African-Language Literatures

Innocentia Jabulisile Mhlambi

Description

African-language writing is in crisis. The conditions under which African writing developed in the past (only remotely similar to those of Western models), resulted in an inability of Eurocentric literary models to explore the hermeneutic world of African language poetics inherited from the oral and the modern worlds. Existing modes of criticism in the study of this literary tradition are often unsuited for a nuanced understanding of the intrinsic and extrinsic aspects at play in the composition, production and reading of these literatures. In African-Language Literatures, Innocentia Jabulisile Mhlambi charts new directions in the study of African-language literatures generally and isiZulu fiction in particular by proposing that African popular arts and culture models be considered as a logical solution to current debates and challenges. Mhlambi shows how the popular arts and culture approach brings into relationship the oral and written forms, the local and the international, and elitist and popular genres, and locates and places the resultant emerging, eclectic culture into its socio-historical context. She uses this theoretical approach to explore – in a wide range of cultural products – what matters or what is of interest to the people, irrespective of social hierarchies and predispositions. It is her contention that, in profound ways the African-language literary tradition evinces diversity, complexity and fluidity, and that this should be seen as an invitation to look at systems of meaning which do not hide their connections with the facts of power and material life.

Sujets

• Media Studies
• Social Science
• Sociologie, société et politique
• Linguistics
• General officer
• Cultural studies
• General

Informations

• Publié par: WITS University Press
• Date de parution: 01 juin 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781868145775
• Langue: English

Extrait

African-language Literatures
New Perspectives on IsiZulu Fiction and Popular Black Television Series
Innocentia Jabulisile Mhlambi
Published in South Africa by:
Wits University Press
1 Jan Smuts Avenue
Johannesburg
2001
www.witspress.co.za
Copyright © Innocentia Jabulisile Mhlambi
First printed in South Africa in 2012
ISBN 978-1-86814-565-2 (Print)
ISBN 978-1-86814-577-5 (Digital)
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher, except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act, Act 98 of 1978.
Edited by Jennifer Stacey
Cover design by Hothouse South Africa
Book design and layout by Sheaf Publishing
Printed and bound by Creda Communications
Contents Acknowledgements vii Introduction – African-language literatures and popular arts: challenges and new approaches 1 1 Proverbs in narratives: Seeing the contemporary through archaic gazes in Aphelile Agambaqa and Impi YaboMdabu Isethunjini 20 2 Nested narratives: ‘Some are seated well […] while others are not seated at all’ 49 3 Acts of naming: The detective plot in Masondo’s fiction 73 4 ‘A world in creolisation’: Inheritance politics and the ambiguities of a ‘very modern tradition’ in two black South African TV dramas 98 5 Thematic re-engagements in the television drama series Gaz’ Lam and isiZulu literature 137 6 ‘It is not crime in the way you see it’: Kuyoqhuma Nhlamvana’s rewriting of Yizo Yizo’s crime discourse and outlaw culture 164 7 Conclusion 196 References 203 Index 221
Dedication
To the living memory of my parents, Emmah Mavis Sis’ Sesi and Ompiyimpi Jeremiah Dhlamini
Acknowledgements
My gratitude goes to my husband, Fanny Benjamin Mhlambi, for his emotional and financial support; a true, loyal and dedicated companion as I wandered about in conferences and lectures to present my ideas to my peers. His support throughout this odyssey is sincerely appreciated. My thanks also go to my sister, Zandile Dhlamini, who played mother to my children, Lwazi, Nolwazi and Lwazisile, as my academic and research engagements constantly deprived them of a mother. Her role playing allowed me all the time and space I needed for writing this study. You, like our mother, documented and continue to archive each and every morsel of my achievement. And to you my children: I have been divinely blessed with the most beautiful and wonderful children any mother can wish for.
For a project of this magnitude, as a researcher, my ways have crisscrossed on numerous levels with a number of fascinating people, scholars, friends and acquaintances, who, when looking back, have been structurally positioned to help me grow intellectually, facilitate my progress and offer words of encouragement and support. The first person, who features largely in mind right now, is my PhD supervisor and mentor, Professor Isabel Hofmeyr. I wish to thank her from the bottom of my heart for her academic guidance, her patience and the opportunities for funding she has directed me to from time to time. Thank you a thousandfold for making time in your extremely busy schedule to read my work as I was transforming it into a book manuscript. Professor Nhlanhla Maake, your cautionary remarks ‘balance family life with academic life’ and ‘children are never the same age again’ have constantly reminded me that time spent away from academic pursuits must be diverted to the most important people in life: the family. I assure you, Prof, in my attempts to complete this book, my family has never been neglected. My sincerest gratitude to you, Prof, for the many profitable discussions on African-language politics. It is from these discussions that this study germinated. My thanks also go to Professors Peterson and Ogude for their contributions to my early drafts of this work. Their recommendations helped immensely in the expansion of the scope of this study. Thanks a thousandfold to Bheki Peterson, for being a mentor in my preparing the book manuscript; I profited immensely from the discussions on repositioning earlier drafts. I have also benefitted immensely from the SLLS Seminar Forums. My special gratitude goes to Grace Musila, Carolyn Mckinney and Tom Odhiambo whose contributions to the third chapter helped me in preparing it for publication. Several stellar academics read, with patience, several chapters of this book which have been published in different journals. I am humbled by the attention I received from them. Inge Kosch, Andrew van der Spuy, Sarah Chiumbu, Anette Horn, Michael Chapman and Patrick Lenta, Bheki Peterson, Karin Barber, Mashudu Mashige, Margaret Collins, and Stephanie Kitchen, your intellectual contributions to various chapters in this book are immeasurable. Karin Barber and Stephanie Kitchen’s insightful comments on sampled chapters of this book alerted me to other possible extensions of the research focus. I am extremely grateful for this pointer. I also extend my gratitude to Andre Koopman who has been helpful in locating some of the articles that were not readily accessible for they contributed significantly to my intellectual growth. Pumla Gqola, you have been a wonderful friend and have contributed significantly to my intellectual growth. I also wish to thank the Tucker family and Joyce Anderson, a Kumon South Africa specialist, for reading early drafts of my chapters.
To my writing group members Michelle Adler, Kim Wallemach, Libby Meintjes and Judith Inggs: time spent reading, discussing and rewriting some chapters of this book paid off well. The meticulousness with which you went through some chapters is greatly appreciated. And to Leon de Kock I am grateful for your belief in me and the words of encouragement. My sincerest gratitude also goes to Michael Titlestad for your assistance with the administrative expectations of published material. To my research and reading group Liz Gunner, Wendy Willems, Jennifer Musangi, Jendele Hungbo, Maria Suriano and Megan Jones: our fruitful reading exercises and discussions have helped me experiment with the theory advanced in this book to other genres such as Black Opera in South Africa, with special focus on Princess Magogo kaDinizulu by Mzilikazi Khumalo and Winnie by Mfundi Vundla, Bongani Ndodana-Breen and Warren Wilensky. My gratitude goes as well to my international friends at the Centre for African Studies at Michigan University, Kelly Askew and Naomi André, for the grants and the UMAPS scholarship they procured from the University of Michigan and the Centre for African Studies, so that I could extend my research in the area of black popular culture in South Africa. Finally, my gratitude to Robert Muponde who actually insisted that I consider popular culture and ‘new technologies’ in South Africa.
My hat goes off to the Wits University Press staff, Julie Miller, Veronica Klipp, Melanie Pequeux and Roshan Cader, who helped with the publishing and marketing side of this book. Special thanks to my editor, Jenny Stacey; the hours you spent many years ago in our English essay writing classes and again in finalising the draft of this book are appreciated.
At various instances I came to a cul de sac , especially with the procurement of research materials, and had to depend on support staff to help. My special thanks go to Judy Marshall, a Librarian at Wartenweiller and Margaret Northey and all the staff members at the Cullen Library.
Finally this book would not have seen the light of day if it were not for the generous grants the University offered me. The University Staff Bursary Fund, the Ad Hoc grant, the Carnegie Time-Off grants (2006 and 2010) and the Mellon Grant (2010) helped immensely with the procurement of research materials and for the payment of lecturer replacements, buying me time to further research and to write this book. The University Research Committee of the University of Witwatersrand’s publication award (2010), helped immensely with the publishing costs of this book.
Introduction
African-language literatures and popular arts: challenges and new approaches

It is paradoxical that while a systematic study of African popular arts and popular culture has concerned African scholars further afield in Africa for more than three decades, in South Africa such study remains confined to popular arts such as ethno-music, popular music and popular theatre to the total exclusion of indigenous language writing. Numerous descriptive analyses exist that map the contours of South African popular arts and cultural sites, but only a few have paid any attention to both print and broadcast media in indigenous languages as texts that foreground popular imperatives. It seems the African-language literary tradition is confined by approaches derived from earlier paradigms applied in the study of its literatures. These preferred theoretical models (including Structuralism and New Criticism) have consciously precluded certain cultural forms as ‘low-brow’ and negated their significance as constituting statements of ‘proper sensibilities.’ Consequently, the African-language literary tradition has a narrow view of what constitutes indigenous literary writing, focusing on formal oral and written literatures and excluding radio drama, emerging popular narratives, theatre, television and film. With waning interest in formally written literatures in indigenous languages and the rise in the quantity and significance of other forms of artistic production, this tradition in South Africa has experienced a paralysis. A fresh approach to African-language literatures is needed and this is what I hope to introduce in this book.
Works in the African-language literary tradition, with its neatly categorised genres, have been, and still largely continue to be, perceived either as imitations or carbon copies of Western literary models of bo