Thesis (M. A. (African Languages)) -- University of Limpopo, 2015 / The purpose of this study is to analyse the building, use and caring of traditional Tsonga houses. Data was collected by means of interviews. An interview is an instrument of collecting information by asking the participants questions. The participants of this study were male and female Tsonga elders. The research area of this study is Ndhambi, Mageva, Maphata and Makhuva villages, which are found in the Mopani District of Limpopo Province. This study attempts to answer the following questions:  How were traditional Tsonga houses built?  What were traditional Tsonga houses used for?  How were traditional Tsonga houses cared and repaired?  Why are the causes of gradual disappearance of Tsonga culture? The findings of this study revealed that men and women were responsible for building traditional houses and they were assisted by their female and male children. The type of houses built was rondavels without windows and they used poles, grass, stones, water and soil for building the houses. They decorated the walls of the traditional houses with clay and black and red soil mixed with dung. Traditional houses were taken care of and repaired by men and women assisted by their children using equipments such as poles, reeds, grass and soil which were collected in the veld. They used the houses for sleeping, cooking, girls initiation and worshipping of their forefathers. Lastly, The Tsonga nation is no more building the traditional houses because they have been influenced by foreign cultures to abandon their own culture. KEY CONCEPTS Houses, traditional, role, building, care of, decoration, men, women, boys, girls.

This dissertation is a critical examination of selected Tsonga novels by male and female writers. Positive and negative images of women by these authors are analysed, compared and evaluated from a feminist perspective. Emphasis is laid on the manner in which Tsonga writers portray female characters in a changing society and the extent to which the images of women in this literature represent the present day woman. Adherence to ideological, cultural and traditional values as well as the differences in portrayal of women by male and female writers is also investigated. Through a comparison of novels written by male and female writers it is established that because of patriarchy these writers differ markedly in their portrayal of female characters. In all the novels analysed, the sociol-cultural context influences the way in which these writers portray female characters. Male writers promote traditional values which female writers strive to discard by portraying female characters who predominantly undermine stereotypical cultural sex-roles. / African languages / M.A. (African languages)

This dissertation is a critical examination of selected Tsonga novels by male and female writers. Positive and negative images of women by these authors are analysed, compared and evaluated from a feminist perspective. Emphasis is laid on the manner in which Tsonga writers portray female characters in a changing society and the extent to which the images of women in this literature represent the present day woman. Adherence to ideological, cultural and traditional values as well as the differences in portrayal of women by male and female writers is also investigated. Through a comparison of novels written by male and female writers it is established that because of patriarchy these writers differ markedly in their portrayal of female characters. In all the novels analysed, the sociol-cultural context influences the way in which these writers portray female characters. Male writers promote traditional values which female writers strive to discard by portraying female characters who predominantly undermine stereotypical cultural sex-roles. / African languages / M.A. (African languages)