PapersThe Bible and literature: a case of biblical by Jacob Mapara
european colonialism was a well-thought-out enterprise aimed at exploiting the natural resources ... more european colonialism was a well-thought-out enterprise aimed at exploiting the natural resources of the colonized. as this paper notes, it was also meant to exploit the human capital-the colonized themselves as a source of cheap and readily available labor. the paper further argues that to successfully exploit the colonized, they expropriated land and other resources under the guise and myth of the terra nullius. they also renamed the appropriated spaces and the colonized people themselves. such naming, the paper posits, was meant not just for easy referencing but also as memories of home for the new settlers. it was also a seal and stamp of archived material, for through naming they were indicating their presence, indicating that they came, conquered and named. it is on the basis of renaming, the paper argues, that while in theory, they have left, from a records and archives perspective, these people's presence is still very much alive and kicking because of the names they gave that most Black Zimbabweans still carry and take pride in. the paper laments that even some of the loudest exponents of what it means to decolonize, carry these colonial labels. What the paper concludes is that the names that the formerly colonized carry, and those given by colonialists in some of their places speak to the success of the colonial enterprise, at least as far as onomastics are concerned because, through them, archives of colonial memories are kept and sustained. When the missionaries arrived, the africans had the land and the missionaries had the Bible. they taught us how to pray with our eyes closed. When we opened them, they had the land and we had the Bible-Jomo Kenyatta (Kamau wa Ngengi)
Linguistic and Cultural Exclusion in the Media: The Case of Shona and Ndebele in Zimbabwe, 2012
This paper looks at the distribution of the major indigenous languages, namely Ndebele and Shona ... more This paper looks at the distribution of the major indigenous languages, namely Ndebele and Shona in the Zimbabwean media. It analyses the role of the media in educating the people, informing and entertaining them. It establishes the fact that despite English's being spoken by less than 1% of the population; it dominates all forms of the mediaprint, electronic and the cyberspace. The paper notes that this is despite the fact that the Shona language is spoken by about 80% of the total population, and Ndebele comes after with about 16%. Thus it further asserts that the Zimbabwean media relegates indigenous languages to a lower status. It ranks these languages and in the process gives English the highest rung and indigenous languages lower ones, which is the exact opposite of the demographic and sociolinguistic configuration that is found in the country. The paper therefore argues that this exclusion or marginalisation of indigenous languages leads to the removal of the majority of the nation's people from important national matters since most of them cannot read and understand English. It again goes on to assert that even where there are some papers that carry news in indigenous languages, the news that they report on are not of significance since they trivialise matters of importance or do not even write on issues of national significance. By extension, the paper argues that when the media trivialises the indigenous languages, it also reduces the speakers of these indigenous languages to nonentities since they are not considered in the writing and dissemination of news. The paper concludes by recommending that all languages be considered equally in the media. This is especially so to the national broadcaster, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation and Television (ZBC & TV) as well as the Zimbabwe Mass Media Trust (ZMMT) also known as Zimbabwe Newspapers (Zimpapers) that in theory runs the public papers on behalf of the people of Zimbabwe. It further recommends that the national broadcaster commissions programmes in these indigenous languages and these may come in the form of documentaries, dramas and talk shows.
The Bible and literature: a case of biblical influence in some Shona novels, 2009
Dande: Journal of Social Sciences and Communication 2(1), 2017
The main purpose of the paper is to analyze the role that proverbs play as signposts for the intr... more The main purpose of the paper is to analyze the role that proverbs play as signposts for the introduction and embedding of biblical intertextual elements in some Shona literary texts. It does this by closely reading Patrick Chakaipa's 1961 novel Pfumo Reropa. The paper notes that while proverbs are oral texts that serve as behavioral and moral conductors in diverse cultures, they are transferred to the written realm as part of the creative and literary act. The poetic nature of proverbs makes them attractive to most narrators who use them to entrench their main themes. This paper also proposes to read them in their function of interconnecting among others biblical literary texts by Chakaipa as these intertextual linkages can either appear by explicit reference to an earlier text usually known to the reader; or, implicitly, in the form of faint echoes of biblical texts, themes, motifs, traditions or events. Hence, the proverbs in Chakaipa's novel resonate with biblical allusions and echoes, something he does to subtly preach Christianity.
This article focuses on ZANLA forces, ZANU's armed wing that fought for the liberation struggle a... more This article focuses on ZANLA forces, ZANU's armed wing that fought for the liberation struggle alongside ZAPU's ZIPRA. It argues that the Maoist teaching that guerrillas had to be like fish among the masses, and the masses becoming the water that ensured the fish's survival proved very useful for ZANLA's guerrillas. It further asserts that in an effort to gain acceptance and support the guerrillas appropriated some traditional Shona cultural practices so as to appeal to the masses, especially to the adult ones. Besides using religion, especially the alleged Nehanda prophecy that is said to have been uttered as she was led to the gallows, that her bones would rise to fight against the white colonialists, the guerrillas also relied heavily on taboos. The focus of this paper is to discuss some of the taboos that the ZANLA guerrillas relied on. These taboos evolved around three important areas that were 1 Published in 2010 in Zimbabwe International Journal of Language and Culture. 1(1): 19-33. 2 very essential for the survival of the guerrillas. These areas are security, food and confidence building. A total of eighteen taboos are discussed.
This chapter discusses the taxonomic study of place names based on etymology, history and geograp... more This chapter discusses the taxonomic study of place names based on etymology, history and geographical information. It argues that these names are deployed as communication tools to indicate, denote or identify a geographic locality such as a river, mountain or settlement. The chapter further asserts that these names and their employment as references to toponymic features give some insight into different reasons why people give feature names. Among them is the need to create identification beacons for the benefit of the public and also to lay claim over territory. The chapter notes that while some names can be utilised as acquisitive means over some space, not all names are used in such a manner, others as those studied in this chapter are ominous verbal signs and symbols of the dangers that may befall those who are not careful or do not take seriously the messages that are carried and rooted in them. In this chapter, the authors discuss names of rivers and other water bodies or hydronyms that are used by the people of Nyanga district in Manicaland province to bring to the attention of locals and visitors alike of the dangers that lurk in the said water bodies if people do not take heed.
This chapter discusses what the author calls the Eve-Pandora motif. It argues that through exposu... more This chapter discusses what the author calls the Eve-Pandora motif. It argues that through exposure to missionary education, most authors of Shona novels were influenced by literature that was availed to them by their priests-cum-teachers. It notes that this literature includes the bible which was compulsory reading as well as other classical literature. The chapter thus posits that the negative portrayal of female characters in most Shona novels has its roots in the biblical story of the fall of Man that has its prime mover as Eve, as well as classical literature that has Pandora who is blamed for having brought death into the world because of her inquisitiveness.
The thesis of this paper whose argument is that people do not just throw names at their dogs but ... more The thesis of this paper whose argument is that people do not just throw names at their dogs but they give them according to situations that would be prevailing at that particular time is a product of unstructured interviews that were carried in Nyanga District, Manicaland and Esigodini, Matabeleland South in 2010. Additional information was added to the paper by those who attended the paper’s presentation at the 2011 LASU Conference at the University of Zambia, Lusaka. It argues that people use dogs to vent their anger or grievances against others they perceive as committing wrongs against them. The paper also notes that, it is normally neighbours who name dogs to communicate their sentiments, besides daughters-in-law and mothers-in-law, who in most cases always find themselves in acrimonious relationships. It concludes arguing that although such naming practices may be observed as improper or unchristian, in the Ndebele and Shona cultural set-up this is a good way of conflict management. This paper submits use of such these canonyms in this day and age is still relevant because they save as a bridge through which two contending sides express themselves.
This article examines the reasons behind names given to beer halls from their inception in coloni... more This article examines the reasons behind names given to beer halls from their inception in colonial Rhodesia to present day Zimbabwe. To achieve this goal, it analyses names of beer halls, beer outlets built in the former townships of colonial Rhodesia (now called high-density suburbs), and those built at growth points, a feature that emerged with Zimbabwe's political independence. While it was fashionable in colonial Rhodesia to assume western names for people, landmarks and objects including the Anglicisation of the indigenous ones, the beer halls that were built in independent Zimbabwe have also been given indigenous names. The article concludes that the names given to beer halls in colonial Rhodesia, as those in independent Zimbabwe, are purposeful and informative since they entice imbibers. They also function as cautionary statements because they warn the same imbibers and would be drinkers. Both the old and new names seem to have a common feature between them, which is to expose the evils of commercialised beer.
This paper argues that naming has always been a serious activity among the Shona of Zimbabwe. The... more This paper argues that naming has always been a serious activity among the Shona of Zimbabwe. The people have always used names not only to express their emotions, but have also used place names or toponyms to explain cultural activities and describe the natural and physical environment surrounding them. In an effort to bring out this interesting facet of the Shona naming practice, the researchers embarked on research covering Manicaland, Masvingo and the Midlands provinces. The paper concludes by arguing that place names are valuable not only to historians and anthropologists, but also to economic and physical geographers in the realm of what is called cultural geography today. It is also a wake-up call for researchers in different areas to use multidisciplinary approaches to their studies.
The thesis of this chapter is that there is need for vigorous and robust research into Indigenous... more The thesis of this chapter is that there is need for vigorous and robust research into Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) in Zimbabwe. It argues that such research is afflicted by binarism, an affliction that permeates the Zimbabwean academic psyche. It notes that the major stumbling block to meaningful research emanates from the effects of western forms of epistemology that have affected some Zimbabwean scholars who have come to believe that all good science comes from the west. The researcher further argues that what makes the Zimbabwean situation so gloomy is the fact that the country does not have an IKS policy, but a science, technology and innovation policy that makes reference to IKS in passing. It is this lack of commitment, the paper further asserts, that afflicts academia because there are areas where government is expected to take a lead, but in the case of Zimbabwe, this leadership is lacking.
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PapersThe Bible and literature: a case of biblical by Jacob Mapara