursory observation suggests that it is currently also being embraced by women who seem to marry into these unions freely. By extension, it would seem that some first wives do not find it a problem when their husbands inform them of their intention to take second and subsequent wives. Even in arranged marriages certain women seem content to enter into a polygamous union because they will be answering the call of duty (Mkhize, 2011). This article reports on a study that was conducted at a semi-urban township of Hammarsdale in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa between 2009 and 2011 using qualitative research methodology. The aim of the study was to explore why middle-class educated and employed women enter or even stay in these matrimonial arrangements. The study differed from any previous studies in that it focused on financially independent women; a crucial point which eliminated one of the main assumptions that women enter into such unions for financial and or material gain and/or support. Moreover previous studies had focused on rural women who were mainly housewives entirely dependent on their husbands for their livelihoods. The findings of the study revealed that women entered such unions for numerous reasons, amongst them, love, family, societal pressures as well as desperation to have a higher social standing in the community than being a single woman. It is concluded that most of these women were influenced by society into being married regardless of the type of marriage they wanted.Keywords: Polygyny, polygamy, ilobolo, tradition, culture, patriarchy, gender, power, social phenomeno

Tradition and the culture of rights at the crossroads: A literary perspective

Using cultural theories, this article focuses on a literary text that presents a fresh perspective on one of the cultural practices of disposing of a dead body, namely cremation. The scarcity of burial sites is increasingly becoming a concern for municipalities, yet traditional ways of thinking are strongly against cremation. The liberty to investigate the burning issue of cremation as an alternative burial method in this way derives from the fact that through the ages literature (oral and written) has been effectively used by creative writers to offer an allusive quality and fictitious setting which has allowed them to comment on contemporary issues without blatantly seeming to do so. In this sense, the novel Intando kamufi (“Will of the deceased”) by S. Mathaba contributes to various discourses on cremation, either reinforcing or critiquing it

What has happened to the principles of ubuntu? Exploring the concept of xenophobia in the post-apartheid literary work, Kudela Owaziyo by Maphumulo

The whole world strives for a meaningful existence where a reasonable degree of harmony and tolerance can be maintained. This is not to imply any form of homogeneity as this would raise unrealistic expectations of a people shaped by wide-ranging contexts. As can be expected of a young democracy, South Africa, even after the lifting of discriminatory policies, is faced with challenges most of which are rooted in its apartheid legacy. There are sectors of society that are still disgruntled, after twenty-three years of democracy. Due to this situation some of the Zulu people, a nation that is historically known for ubuntu (humanity), are among those behind the torture of their fellow African brothers and sisters in the diaspora in what is commonly known as xenophobia. This article probes the situation and maintains that through their literary works authors can play a prominent role in bringing back ubuntu principles to the nation inundated with poverty

Just when we thought we were producing fine young men

Literature is highly influenced by society and cultural contexts in which it is produced or read. It is a reflection of how a particular society constructs reality. The values, beliefs and norms transferred from one generation to another reflect, in the main, that society’s way of life. When creative writers use verbal art forms like novels, short stories or drama, they do so in order to create an allusive and fictitious setting which enable them to comment on contemporary issues without blatantly seeming to do so. In this sense it becomes a prerogative for artists to remark on what is happening in communities without being directly confrontational. In our view, it is also their responsibility to approach literature from an angle that reflects changing times, thus challenging anything that is contrary. In 2013 we involved our final year undergrad literature class in a project whose aim was to sensitize them on gender disparities still affecting our society today. Five of nine groups comprising ten students each – both men and women-chose to study the work of an acclaimed Zulu writer, D.B.Z. Ntuli (1982). Based on the comments of the male students in those groups the discussion was stretched to the entire class. It was perturbing to discover that we are still producing male students who are not sensitive to gender disparities. In this article we argue that indifference displayed by these young men where issues of gender were concerned call for attention. This article presents the callous treatment of women characters in the selected short story and examples of comments made by male students on their reading of the text. We also contend that we are still far from reaping the fruits of our hard -won democracy given that Zulu men in the study still seems to lack an understanding of basic human rights. Their failure to understand obvious gender-based violence as an intolerable social ill. En ons dog ons lewer pragtige jongmanne op. Literatuur word sterk beïnvloed deur die sosiale en kulturele konteks waarin dit ontstaan en gelees word. Die waardes, sienings en norme wat van een geslag na ‘n volgende ‘oorgedra word, reflekteer oor die algemeen die gemeenskap se lewenswyse. Wanneer kreatiewe skrywers literêre vorme soosromans, kortverhale of dramas gebruik, skep hulle dit ‘n betekenisvolle denkbeeldige situasie wat hulle in staat stel om kommentaar op aktuele sake te lewer sonder dat dit blatant so voorkom. Sodoende word dit kunstenaars se prerogatief om kommentaar te lewer op wat in hulle gemeenskappe gebeur sonder om direk konfronterend te wees. Ons siening is dat dit ook hulle verantwoordelikheid is om die letterkunde te benader op wyses wat die veranderende tye weerspieël en wat die teendeel konfronteer. In 2013 het ons ’n projek met ons finalejaars (voorgraads) in die letterkundeklas aangepak wat ten doel gehad het om hulle te sensitiseer vir die bestaan van geslagsverskille in ons huidige samelewing. Vyf van die nege groepe van tien studente elk – mans sowel as vroue – het gekies om die werk van die befaamde Zoeloeskrywer D.B.Z. Ntuli (1982) te bestudeer. Op grond van die kommentaar van die mansstudente in die groepe is die bespreking uitgebrei na die hele klas. Dit was ontstellend om te ontdek dat ons steeds mansstudente oplewer wat nie sensitief is vir geslagsongelykhede nie. In hierdie artikel argumenteer ons dat die onverskilligheid van hierdie mans oor geslagskwessies, drastiese maatreëls vereis. Die artikel beskryf die hardhandige optrede teen vroue in die gekose teks, en ontleed voorbeelde van die kommentaar van mansstudente by die lees van die teks. Ons betoog dat ons nog lank nie die vrugte van die swaar- verworwe demokrasie pluk nie, aangesien die jong Zoelemans in die studie grootliks steeds ‘n gebrek aan begrip van basiese menseregte toon. Hulle gebrek aan begrip vir geslagsgebaseerde geweld is onverskoonbaar. Keywords: Literature; Young men, future fathers and leaders; Zulu society; Gender based violence; D.B.Z. Ntul

African authors’ perceptions about female success: analysis of the novel of Jabulani Mngadi Usumenyezelwe-ke umcebo

The arguments in this article are based on Usumenyezelwe-ke Umcebo by the respected isiZulu novelist Jabulani Mngadi. The Status Incongruity Hypothesis is used in this article to explore the perceptions of indigenous African authors about women’s achievements in their texts. Mngadi’s novel supports the assertion that indigenous African culture shuns female success. This article examines women’s struggles that arise from cultural expectations that do not accept female success among indigenous African communities. This article found that, firstly, in the West, female achievement belongs to the individual woman, which is in stark contrast to indigenous African communities, where a woman’s success automatically belongs to the man, and, secondly, in many societies, female success is displayed publicly without regard for her personal safety. Finally, in indigenous African societiesm a successful woman is punished by men, and sometimes also by other women. This article observes a gap in the field of feminist studies that analyse isiZulu literary works using the Status Incongruity Hypothesis in creative works such as drama, short stories, folklore and poetry

Leksikografiese bewerking van zero-ekwivalensie in isiZulu woordeboeke

One of the main tasks of compilers of bilingual dictionaries is to find suitable transla-tion equivalents for source language lemmas in the target language. It could be expected that to a large degree one should find full equivalence, or at least partial equivalents in the target language and that there might not be many instances where such translation equivalents are not available. Typically common words such as table, chair, man, woman come to mind and they are most likely to have equivalents in the target language. This article focuses on lexical and referential gaps between English and isiZulu, and their treatment in English and isiZulu paper dictionaries. The aim is to determine to what extent suitable translation equivalents are available for English and isiZulu lemmas and what the nature, extent and treatment strategies are in cases where such equivalents are not available. It will be shown that the extent of zero equivalence is much higher for this lan-guage pair than expected in general literature on zero equivalents. In some cases a specific concept is known in the target language but the target language has no word for it but in many instances the concept itself is unknown in the target language which implies that the language will also not have a word for such a concept.Een van die hooftake van samestellers van tweetalige woordeboeke is om geskikte vertaalekwivalente vir brontaal-lemmas in die doeltaal te vind. Daar kan verwag word dat 'n mens in 'n groot mate volle ekwivalensie of ten minste gedeeltelike ekwivalente in die doeltaal sal vind, en dat daar moontlik nie baie gevalle sal wees waar sulke vertaalekwivalente nie beskik-baar is nie. Gewoonlik word eerste gedink aan gewone woorde soos tafel, stoel, man, vrou en is dit waarskynlik dat hulle ekwivalente in die doeltaal sal hê. Hierdie artikel fokus op leksikale en ver-wysingsgapings tussen Engels en isiZulu en hulle bewerking in papierwoordeboeke vir Engels en isiZulu. Die doel is om vas te stel tot watter mate geskikte vertaalekwivalente beskikbaar is vir Engelse en isiZulu lemmas en wat die aard, omvang en behandelingstrategieë is in gevalle waar sulke ekwivalente nie beskikbaar is nie. Daar sal aangetoon word dat die omvang van zero-ekwiva-lensie vir hierdie taalpaar veel groter is as wat in die algemene literatuur verwag word oor zero-ekwivalente vir beide leksikale en verwysingsgapings. In sommige gevalle is 'n spesifieke begrip in die doeltaal bekend, maar die doeltaal het geen woord daarvoor nie, maar in baie gevalle is die begrip self onbekend in die doeltaal, wat impliseer dat die taal ook nie 'n woord vir so 'n begrip sal hê nie.The South African Centre for Digital Language Resources (SADiLaR)http://lexikos.journals.ac.zaam2021African Language