Name and surname.

: Thembi Alice Masete

Student number. : 18083242

Group number. : 53T

Name of department and university : Department of African languages, Unisa

Name of instructor. : Dr Nene

Name of TA. : Thobile Mbatha

Mylife email address. : 18083242@mylife.unisa.ac.za

Code and name. : AFL1501 : LANGUAGE THROUGH AN AFRICAN LENS

Task 1

a. We love in a time where things that where once regarded as a taboo, are now an everyday
thing. We all have our different perspective when it comes to interracial marriage/relationship,
it is important to not be influenced by people with varying opinions. To me its does not actually
matter where you come from as long as the couple loves each other and have common
interests. When a person gets into a interracial relationship, they know what they are getting
themselves into and that they are expected to try adapt to each other’s custom, tradition,
heritage and try to make it a everyday thing. When western and african culture are combined
means that the couple has to share a set of ideals, values and standards of behavior.

b. We are living in a diverse world, and life itself is unpredictable, we do not know where the wind
may blow us to. So yes a person can belong to more than one culture and that does not mean
they are neglecting their original culture and adapting to a new culture. Our culture is our
identity, who we are, but due to circumstances of people’s lived experience may encourage or
require multiple cultural identities. For instance, a person finds a job position in China, and that
person is a Zulu from South Africa, that person will be left with no choice but to try to adapt to
 Chinese culture, in order to avoid clashing of cultures, also the experience of discrimination and
prejudice.

c. Wedding ceremony I have attended before

I. Both bride and groom speak two different languages, the bride speaks IsiZulu while
the groom speaks Spanish. Even their cultures are different, the bride is from a Zulu
tribe and the groom’s culture is Hispanic culture.

II. The wedding was a combination of both traditional and modern. The groom’s family
bought 11 cows for the lobola, two cows were slaughtered in the early hours of the
morning, the day of the wedding. The wedding guests lie on the grass mats, after
that the bride’s family members covered the groom’s family with blankets. Gifts
were exchanged, than they sang and danced as a sign of appreciation for all the
gifts. Later in that day, both bride and groom changed into Hispanic attires, a white
dress that is custom of the lace dress and mantilla. The reception consisted of a
dinner, followed by a long night of partying and dancing. During the reception, the
bride and groom paid visit to each of the tables, carrying a basket with wedding
favors to give away. Men were given cigars and women were given flowers.

III. Most of the people who attended the wedding spoke IsiZulu, they were related to
the bride, some were her friends and colleagues. Zulu language is a bantu language
mainly spoken in South Africa, especially in the Zululand area of KwaZulu-Natal
province. The groom had only 15 people which were his family and friends, most of
them spoke Spanish and English. The language known today as Spanish is derived
from a dialect of spoken Latin, which today is called l “Vulgar Latin” as opposed to
the classical Latin used in literature. The dialect of Spanish that is consider dominant
in Europe is called Castellano or Castilian Spanish.

IV. To accommodate all speakers that attended the wedding, everyone had to speak
English, which is a common language people from both bride and groom’s side
understood. Elderly members from the bride’s side who preferred to speak IsiZulu
because they are do not speak English that fluently, had someone who translated
the whole speech to accommodate the groom’s family. All the guests were treated
the same way despite of the fact that they come from different culture
backgrounds.

V. For the Zulu traditional wedding, the bride worn her Zulu wedding dress, which is
normally called “imvunulo” (made with colorful beads) with a circular shaped hat
called “isicholo”, which is only worn by married women. The guests who were
women worn almost similar to the bride’s attire, but women who are not married
did not wear “isicholo”. The groom had to wear “ibheshu” (leopard skin bib, animal
fur skirt, head band, leather shield and spear) while his groom’s men worn
umblaselo.
• Music that was played on the wedding was umaskandi, which is a Zulu folk
music that is evolving with South African society.

• The bride’s father had to light impepho (a plant that is dried) to

communicate with their ancestors to let them know that their daughter is
officially leaving their home to join another new family as their new
daughter, also asking the ancestors to guide and protect their daughter’s
marriage.

• Food that was served, ujeqe (steamed bread) that is served with usu, carry
or chakalaka, and than they drank umqobothi (a Zulu traditional beer)

• Below is a photo of what a traditional wedding photo look like

Interracial wedding
 Task 2

a. The traditional Zulu wedding always takes places at the family home of the groom. The bride will
have to leave her home in the early hours of the morning, covered in a blanket, given to her by
her mother. The bride’s father leads her to her new family home, and she is advised not to look
back, so that she won’t invite bad luck. The father of the bride will call out the family clan
praises/names, telling the ancestors that their daughter is officially leaving their home to join
another new family. On arrival at the groom’s home, the bride must walk around the house so
that she can be introduced to her husband’s ancestors before entering the house. The groom
will have to buy two cows that will be slaughtered and eaten on the day of the wedding, he will
also have to buy a goat that will be slaughtered after the head of the family has spoken. The
groom’s father will open the ceremony, as a sign that he is welcoming his new daughter to their
home and also the bride’s father will bless their union. While gifts and money are given to the
bride’s family prior to the wedding on the day of umabo, it is the turn of the bride to give the
gifts. The exchange of gifts symbolizes the forming of a new bond between the two families. The
bride’s family will have to buy grass mats, blankets for the women from the groom’s side and
beers pots for the men, as well as some piece of furniture and brooms, which will be given out
to the guests at the wedding by the bridesmaids and sisters of the bride. The groom’s family are
called out one by one according to the guest list. After that the groom is called out to lie on a
mock bed made by the bride, than the bride will have to take out a basin with a towel and soap
and wash her husband’s feet. She will than pull back the bed cover for the groom to lie down.
After that the bridesmaids and other young ladies from the bride’s side will hit the groom with
small sticks, which the will make the groom runway.
Task 3

a. There are many indigenous people, and each of the different groups adapts differently like using
technology to transfer and preserve their culture, for example recently on the indigenous theme
video game “Never Alone”

• They use modern structures to learn their original language (bilingual teaching in
schools)

• They use the possibility to print book and magazines in their language.

• They adapt their art to modern art, making objects that can be used today, but which
draw inspiration from their culture.

b. Yes there is a room for a truly traditional tribe just like Masai , Kenya and Tanzania.

• Possible the most famous of all African tribes, the Masai live along the semi-arid, great
rift valley in Kenya and Tanzania. These expansive homeland are close to many of
Africa’s top game parks, meaning the tribe is often in close contact with internal
tourists.

c. Socio-cultural impacts of tourism

• Tourism activities in a destination can influence the lifestyles and beliefs of the local
people (Amerada et AL 2015). For example, the interaction of tourists with the local
people can influence religious beliefs and their traditional lifestyle. On the other hand
tourism can result in the preservation of traditions and culture. Although the Masai
community has been living in harmony with their environment and wildlife for many
millennia, the introduction of the tourism development in Masai Mara and the resulting
interaction or relationship with the outside world has brought changes to their lifestyle,
customs and traditions (Weaver, 2002)

d. Back in the days, women were expected to be domestic (cause that everyone thought the
women’s is), for example women were expected to take care of the children, cook and clean the
home, while men take care of the finance, work on the car and do home repairs. But since the
times have changed and we are living in a world that has so much changes compared to times of
 the old generation. Women and men are now equal. Women are now allowed to do what men
can do, meaning that they can now take of the finances in their house(going to work like
everyone, receiving a monthly salary). Change of gender roles has had a good impact on the
society, especially to women, because now women can get to be empowered. Empowerment is
about people, both men and women, taking control of their lives, setting their own agendas,
gain skills, building self-confidence, solving problems and developing self-reliance. These change
had a good impact on my family, cause us as young ladies we can now stand together and make
things work in our favor, a family we’re failure is not an option. We also empower each other to
take full control of our lives, not letting men dedicate our live and also reaching our full
potential. The change of gender roles has given me my identity, what I stand for, that I can do
what men do, I can even do it better than them.

e. This relationship is an example of Ubuntu. Having Ubuntu always means we must help each
other. Ubuntu embraces hospitality, caring about another person, being willing to go an extra
mile for the sake of another. For instance, what uncle John did fir herdsmen, when they got
attacked by the lions, he took several of them to the hospital to get help. The Masai even also
showed him Ubuntu, when they allowed him to put up a tented camp on the banks of the Nara
River on the fringe of the Masai Mara National Reserve. Ubuntu works as a link that binds
people together with a view to creating an enduring, caring and sharing relationship. Ubuntu is
highlighted as an agent or as one of the means of community building, an idea of a sharing
relationship which should transcend all prejudices. Uncle John bought a rather nicer herd of the
Nguni cows, which he co-owned with the Masai, he did not think that since he does not belong
to the Masai tribe, he does not have to show Ubuntu towards them or them helping him, when
help is needed. Both uncle John and the Masai shown each other Ubuntu, they knew that
Ubuntu “a person is a person because of people”.
References

• AFL1501 binder tutorial

• en.m.wikipedia.org.com.