Thesis (Ph.D. (African Languages)) -- University of Limpopo, 2020 / Ndzavisiso lowu wu kongomisa eka nkanelo wa hilaha vaxisati va paluxisiwaka xiswona eka swin’wana swa switlhokovetselo swa Xitsonga. Vunyingi bya switlhokovetselo leswi kaneriweke eka ndzavisiso lowu hi leswi swi hlawuleriweke ku tirhisiwa hi vadyondzi va le ka Feyisi ya le Henhla (Giredi 10-12) va Afrika-Dzonga. Eka ndzavisiso lowu ku tirhisiwile maendlelo ya nkoka lama simekiweke ehenhla ka thiyori ya vugingirikelavaxisati va Afrika. Thiyori leyi yi tshuriwile hikwalaho ka nsusumeto wa swa tipolotiki na mitshikelelo leyi vaxisati va yi tokotaka evuton’wini bya vona. Switlhokovetselo leswi kaneriweke swi aviwile hi swigava ku ya hi swivuriso swa Vatsonga leswi tirhisiwaka ngopfu ku paluxa vaxisati. Ku kumiwile leswaku vundzeni na tinhlokomhaka ta switlhokovetselo swa Xitsonga swi kuceteriwile ngopfu hi swivuriso swo karhi swa Vatsonga leswi tirhisiwaka ku paluxa vaxisati. Mhaka yin’wana leyi kumekeke eka ndzavisiso lowu hileswaku hambiloko Afrika-Dzonga ri ri eka mafumelo ya xidemokirasi, vatlhokovetseri va ha kuceteriwa hi maendlelo ya xihlawuhlawu ehenhla ka vaxisati na vurhangisavatatana eka swiboho leswi fambisaka mindyangu na swisimekiwa swo karhi. Dyondzo leyi vumbaka xiphemu xa nkoka eka nhluvukiso wa Xitsonga hileswaku vuhlawulamarito na xitayili xa vatlhokovetseri swi na xiave lexikulu eka nkucetelo wa maehleketelo ya vahlayi kumbe vaamukeri va mahungu hi ku angarhela.

PhD / M.E.R. Mathivha Centre for African Languages, Arts and Culture

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)

This study involves an investigation into the use of satire and humour as strategies of communication. The poetry of four Tsonga poets selected for study includes these strategies which are investigated for the purpose of determining the extent to which they function as strategies of communication. The study consists of four chapters which can be summarized as follows: CHAPTER 1 contains the introduction, aim, scope and method of approach of the entire study. Theories and definitions of satire and humour are also presented here. In CHAPTER 2 the poems selected for study are analysed in terms of invective, subtle and light-hearted satire. CHAPTER 3 focuses attention on the style of presentation of comic and derisive humour. CHAPTER 4 highlights and elucidates the most significant findings of the study. The most competent poet of the four at using satire and humour is identified and his excellence declared and justified / African Languages / M.A. (African languages)

This study involves an investigation into the use of satire and humour as strategies of communication. The poetry of four Tsonga poets selected for study includes these strategies which are investigated for the purpose of determining the extent to which they function as strategies of communication. The study consists of four chapters which can be summarized as follows: CHAPTER 1 contains the introduction, aim, scope and method of approach of the entire study. Theories and definitions of satire and humour are also presented here. In CHAPTER 2 the poems selected for study are analysed in terms of invective, subtle and light-hearted satire. CHAPTER 3 focuses attention on the style of presentation of comic and derisive humour. CHAPTER 4 highlights and elucidates the most significant findings of the study. The most competent poet of the four at using satire and humour is identified and his excellence declared and justified / African Languages / M.A. (African languages)