more" /> more" /> more" />
Tsoro-o-tso San
  • Search
  • Menu Canvas
    • Home
    • About Us
    • Indigenous Natural and Cultural Program
    • Contact
    • News
Tsoro-o-tso San
  • twjao@tsorotso.org
  • ‭+263773659023‬
  • Facebook
  • In
  • Twiter
  • Google
  • HOME
  • WHAT WE DO
  • WHO WE ARE
  • INDIGENOUS NATURAL LANGUAGE
  • NEWS
  • GALLERY
  • EVENTS
  • GET IN TOUCH

Tjwao Language Party

Homepage News Tjwao Language Party
News

Tjwao Language Party

April 30, 2019
By Davy Ndlovu
0 Comment
1450 Views

The Tjwao Language Party to commemorate the International Year of the Indigenous Languages was held on the 12th of April 2019. The language party was hosted by the San or Tjwa communities in Zimbabwe. Tjwao is the language spoken by the Tjwa people of Zimbabwe and due to social pressures, the language stopped being spoken and as a result of that, there are no young speakers of the language at the moment.

Tsholotsho is home to three ethnic groups namely, Ndebele, Kalanga and the San also known as the Tjwa or Tshwa. The principal language is now Ndebele, spoken by 90% of the population and is understood by everyone. San in Tsholotsho live in small villages and dispersed extended family compounds ranging in size from 17 to 267 people. Some of these households were arrayed along straight geographic lines, the result of land settlement practices of the colonial and Zimbabwe governments in the past. The San have maintained that their ancestors had been resettled in Tsholotsho as a result of the founding of the Wankie Game Reserve (now Hwange National Park).

The Event

The event was well attended by both young and old people. Language grouping were comprised of the Tjwa, the Ndebele, which is the dominant language in Tsholotsho and the Kalanga. We started off by doing some introductions. We then introduced the theme and purpose of the language party.

Tjwa women following the proceedings

The Storytellers

Mthandazo Khuphe Vundla was the first to tell his story. He started by saying same greetings and then got involved in a conversation with other storytellers. He told the story of how the Tjwa used to live in peace and harmony before the arrival of the Bantu people. He also said that the arrival of the Bantu with their dominance created a language contact situation where Tjwao was rendered used and many Tjwao speaking people shifted to Ndebela. The establishment of Parks or Game Reserve had an effect on Tjwao language loss.

After the story, we invited the audience to ask questions and make comments. It was a very interactive session. Young people were the most vocal and some even offered to tell their little stories.

D Ndlovu making a presentation

Photo: Mthandazo Khuphe Vundla

Msindo Moyo

Msindo told the story of the monitor lizard and the rains that were coming. When the lizard saw heavy rains coming, he became so afraid and started to look for a place to hide. In so doing, he also picked up food that he could eat as he waited for the rains to go away. He then composed a song that he sung as he waited.

His story involved singing and a dance performance.

Molo Tshuma

Molo Tshuma is now over a hundred years old. His story was in the form of motivating young people to learn the Tjwao language and the Tjwa cultural heritage. He spent his time talking to the audience. The audience was kept spell bound by Molo’s narration.

Photo: Molo Tshuma (Left) and Davy Ndlovu (right)

The young lady below narrated her story and told us how she grew up without the language of her ancestors. She is fluent in Ndebele and Kalanga, but cannot speak one single word of Tjwao.

Conclusion

When a community loses its language as is the case with the Tjwa in Zimbabwe, it also loses its cultural identity.  For the Tjwa, this was a result of forced assimilation and because of that, Tjwao, the language of the San in Zimbabwe has only a dozen fluent speakers remaining who speak this language and there are no younger speakers at the moment. Today, the custodians of the language and culture of the Tjwa are elders between the ages of 65 to 97 years. The cultural identity of the Tjwa is threatened since many of them now speak languages of their neighbours. The Tjwa culture is under threat due to contact with other neighbouring tribes.

When discussing the role of language in culture, points to consider should be the relationships between language and society and the various functions of language in society. Language is simply what members of society speak and society is a group of people drawn together for a certain purpose. Society share knowledge of cultural values, norms, traditions through language. The basic function of language is to structure reality. Language is an integral part of society. Wherever we come from, the words we use and the way in which we use them are fundamental to our cultural identity. Culture can be defined broadly to include beliefs, patterns of thought, and patterns of expression transmitted in a society from one generation to the next. Language on the other hand is a set of symbols that expresses people’s thoughts and perceptions and also influences them. Language is the most important symbol used by humans to communicate messages. Language shapes the views of reality for its speakers and also people perceive the world through the cultural lens of their language. Language therefore influences how people understand the world around them. Language is a source of power and social control.


Previous Story
Tsholotsho’s San community takes up education
Next Story
The San: Climate change and lifestyle

Related Articles

Darlington @ Cite Training Session

Children's Rights to play

Training Session

im Siqinisweyinkosi Mhlanga from Tsholotsho dialogue with the san elders

Recent Post

  • Darlington @ Cite Training Session Thursday, 19, Nov
  • Training Session Thursday, 19, Nov
  • Living on the edge Wednesday, 29, May
  • The San: Climate change and lifestyle Tuesday, 30, Apr
  • Tjwao Language Party Tuesday, 30, Apr

Recent Comments

    Meta

    • Log in
    • Entries feed
    • Comments feed
    • WordPress.org

    Tags

    abakhwa abaThwa Baobab Tree Bushman Bushmen BVT community development Davy Ndlovu John Nkomo Kalanga Khoisan marginalised Mbu-u-dema Pathisa Nyathi Plumtree San Tjitatjawa Tsholotsho Tsoto-tso-00 Development Trust

    INFORMATION

    To enhance a thriving/vibrant integrated San community in the development of Tjwao language, Promote women and child health development through indigenous knowledge.
    • Tsholotsho
    • tjwao@tsorotso.org
    • +263773659023

    PHOTO GALLERY

    Load more
    Follow

    LATEST WORKS

    • Darlington @ Cite Training Session November 19, 2020
    • Training Session November 19, 2020
    • Living on the edge May 29, 2019

    NEWSLETTER

    Sign up for our mailing list to get latest updates and offers
    Copyright ©2019 TSDT. All Rights Reserved
    SearchPostsLoginCart
    Thursday, 19, Nov
    Darlington @ Cite Training Session
    Thursday, 19, Nov
    Training Session
    Wednesday, 29, May
    Living on the edge
    Tuesday, 30, Apr
    The San: Climate change and lifestyle
    Tuesday, 30, Apr
    Tjwao Language Party
    Tuesday, 30, Apr
    Tsholotsho’s San community takes up education

    Welcome back,