African voices in <i>Imvo Zabantsundu</i>: Literary pieces from the past

Abstract

This article aims at filling in the gap identified by Opland (1998), that is, the neglect of the contribution made by newspapers to the development of Xhosa literature. In an attempt to address this problem, the article examines selected poems and articles published between 1887 and 1890 in Imvo Zabantsundu under the editorship of John Tengo Jabavu. Jabavu’s biographical sketch is outlined in order to shed light on how he became involved in African journalism. Since the focal point at the time was the African vote in the Cape and its impact, the article looks at how poetry was used as a mode of expression, when people fought with pens instead of swords. The article concludes by outlining some of the lessons that can be drawn from the past regarding the development and promotion of African languages in South Africa through the newspapers. Xhosa examples cited in the article are written in the present standard orthography. The data analysed here was obtained by the author’s study of past issues of Imvo Zabantsundu, which she accessed at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London.

S.Afr.J.Afr.Lang., 30(2) 2010