Theses and Dissertations

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    The Orthographical Development of isiXhosa
    (University of Fort Hare, 1998-10) Saul, Zandisile W
    It is in the nature of things that constant changes gradually occur. In language change has been observed throughout the history of mankind. Such changes in language may affect its structure, vocabulary and the meaning of words and/or sentences. lsiXhosa in its written form has undergone several changes in its orthography. It is these developments in isiXhosa orthography that are investigated in this study. The problem which faced pioneers in reducing African languages into the medium of writing was that there was no reference material other than that designed to suit European languages. In other words they had no choice but to impose the Roman alphabet on languages which were structurally dissimilar. For instance, in European languages there are no clicks.
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    The Art of K.S Bongela in Novel Writing
    (University of Fort Hare, 1994-12) Kabanye, T.N
    Knobel Sakhiwo Bongela is fast becoming a household name in the circle of Xhosa writers. He has written various genres. Besides the three novels selected for this study, that is, Umzi Omtsha, Alitshoni Linqenandaba, and Kusa Kusihlwa, he has written one in English entiltled The silent People. This study is an attempt to evaluate his narrative technique in novel writing only. Chapter One, which is a general introduction, mainly discusses the aims and scope of this study, the sources and methods of research, the problems encountered, the life history of Bongela and other books written by him and the definition of the key concepts comprising the title. Chapter Two discusses and compares the setting as evinced in the four novels; its role in shaping the lives of the main characters; how it affects the plots of the novels and how it reveals the inner feelings and views of Bongela as a man. Chapter Three deals with the plot structure employed by the writer in his novels. Though on the whole he starts his novels in medias res, the plot construction has been reviewed under the exposition, the middle and the denouement.
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    Language maintenance: a Language’s Response to the Forces of Contact Induced Language Change - a Comparative Case Study of the Speech Communities of Sterkspruit (South Africa) and Ngungumbane (Zimbabwe)
    (University of Fort Hare, 2006-12) Paul, Damase Bayethe
    Language maintenance, with a spotlight on the response of a Ianguage to forces of contact-induced Ianguage change, is the focus of this study. The theoretical considerations of Thomason and Kaufman y(1988) on Ianguage- change inform this research. Languages come into contact when the communities of speakers that use these Ianguages are in social contact. Such contact, in most cases, is the result of migrations or relocations caused by social pressures. The social evolution theory (Croft 2005) posits that, as societies change because of contact, their Ianguages are bound to change. The Iinguistic outcomes of Ianguage contact are the result of non-linguistic human action and choices. This is a qualitative study of the speech communities of Sterkspruit in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa and Ngungumbane in the Mberengwa district of the Midlands Province of Zimbabwe. IsiXhosa is in contact with Sesotho and isiHlubi in South Africa, while isiNdebeIe is in contact with chiShona. The response of the Ianguages in contact is explored to highlight how the socio-cultural environment of a Ianguage, together with its political and historical contexts, determines the Iinguistic outcomes of Ianguage change. The data is triangulated from a variety of sources obtained through interviews and participant observations within the respective speech communities. Bilingual behaviour in the form of codeswitching, borrowing and interference is investigated‚ with the understanding that language is not merely a Iinguistic phenomenon but also a sociolinguistic phenomenon.
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    The Xhosa Riddle
    (University of Fort Hare, 1978) Denga, Claribel, Koliswa
    The common word for the riddle in Xhosa is ighina. Literally: this noun means. a knot on a string or tree, or a sharp or difficult ascent in a road or a mountain. Figuratively it means a difficulty, a hard problem. It is formed from the verb- qhina which means to fasten or bind. therefore a riddle, in Xhosa is a knot/ an intellectual knot to be untied, a puzzle to be worked out or to be solved. It is a puzzling statement, question or description intended to make a person use his wits.
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    A Critical analysis of the isiXhosa translation of Chinua Achebe's things fall apart with specific reference to the translation of cultural phenomena
    (University of Fort Hare, 2014) Mbatyoti, Pheliwe Yvonne
    The African continent is well-known for the multiplicity of languages which are spoken on it. Language experts estimate that none less than two thousand languages are currently spoken in Africa. Within this multilingual context, it is obvious that the art of translation fulfills the most important function. Through translation and interpreting, people from diverse linguistic backgrounds are able to communicate with one another.This phenomenon is clearly reflected in the Eastern Cape, where isiXhosa is a dominant language. A number of literary texts have already been translated between isiXhosa and English. This includes ‘Ingqumbo Yeminyanya’ (A C Jordan) which was translated into English as ‘The wrath of the ancestors’ whilst ‘Hill of Fools’ (Peteni) was translated into isiXhosa as ‘KwaZidenge’. It is therefore against this background that the researcher seeks to analyze the translation the seminal African novel in English, Things Fall Apart into isiXhosa. It is of great importance to reflect on the biography of the source text author, Chinua Achebe, as this may shed more light on the subject of the study.
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    A comparative analysis of the phonological acquisition of consonants in the speech of pre-school age isiXhosa and English-speaking children in selected schools in the East London area
    (University of Fort Hare, 2014) Myoli, Ndileka
    The problems of reading and incomprehension found in South African schools are often linked to children‟s differences of phonological acquisition rates and the articulation of consonants. This is according to the report of the Impact Study of the System Method for Reading Success study (SMRS) of 2009. This problem has always been associated with the racial inequalities that have previously ruled the South African education system. An understanding of the existence of the differences in children‟s articulation of consonants between the English-speaking and the isiXhosa-speaking children may lead to further understanding of the causes of such differences and the application of strategies that are aimed at remedying that situation.
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    The technique of short story writing :an analytic study of the modern xhosa short story genre
    (University of Fort Hare, 2014) Zengethwa, Welcome Sakhiwo
    The aim of this study is to identify and analyse the Xhosa short stories that have been written since the advent of the new democratic South Africa and to determine the extent to which they are addressing the challenges of the new South African society, such as the establishment and growth of democracy, crime, corruption, HIV/ AIDS, poverty, unemployment and moral degeneration. The aim of this study therefore, is to evaluate the texts which have been published from the early 1990‟s up to now within this context. The overall purpose of this research would be to determine the extent to which the literary standard of the genre has improved since the publication of Botha, Mtuze and Nguna‟s research, on the Xhosa short story genre. The particular features of the Xhosa short story genre (including its historical origin) will also have to be taken into consideration. This means that the influence of traditional African literature (including the intsomi and isibongo) on the modern Xhosa short story, will equally be studied here. This study will be based upon an analysis of the most important literary features of the short story as an independent form of literary art. The essential features of the short story to be considered in this study, include the important principles of unity, economy and compression of the content of the story.
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    A critical analysis of the screen adaptation of Saule’s Unyana womntu.
    (University of Fort Hare, 2012) Mbatsha, Thembisa
    This research will concentrate on various aspects of the screen adaptation of “Unyana womntu” (Saule, 1989). This study comprises of six chapters. In Chapter 1 of this study, the research aims and objectives are formulated. The research methods that are to be followed will involve a thorough reading of the written text, as well as a comprehensive repetitive viewing of all the episodes of the screen version. In the final part of Chapter 1, background information is provided on the personal life of the author as well as on his contributions to the African literary tradition. Background information on the production of the screen version is also provided. In the Chapter 2, the theoretical aspects of the phenomenon of literary adaptation are discussed. This discussion provides a framework for the analysis of the adaptation of “Unyana womntu” (Saule, 1989) in the remaining chapters of this study. The aim of this chapter is to identify and discuss the most important principles which come into play when the written text is adapted into a screen production. Since the screen production belongs to the genre of the performing arts, this chapter is introduced with a discussion on the performing arts and on the drama, in particular. The section will be concluded with a discussion on the different sub-types of the drama which can be found, including the screen production. The main emphasis is on an analysis of the basic features and principles of the drama in screen format. Since the screen play Unyana Womntu (1998) is based upon a novel by the same title, the literary features of the novel are to be discussed here as well. The specific features of the Xhosa novel will also receive attention. In Chapter 3, the adaptation of the background of the novel “Unyana womntu” (Saule, 1989) into the screen production is critically evaluated. Aspects such as the adaptation of the macro-features as well as the micro-features of the background are identified and critically analysed Chapter 4 deals with the adaptation of the character element. This discussion takes place within a particular theoretical framework which defines the essential elements of characterization within the novel and within the drama respectively. It also deals with the manner in which each of these elements is subjected to the process of adaptation. The aim of Chapter 5 is to analyse the adaptation of the plot of “Unyana womntu” (Saule, 1989) from a written text into a screen production. This analysis is based upon a well-constructed theoretical framework that addresses the various aspects of the plot, as found within narrative texts. Chapter 6 contains a general conclusion which will finally present the observations and findings drawn from the entire study.
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    The experiences of a black Baptist township pastor in the apartheid SA: the case study of reverend Simon Lukwe from the Eastern Cape.
    (University of Fort Hare, 2015) Mkonwana, Vuyo Patrick
    The role of the Church in politics is always a contentious issue, this is not only the case in South Africa but all over the world. Christian traditions vary in their understanding and interpretation of Biblical teaching on what role Christians and clergy should play in city politics. The primary gist or objective of this thesis revolves around the birth, calling and the ministry of Reverend Simon Lukwe as a representation of black ministers in the Baptist Church. The secondary objective is to look at the pastoral methods that he employed based on the challenges of the day. It is acknowledged that there have been autobiographies and biographies written on the experiences of well-known clergy like Dr. Frank Chikane, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Reverend Beyes Naude and others, but there is puzzling silence about other Christian permanent persuaders who played a pivotal role in the public life in South Africa. This individual is one of those like many who were able to trounce the inferior and oppressive education that was offered to black ministers in the Baptist Union of Southern Africa. This dissertation is a narrative of a heart-breaking but fascinating account of a black minister who was detained and tortured by security forces; sadly, he was even forsaken by his own brothers and sisters in Christ (Baptist church members). It also seeks to examine what might be the call to the modern religious ministers based on the current socio-economic and political challenges, and what pastoral methods might be relevant to effectively minister in this context.
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    Die rebellie van die slavin: ’n african womanist-perspektief op die stiltes van die slavin in geselekteerde afrikaanse tekste.
    (University of Fort Hare, 2015) Chaudhari, Shamiega Isaacs
    Die geskiedenis as ʼn refleksie van manlike bydraes en manlike dominansie ignoreer oor die algemeen die bydraes en stemme van vroue. Die stryd teen ʼn patriargale samelewing en die onregte wat teenoor vroue gepleeg is, is nie net ʼn Westerse verskynsel nie, maar vind ook weerklank in Afrika. Die stemme en bestaan van die slavin in die Suid-Afrikaanse geskiedenis is bykans onopmerkbaar en laat ’n leemte wat steeds min aandag geniet. Om swart te wees, om ’n vrou te wees en om ’n blote besitting te wees, plaas die slavin op driedubbele wyse op die heel laagste rangorde van die koloniale samelewing en bevestig die waardeloosheid van haar bestaan. Hoewel sy in haar daaglikse bestaan belangrike rolle vertolk het, is haar teenwoordigheid as vanselfsprekend aanvaar en haar bestaan geïgnoreer, terwyl sy haar fisiese en emosionele pyn en lyding noodgedwonge in stilte moes verduur. Hierdie studie fokus op die stiltes van die slavin binne die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks. Om hierdie rede word die African womanist perspektief as teoriebasis ingespan. Nie net fokus African womanism spesifiek op die swart vrou in Afrika nie, maar benadruk dit ook hul uitdagings terwyl dit terselfdertyd hul sterk punte erken. Die metodologie sluit die lees vir stilte-leesstrategie in, wat die navorser in staat stel om in die representasie van die stiltes van die slavin binne die teks te delf. Die tekste onder bespreking is Houd-den-bek en Philida van André Brink, Die see van Reza de Wet en Die Kremetartekspedisie van Wilma Stockenström. Hierdie werkswyse het dit moontlik gemaak om vas te stel op watter wyses die interpersoonlike stiltes van die slavin in die geselekteerde tekste vergestalt word en watter meganismes deur die slavin ingespan is om teen hul onderdrukking te rebelleer. Dit het ook die geleentheid geskep om vas te stel of die stiltes van slavinne ooit verbreek was en op watter wyse hulle vryheid kon bekom. Die beeld van die slavin as ʼn stil en inskiklike onderdanige, soos uitgebeeld in die letterkunde, word in hierdie proefskrif bevraagteken. Ondersoek word ingestel na die stiltes van die slavin om vas te stel wat deur hierdie stiltes verberg word. Deur die stiltes aan te spreek, word die leser geforseer om die dikwels negatiewe uitbeelding van die slavin te heroorweeg en word hul stemme hierdeur ontgin. ʼn Kritiese ondersoek na die stiltes van die slavin in die geselekteerde tekste het verrassende bevindings opgelewer. Daar is bevind dat die slavin, hoewel aan slawerny gebonde, tog meganismes ontwikkel het waarmee sy nie alleen haar lewe meer draaglik gemaak het nie, maar ook waarmee sy innerlik weerstand teen slawerny gebied het. Hierdie studie het ook bevind, dat nie alle slavinne in stilte gerebelleer het nie, maar dat daar wel slavinne was wat fisies stem aan hul stryd gegee het, maar dikwels deur hul meesters geïgnoreer was. Die studie word onderneem met die doel om gehoor te gee aan die stiltes van die slavin om haar stryd te belig en ’n herwaardering van haar bydraes tot die geskiedenis te maak, soos in die geselekteerde tekste uitgebeeld. Hopelik sal hierdie stem uit die verlede ʼn bydrae kan lewer om die swart vrou in Suid-Afrika trots op haar herkoms te maak.
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    The meaning of ukuthwasa: urban youth perspectives on social change And the persistence of tradition in the Eastern Cape.
    (University of Fort Hare, 2015) Xaso, Ziyanda Claire
    This study looks at the continued persistence of precolonial cultural practices that thrive despite social, political and economic changes. It looks specifically at the process of “ukuthwasa” (the calling to be traditional healer or diviner) of urban youth in post-apartheid South Africa and how “ukuthwasa” impacts their psychosocial identity formation. The investigation is done through semi-structured interviews that focus on the life experiences of the initiate and the transformative nature of the practice that is able to redirect the psychosocial identity formation of the urban youth and invariably reorder a social systems. This invariably ensures the continuity of the practice even though it exhibits signs of integration with other influences such as Christianity. It shows that cultural changes that stem from economic development are extensive but are path dependent and have an imprint of the cultural heritage of the society, hence persistence. This is contrary to the prediction of a homogenised modernity by early modernization theorists. This highlights the relevance of persistent practices in modern society which can be used to deal with issues of youth identity.
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    Igalelo loncwadi lwandulo ku-ithemba liyaphilisa ka-W.K. Tamsanqa no-Ingqumbo yeminyanya ka-A.C. Jordan.
    (2013) Ganto, Diniwe Joyce
    Olu phando luqwalasela nzulu igalelo loncwadi lwandulo kolwanamhla uncwadi. Kubalulekile ukuba kwenziwe oku kuba ugxudululu lwabahlalutyi boncwadi lwesiXhosa bakholisa ukukhumathela ekukhangeleni ifuthe loncwadi lwaseNtshona kuncwadi lwesiXhosa, babe bona abahlalutyi abagrombonca igalelo loncwadi lwandulo kolwanamhla (kwisiXhosa) benqongophele. Nemingqandandana ekhoyo yophando oselwenziwe kuncwadi lwesiXhosa ikholisa ukukhangela ifuthe, lona uphando olungegalelo loncwadi lwandulo kolwanamhla lunqongophele. Iincwadi endiphengulula zona kulo msebenzi yile kaJordan (Ingqumbo Yeminyanya), nekaTamsanqa (Ithemba Liyaphilisa). Indlela endiwuhlahlube ngayo lo msebenzi wophengululo ingolu hlobo: Isahluko sokuqala yimbulambethe edandalazisa iindlela-ndlela endiza kuchankcatha ngazo ukugrombonca eli galelo loncwadi lwandulo kolwanamhla. Isahluko sesibini siza kugrombonca imigqaliselo ekwakuchancathwa kuyo endulo xa kuyilwa amabalana omthonyama. Ndibuye ndifunxe ulwazi olunzulu ngala mabali andulo. Isahluko sesithathu siza kukhukhuza sikhangele ezi ncwadi zimbini Ingqumbo Yeminyanya ne Ithemba Liyaphilisa ukuba ezi zithako nala mabali andulo asetyenziswe njani na kuzo. Isahluko sesine siza kutwabulula indlela abazinonga ngayo ezi zithako nala mabali andulo kwezi ncwadi zabo ooJordan noTamsanqa. Kwakhona ndiphinde ndikhangele ukuba ezi zithako zinagalelo lini na kwizigidimi ezingundoqo eziphuhliswa kwezi ncwadi. Isahluko sesihlanu sisishokobezo somsebenzi wezahluko zonke endizenzileyo.