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<h1 class="entry-title">IsiXhosa language lecturer conferred ‘milestone’ PhD</h1>
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<div class="gmail-td-post-author-name"><div class="gmail-td-author-by">By</div> <a href="https://talkofthetown.co.za/author/lebogang-tlou/">Lebogang Tlou</a><div class="gmail-td-author-line"> - </div> </div> <span class="gmail-td-post-date"><time class="entry-date gmail-updated gmail-td-module-date" datetime="2017-04-28T11:34:29+00:00">April 28, 2017</time></span> <div class="gmail-td-post-comments"><a href="https://talkofthetown.co.za/2017/04/28/isixhosa-language-lecturer-conferred-milestone-phd/#respond">0</a></div> <div class="gmail-td-post-views"><span class="gmail-td-nr-views-9436">128</span></div> </div>
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<figure id="gmail-attachment_9437" style="width:516px" class="gmail-wp-caption gmail-alignleft"><img class="gmail-size-full gmail-wp-image-9437 gmail-td-animation-stack-type0-1" src="http://talkofthetown.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/dr-hleze.jpg" alt="" width="516" height="801"><figcaption class="gmail-wp-caption-text">RAISING ISIXHOSA: Dr Hleze Kunju wrote his PhD thesis in isiXhosa, and was conferred his degree last week at Rhodes University</figcaption></figure>
<p><a href="http://talkofthetown.co.za/2017/04/24/phd-xhosa-real-milestone/">DR HLEZE Kunju</a>
set a new standard for South African scholars and academics last week
when he was conferred his PhD at Rhodes University for his thesis
written entirely in IsiXhosa.</p>
<p>Kunju, 31,who recently started teaching IsiXhosa at the Sol Plaatje
University Faculty of Education, wrote a breakthrough thesis which
delves into an untold version of history, and reveals the existence of
an about 200 000 strong community of amaXhosa living in Mbembesi, which
lies 45km outside Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.</p>
<p>“It took me four years,” said Kunju, who was born and raised in the
rural Eastern Cape. “I had to spend quite a lot of time in [Zimbabwe],
got to know the people and familiarised myself with the area.</p>
<p>“The area is divided into 12 locations. Eventually I was able to
travel around the area without assistance. The people were very
welcoming and I’ve received positive feedback from the Xhosa people of
Zimbabwe.”</p>
<p>Kunju first learned about the amaMfengu when he went to teach in
Zimbabwe after completing his post-graduate teaching course in 2009.</p>
<p>“I heard about the Xhosa people in 2010 when I was working as a drama
and music teacher at Peterhouse group of schools in Zimbabwe.</p>
<p>“The majority of Zimbabweans do not know of these people,” Kunju
said. “In 2012, I started thinking about this research, and 2013 is the
year I registered for the PhD.”</p>
<p>Kunju’s PhD Thesis, <em>IsiXhosa ulwimi lwabantu abangesosininzi eZimbabwe: Ukuphila nokulondolozwa kwaso</em>
(IsiXhosa as a Minority Language in Zimbabwe: Survival and
Maintenance), delves into the existence of amaXhosa people living in
Zimbabwe, and depicts the reality facing this community which no access
to isiXhosa reading material aside from the translated isiXhosa Bible.</p>
<p>Beyond this research, there is nothing written about their existence
and subsistence in Zimbabwe – or even how they came to be there.</p>
<div class="gmail-simplePullQuote gmail-right"><p>[Cecil John] Rhodes died in 1902 while he was still in the process of getting more and more Xhosa people to move to Zimbabwe</p>
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<p>“It was during the late 1800s to early 1900s as they left in
different groups. [Cecil John] Rhodes unfortunately died in 1902 while
he was still in the process of getting more and more Xhosa people to
move to Zimbabwe,” Kunju said.</p>
<p>“Xhosa people had to just carry on with life in Zimbabwe without much support from the government.</p>
<p>“They still would like to engage with the British embassy about the
fact that they did their part in Zimbabwe, they really worked hard for
Zimbabwe, they worked in the mines, they worked as teachers, as nurses,
as religious ministers and so on.</p>
<p>“In the thesis, I have tried to let them tell their own stories
rather than me talking about them,” Kunju said. “This thesis is for them
as well, so it’s important for them to be able to access it in their
own language.”</p>
<p>Kunju’s accomplishment bears great significance for the development
of South African literature. Since being conferred his doctorate, he has
opened a new discourse into using Rhodes University’s language policy
to optimum capacity by students at the institution.</p>
<p>“From the messages I’ve received from students at Rhodes University,
some asking me to supervise them in isiXhosa, I think it has inspired
quite a number of people and I’m positive that there are more isiXhosa
academic writings,” he said.</p>
<p>The Xhosa people will soon be well known as people who can use their language for academic writings</p>
<p>“The Xhosa people will soon be well known as people who can use their
language for academic writings,” he said. “There is little material in
African languages. We have to build material. I think we need,
academically, to write more in African languages so that there can exist
a South African literature; so that they can know that all languages
can do what English can do.</p>
<p>“We will soon see more academic articles in isiXhosa,” Kunju said. “And for me this is transformation.”</p>
<p>Kunju closed off with a quote from the late former President Nelson
Mandela who said: “Without a language, one cannot talk to people and
understand them; one cannot share their hopes and aspirations, grasp
their history, appreciate their poetry, or enjoy their songs.”</p><p><a href="https://talkofthetown.co.za/2017/04/28/isixhosa-language-lecturer-conferred-milestone-phd/">https://talkofthetown.co.za/2017/04/28/isixhosa-language-lecturer-conferred-milestone-phd/</a><br></p><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature">**************************************<br>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members<br>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br><br>For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to <a href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/" target="_blank">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br>listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br>*******************************************</div>
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