On 30 September 2024, as Heritage Month drew to a close, the Department of Politics and International Relations at UJ’s Faculty of Humanities hosted a workshop titled Translating Knowledge: Empowering South African Indigenous Languages in Political Science Education. Chaired by Prof Bhaso Ndzendze, Associate Professor and Vice-Dean in the Faculty of Humanities, the workshop was part of a larger multilingualism project funded by the Department of Higher Education and Training’s University Capacity Development Programme (UCDP). The project aims to translate political science texts into South African indigenous languages, with this workshop being the first in a series planned for 2024 to 2026.
Reflecting on three decades of democracy
The workshop opened with a reflection on the three decades of South African democracy and the emphasis that section 6(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, places on enhancing the use and status of African indigenous languages in light of their historic neglect and diminished official use. The workshop, and the larger project, are all taking place within the UN Decade for Indigenous Languages, and UJ’s policy on multilingualism.
Renowned author and poet Makhosazana Xaba, also an Associate Professor of Practice in the Faculty of Humanities, was a key speaker. Xaba recently translated Frantz Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth into IsiZulu, titled Izimpabanga Zomhlaba. She shared insights from her translation journey, emphasizing the importance of preparation, research, and context. Xaba also highlighted the positive reactions to her work, particularly how many indigenous language speakers felt inspired and empowered by her translation. Philisiwe Mpondo, a master’s student in the Department, reflected on her experience of writing the first IsiZulu honours research paper and continuing this for her dissertation.
UJ Press manager Wikus van Zyl gave an input on the publisher’s emphasis on works in multiple languages, having seen multiple books published in several South African indigenous languages, including Afrikaans, isiXhosa, Xam, isiZulu, and Sesotho. He reflected on the journal of the UJ Press in employing different strategies for translation, and noted the importance of a human voice so as to retain context.
Student contributions: Overcoming linguistic challenges
Eighteen students, from various levels of study in Politics and International Relations, participated in the workshop. They presented their reflections on translating political science texts into indigenous languages, discussing challenges such as the lack of direct word-for-word equivalents and the contrast between casual language and formal, technical terminology. Students had to make editorial decisions, sometimes opting to retain English terms like “Neoclassical realism.”
Xaba underscored the significance of the project, stating that rather than empowering indigenous languages in political science, African languages would bring innovation and transformation to the discipline itself.
In his closing remarks, Prof Ndzendze highlighted the ambitious scope of the three-year project. Planned outputs include translated study guides, a dictionary, and a book. The project also aims to develop indigenous South African terms for concepts in political science, as well as emerging topics like artificial intelligence, international disputes, and international law.
