The Sunday Mail
Bulawayo Bureau
THE San language faces possible extinction in Zimbabwe as only eight elderly people can speak four of its dialects.
According to a research by Lupane State University’s Department of Language and Communication Studies, the remaining San dialects are Jitshwa, Xhwache, Xhaise and Tsika.
The San language has six dialects but Kaistum and Ganade are no longer spoken.
Only one member of the San community, Mrs Margaret Maphosa (68) from Tsholotsho, is able to speak Tsika.
The dialect, originally spoken in Botswana, is likely to die once Mrs Maphosa passes away.
“I am the only one who can speak this dialect in Tsholotsho and it is very sad as I cannot communicate with other people well,” she said.
Mrs Maphosa, was born in Nata, Botswana in 1947 and moved to Zimbabwe where she got married and learnt Ndebele.
“I do not want to talk about my language. There is nothing being done about it here so why talk about it? People always come here wanting to hear what I know about the language but nothing seems to materialise. Look at me, I am struggling but I give so much information about this language day in day out.
“I did not even grow a single melon or maize cob and I will die of hunger one day, so of what benefit is it to me if I speak this rare language? Will I benefit when I am dead?” she asked.
Mrs Maphosa said none of her five children could speak the language.
Section 6(1) of the Constitution recognises Koisan as an official language. The other 15 official languages are Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Nambya, Ndau, Ndebele, Shangani, Shona, sign language, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda and Xhosa.
Mr Davy Ndlovu, co-ordinator for the San Community, said Tshwao was nearing extinction.
The causes of the extinction of Tshwao have been linked directly to hunger. Community leaders said the San, who are not farmers by nature, have been forced to travel to Tsholotsho villages begging for food and offer their labour in return. This is how they began to speak other languages like Ndebele and Kalanga.
Village head Mr Amos Sibanda said the language should be preserved.
Chief Tategulu weighed in saying: “The language is there but it seems it is disappearing and I feel that parents who are still able to speak Tshwao are the ones who are not teaching their children how to speak it.”
Another San community member, Mr Magazine Moyo from Gariya One Village, said his forefathers lived in what is now a game park before white settlers came and removed them from their natural habitat.
To preserve Tshwao, the San community has engaged a pre-school teacher for their children.
Ms Thandiwe Vundla teaches children 42 songs, body parts and other Tshwao words. She said pupils were learning well and will soon be able to speak the language fluently.
