Date Released: Wed, 9 May 2012 10:42 +0200

The Rhodes University Language Committee is engaged in a project to raise awareness about multilingualism in higher education in South Africa. As part of this project a colloquium will take place on 15 May 2012 in Eden Grove Red at 6pm. All are welcome to attend and participate.

Also as part of this project, a multilingual poetry competition was organised. Entrants were asked to write a short poem in two or more of the official languages of the province (English, IsiXhosa, Afrikaans and Sesotho). Entries have been flooding in, showing the creative linguistic talents of Rhodes students. After some deliberation the adjudicators decided on Simthembile Matyobeni’s poem ‘On the path of Izimvi’ as the winner of the R500.00 cash prize.  Simthembile is a third year BA student and he will attend the colloquium on 15 May to receive his prize from the Vice-Chancellor, Dr Saleem Badat.

Simthembile will also be interviewed on RMR and will have the opportunity to broadcast his winning poem:

On the path of Izimvi
Phonoshono neNtaba uMthekhala
I saw long, gray broom-hair and scour-brush
Beards sweeping filth off the minds of abakhwetha,
Izimvi zihlwayela kumlimandlela wemilondekhaya.

Life rhythms flow from the hand of Ingcibi;
White-ochred, terrified and scarified to ward off
Oonomathotholo. Across the river Unkcwe evil spirits dwell.

Somagwaza ubugwala bubalekile! The song goes;
Burning incense, goat’s blood boiling, fire and incantations;
Husky voices, sonorous songs and humming and whistling;
Red-ochred, pain dead; spiritual dialogue is embraced,
Abayelenqi bafudukile abanxamnye nelemilondekhaya.

Aheziya! Aheziya! Aheziya!!
New seeds are cocooned in the earth’s bosom
Namhlanje amadoda abuyile, ishenxile imishologu!
Ngenani mlisela ningancathami, namkelekile!
Chosi!!!

A further ten poems were selected for display at the colloquium. You are invited to view these wonderful multilingual creations outside Eden Grove Red on the evening of 15 May.

For further information please contact:
Dr Sam Naidu (s.naidu@ru.ac.za)
Prof Russell Kaschula (Chair, RU Language Committee)
r.kaschula@ru.ac.za