The new dawn that brought about democracy in South Africa in 1994 and the social and political experiences have since changed the expectations of women’s roles in society. Literature is the important part of this experience because it mirrors and interprets the experience from the point of view of those who write about it. This study, therefore, attempts to examine the image of women in Xitsonga literature, to investigate whether there is a link in the expected cultural roles of Vatsonga women and their roles as characters in Xitsonga literature; and whether there is a shift in the way women characters are portrayed to represent the current social and political reality. The study employs African feminist literary criticism as a tool in critically analysing the various literary genres. It also adopts purposive sampling of Xitsonga novels, poetry and proverbs that have women characters in them and analyse how these women characters have been portrayed. The naming of female characters is examined in relation to their roles in the texts and the titles of the texts are also investigated and critically analysed to establish whether they portray any gender stereotypes. The themes of the selected texts are also examined to establish if there is any gender biasness. Both male and female-authored texts have been investigated to explore whether male authors depict women differently from their female counterparts. The study concludes that there is gender-biasness in the manner in which women characters are depicted that do not reflect the current political and social order, however, some women authors, unlike their male counterparts do not reflect gender-biasness in their depiction of female characters. / African Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)

The new dawn that brought about democracy in South Africa in 1994 and the social and political experiences have since changed the expectations of women’s roles in society. Literature is the important part of this experience because it mirrors and interprets the experience from the point of view of those who write about it. This study, therefore, attempts to examine the image of women in Xitsonga literature, to investigate whether there is a link in the expected cultural roles of Vatsonga women and their roles as characters in Xitsonga literature; and whether there is a shift in the way women characters are portrayed to represent the current social and political reality. The study employs African feminist literary criticism as a tool in critically analysing the various literary genres. It also adopts purposive sampling of Xitsonga novels, poetry and proverbs that have women characters in them and analyse how these women characters have been portrayed. The naming of female characters is examined in relation to their roles in the texts and the titles of the texts are also investigated and critically analysed to establish whether they portray any gender stereotypes. The themes of the selected texts are also examined to establish if there is any gender biasness. Both male and female-authored texts have been investigated to explore whether male authors depict women differently from their female counterparts. The study concludes that there is gender-biasness in the manner in which women characters are depicted that do not reflect the current political and social order, however, some women authors, unlike their male counterparts do not reflect gender-biasness in their depiction of female characters. / African Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)

PhD (Xitsonga) / Eka Senthara ya M. E. R. Mathivha ya Tindzimu ta Afrika, Vutshila na Ndhavuko / Xikongomelo xa ndzavisiso lowu i ku xopaxopa swivuriso swa Xitsonga leswi tshuriweke ku suka eka swiharhi swa le nhoveni na swiharhi swa le kaya (swifuwo) ku endlela ku kombisa hilaha swi paluxaka mahanyelo ni mavonelo ya vutomi ya Vatsonga eka swiyenge swa vutomi leswi landzelaka: rirhandzu na vukati, mavabyi na matshungulelo ya wona, rifu na swikholwakholwana, milandzu na maahlulelo ya yona, mitirho, vusiwana, rifuwo, vukhongeri, rivengo, vukungundzwana, nyimpi, vutlhari, dyondzo, makhombo, maambalelo, swakudya na swakunwa na swin‟wana na swin‟wana. Ndzavisiso lowu wu aviwile hi swiyenge swimbirhi leswikulu, xiyenge xo sungula xi kongomisiwe eka swivuriso leswi tshuriweke ku suka eka swiharhi swa le nhoveni kasi xiyenge xa vumbirhi xi kongomisiwe eka swivuriso leswi tshuriweke ku suka eka swiharhi swa lekaya (swifuwo). Xiyenge xo sungula xi tlhela xi aviwa hi swiyengentsongo swinharhu, ku nga, xiphemu lexi vulavulaka hi swivuriso leswi tshuriweke ku suka eka swiharhi swa le nhoveni leswi dyaka swimilana ntsena, swiharhi swa le nhoveni leswi dyaka nyama, na swiharhi swa le nhoveni leswi dyaka swimilana na nyama. Xiyenge xa vumbirhi na xona xi aviwa hi swiyengentsongo swinharhu, ku nga, swivuriso swa swiharhi leswi tshuriweke ku suka eka swifuwo leswi dyaka swimilana ntsena, swivuriso swa swifuwo leswi dyaka nyama na swivuriso swa swifuwo leswi dyaka swimilana na nyama. Vuxokoxoko bya ndzavisiso lowu byi tekiwile ku suka eka Vutlhari bya Vatsonga (Machangana) ku nga tsalwa ra swivuriso swa Xitsonga leri tsariweke hi HP Junod (1978). Swivuriso leswi swi xopaxopiwa hi tihlo ra vuxoperi hi ku tirhisa maendlelo ya Lakoff, G na Johnson, M (1980) ya thiyori ya mianakanyo ya vugego (Conceptual Metaphor Theory) Eka thiyori leyi ku vuriwa leswaku mhakankulu leyi lawulaka matirhelo ya swivulwana swa vugegovutlhokovetseri a hi ririmi, kambe i mianakanyo. Thiyori leyi yi tirhisa mpananiso (cross domain mappings), laha mhaka ya nkoka ku nga xitikoxihlovo (source domain) na xitikoxikongomisiwa (target domain). Hi ku ya hi thiyori leyi, nchumu wo karhi wu twisiseka kahle hi ku wu pimanisa na wun‟wana. Hileswaku, xitikoxikongomisiwa xi twisiseka ku antswa hi ku xiya xitikoxihlovo.