The success of democracy and nation building in South Africa and the continued evolution of Africa as a post-colonial powerhouse depend to a great degree on the number of books written in African languages.
South Africa’s foremost writers and academics have thrown their weight behind an existing debate on the value to society of writers telling stories in their indigenous languages, including all of the country’s official languages.
The annual M-NET Literary Awards have been dedicated to raising the profile of indigenous writers for 16 years. While some quality entries were received for this year’s competition, it was clear that much could still be done to encourage local scribes to write in their mother tongues.
The international debate around indigenous language writing was first raised by Kenyan writer Ngugi Wa Thiongo, who asserted that the lack of vision of indigenous voices in Africa was to a large degree the result of colonization. Wa Thiongo further argued that it could never be good for the continent of Africa if children were separated from their cultures by not encouraging the great oral traditions of the continent to be taken up by the brightest writing talent on offer.
While other writers like Nigeria’s Chinua Achebe argued that books should be written in any language as long as it is of high quality, there is a growing consensus among South Africa’s literati that writers should not only be supported in their efforts to write books in our indigenous languages, including Afrikaans, but that these books should become an integral part of our school curriculum.
Afrikaans author and lecturer in journalism at the University of Stellenbosch, Herman Wasserman, agrees that all writers, and especially those touting Afrikaans as an important aspect of South Africa’s cultural milieu, will be buoyed by any debate positively influencing the publication of new books in indigenous languages.
Mothobe Motloatse, African languages advisor to the M-NET Literary Awards, says the encouragement of indigenous language writers is critical for nation building in South Africa. “These writers are advancing the cultural diversity of our country and in doing so finding solutions to the human condition,” he says.
M-NET Literary Awards spokesman and renowned South African author Mandla Langa agrees: “Firstly, I would like to say that I commend the initiative by M-Net towards literary awards that recognise publishing in African languages. Several, if not all, African languages are being threatened by some form of linguistic erosion, to the extent that there are languages that face extinction. And it is true, too, that preserving languages – and the culture that they carry – can be done best through immortalising them in books.
“It doesn’t end there. Some of the more popular of these books, in an ideal world, end up in translation, thereby enriching a wider collective of humanity, for it is in language and culture that we break the barriers born of ignorance and suspicion.
“These translations need not be limited to English and Afrikaans – as the more powerful and influential languages of this republic – but could extend across the multiplicity of African languages. In this way, a writing – and reading – culture is inculcated among the people, especially the youth, of this country.”
Langa, whose works include Tenderness of Blood, A Rainbow on a Paper Sky, The Naked Song and Other Stories and The Memory of Stones, continues: “The promotion of these texts through publishing, and the incentive of literary awards go a long way towards integrating the South African society.
“Moreover, the usual complaint that there aren’t books in indigenous languages can be addressed, when publishers ensure that the books are made available in bookstores, libraries and miscellaneous distribution outlets. But more importantly, that they see their way into school curricula.”
Hettie Scholtz, advisor to the M-NET Literary Awards, says a human being’s entire identity is carried by their mother tongue. “The appeal and enduring value of a language is carried by its literature. M-NET should be commended for its vision of encouraging the publication of books in all our indigenous languages for the last 16 years.”
According to Dudley Schroeder, Executive Director of the Publishers’ Association of South Africa (PASA), the country’s citizens and society will be empowered by encouraging literacy in all languages.
Says Schroeder: “There is a South African imperative that demands that a constructive and responsible effort be made to raise the levels of literacy amongst people of all ages. Statistics show that literacy remains a major barrier to the further development of the African countries. Access to the written word is the very cornerstone of personal empowerment.”
He adds: “The PASA is committed to the promotion of literacy, a culture of reading and the free flow of ideas, information and opinion.”
Schroeder concludes: “The publishing industry is taking very seriously the criticisms leveled against it that it is not publishing sufficient books in our various indigenous languages. Whilst this statement may have some validity it is not the entire picture. There are already a significant number of books available for the school. Most publishers continue to expand their investment in indigenous language books for the school market.”
