Abantu abaningi bake bakhale ngokuthi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, intshisekelo yokuzigqaja ngobuzwe bethu izokwehla futhi ulimi lethu liyogcina lishabalele ngenxa yokuhamba kwesikhathi nokwanda kokusetshenziswa kolimi lwesiNgisi ngesizwe sikaPhunga noMageba.
Kepha mina ngiyakholelwa ekutheni lokhu ngeke kwenzeke uma thina esisaphila senza konke okusemandleni ethu ukudlulisela usikompilo nolimi lwethu olumnandi esizukulweni esincane. Into enhle nje ukuthi lokhu kulula futhi akudingi iziqu eziphakeme zemfundo. Ukugcina ulimi lwethu kudinga nje ukuthi silusebenzise futhi sifundise nangalo, ikakhulukazi uma sidlulisa eyomlando wethu abantwaneni bethu. Ngiyajabula ke uma ngibona abanye bakithi bewumele futhi bewenza ngamalengiso lo msebenzi wokugcina amagugu esizwe sakithi njengo limi lwethu.
Awuke ubheke ngezansi i-video esiyichilelwe nguThabile Buthelezi wakwaMashu ngaphansi koMasipala weTheku, lapho khona kubonakala umfanyana wakwaMashu uBuhle Khuzwayo ebongela isizwe sakwaZulu – umvuzo wokufundiseka nokuqoqeka kahle ngosikompilo lethu.
Brief Overview
This article seeks to debunk the narrative that indigenous languages are inevitably headed towards a path of extinction. The article does this by asserting that the ongoing and deliberate attempts of cultural and language conservation paint a clear picture of the presence of indigenous languages in the future of the world. A practical example of language conservation – which the article endorses – is the use of the South African Heritage Day holiday that is celebrated annually on 24 September to encourage pride in indigenous cultures and languages.
The beautiful results are in this video where a young boy from KwaMashu, a township in Durban, recites praise-words in front of his peers. In order for the boy to recite the praise-words so eloquently he had to be taught and thus culture and language was imparted to him which he then passes on to his peers. There are no indications that all the processes that led to the boy reciting the praise-words in the manner that he did are about to expire.