SisiXhosa osikhathalele ngantoni na esi ude usindwe ziincwadi ezingaka? Why do you care about isiXhosa so much that you are overwhelmed by so many books?

Abstract

This article, using the qualitative research methodology, seeks to highlight, among other discussions, the significance and role of indigenous African languages using the South African context as a point of departure. The central debates and arguments of this article are centred on the notion that indigenous languages are the core functionalities and important tools for human existence. It is against this backdrop that this article problematises the notion of undervaluing these languages while accelerating the status of colonial languages. In a nutshell, this article problematises language matters in South Africa that have and are still romanticised by the government or those who are in power. Contemporary South Africa is confronted by many problems, including the vicious novel coronavirus, and as such, my advocacy is driven by the fact that while there may be many reasonable solutions to these problems, indigenous languages should not be excluded as solutions. While the discussions of this article are in progress, a brief historical background on the marginalisation of local languages is subsumed with underlying perspectives from indigenous knowledge systems. I conclude my discussions by providing a way forward with the hope that other researchers, in particular linguists, will continue the discourse.