Inspiring Future Generations Through IsiXhosa: The Journey of Siblings Thina and Dr Mlamli Diko
They say a great teacher can light a fire in their students, and that’s precisely what teacher Dorcas Yalezo did for siblings and University of the Western Cape (UWC) graduates Thina and Dr Mlamli Diko.
“The way she taught isiXhosa was profound and inspiring. She brought us closer to our ancestral language,” they recall.
"As a result, we were inspired to study and then teach isiXhosa, so we enrolled in the language at the university level.”
Their academic journey has been guided by a shared mission: to elevate isiXhosa and ensure its development alongside hegemonic languages like English and Afrikaans.
“We felt it necessary to academically assist in developing isiXhosa through teaching, learning, and research. In this context, attempts to pursue postgraduate studies are meant to ensure that this language reaches the same status as hegemonic languages”.
Now, Dr Diko lectures in isiXhosa at the University of South Africa, while Thina Diko teaches isiXhosa at Mtweni Senior Secondary School in Port St Johns, Eastern Cape.
Their dedication to isiXhosa extends beyond the classroom. Given the demand to integrate Indigenous Languages into modern developments, Dr. Diko’s PhD was written entirely in isiXhosa and focused on critiquing selected themes in four isiXhosa novels.
“The idea was to prove that a fair analysis of isiXhosa themes within the body of isiXhosa literature should be underpinned by African ideals and ideologies, as opposed to a Westernised approach.”
His dedication to advancing amaXhosa and Africans in the broader social context was rewarded with a PanSALB Multilingualism Award in the Youth Category early this year.
Thina Diko’s master’s thesis also contributed to this growing body of isiXhosa scholarship, focusing on corruption, money laundering, drug abuse, and gender-based violence in the isiXhosa text, Ngenxa Yesithembiso.
Despite their challenges during their postgraduate studies, the siblings found strength in their shared discipline. “Specialising in the same field made things easier for us,” says Dr Diko.
“We combined our knowledge and experiences to enhance our research.”
The Diko siblings are now calling for the South African government to take a more active role in developing indigenous languages.
“As it stands, we think that the first step is to stop the politicisation of the development of our ancestral or Indigenous South African languages,” they argued. “The continued politicisation of the intellectualisation of local languages drives political agendas at the expense of developing these languages.”
Looking to the future, both siblings plan to continue advancing research and education in isiXhosa, committed to ensuring that the language receives the recognition it deserves.
“The way she taught isiXhosa was profound and inspiring. She brought us closer to our ancestral language,” they recall.
"As a result, we were inspired to study and then teach isiXhosa, so we enrolled in the language at the university level.”
Their academic journey has been guided by a shared mission: to elevate isiXhosa and ensure its development alongside hegemonic languages like English and Afrikaans.
“We felt it necessary to academically assist in developing isiXhosa through teaching, learning, and research. In this context, attempts to pursue postgraduate studies are meant to ensure that this language reaches the same status as hegemonic languages”.
Now, Dr Diko lectures in isiXhosa at the University of South Africa, while Thina Diko teaches isiXhosa at Mtweni Senior Secondary School in Port St Johns, Eastern Cape.
Their dedication to isiXhosa extends beyond the classroom. Given the demand to integrate Indigenous Languages into modern developments, Dr. Diko’s PhD was written entirely in isiXhosa and focused on critiquing selected themes in four isiXhosa novels.
“The idea was to prove that a fair analysis of isiXhosa themes within the body of isiXhosa literature should be underpinned by African ideals and ideologies, as opposed to a Westernised approach.”
His dedication to advancing amaXhosa and Africans in the broader social context was rewarded with a PanSALB Multilingualism Award in the Youth Category early this year.
Thina Diko’s master’s thesis also contributed to this growing body of isiXhosa scholarship, focusing on corruption, money laundering, drug abuse, and gender-based violence in the isiXhosa text, Ngenxa Yesithembiso.
Despite their challenges during their postgraduate studies, the siblings found strength in their shared discipline. “Specialising in the same field made things easier for us,” says Dr Diko.
“We combined our knowledge and experiences to enhance our research.”
The Diko siblings are now calling for the South African government to take a more active role in developing indigenous languages.
“As it stands, we think that the first step is to stop the politicisation of the development of our ancestral or Indigenous South African languages,” they argued. “The continued politicisation of the intellectualisation of local languages drives political agendas at the expense of developing these languages.”
Looking to the future, both siblings plan to continue advancing research and education in isiXhosa, committed to ensuring that the language receives the recognition it deserves.
Bathi umfundisi ntsapho obalaseleyo unokuvuselela intshisakalo kubafundi bakhe, yiloo nto kanye eyenziwa ngumfundisi ntsapho uDorcas Yalezo kwabo bazalwa kunye nabaphumelele izidanga zabo kwiYunivesithi yaseNtshona Koloni (UWC) uThina noGqirhalwazi Mlamli Diko.
“Indlela awayefundisa ngayo isiXhosa yayinzulu kwaye ikhuthaza. Wasisondeza kulwimi lookhokho bethu” sitsho esi sibini.
“Uz’uqonde, sakhuthazeka ukuba sifunde, ze sifundise isiXhosa, ngoko ke siye sabhalisela izifundo zolu lwimi kwinqanaba leyunivesithi”.
Uhambo lwabo kwezemfundo lukhokelwe ngulo mnqophiso unikezelweyo: ukuphakamisa isiXhosa nokuqinisekisa uphuhliso lwaso kunye neelwimi ezazifudula zikhokela ezifana nesiNgesi kunye nesiAfrikansi.
Kungoku nje, uGqr. Diko uxeleng’ inyama njengomhlohli wezifundo zesiXhosa kwiYunivesithi yoMzantsi Afrika (UNISA), ngelixa udade wakhe uThina Diko engumfundisi ntsapho wesi sifundo sinye kwisikolo samabanga aphakamileyo iMtweni Senior Secondary, nesizinze ePort St Johns kwiphondo iMpuma Koloni.
Ukuzinikela kwabo kwisiXhosa kuwelela nangaphaya komda wegumbi lokufundela.
Ngenxa yemfuno yokudibanisa iilwimi zesiNtu kuphuhliso lwalamaxesha siphila kuwo, iphepha lophandonzulu lwesidanga sobuGqirhalwazi (PhD) likaGqr. Diko labhalwa ngolwimi lwesiXhosa ngokupheleleyo kwaye ligxile ekuhlalutyeni imixholo ekhethiweyo kwiinoveli ezine zesiXhosa.
“Umbono ibikukungqina ukuba uhlalutyo olungenamkhethe lwemixholo kuncwadi lwesiXhosa kufuneka luxhaswe zizimvo kunye neembono zesiNtu, ngokuchaseneyo nenkqubo yaseNtshona”.
Ukuzinikela kwakhe ekuqhubeleni phambili inkcubeko yamaXhosa kunye nama-Afrika kumxholo wezentlalo ngokubanzi kwamqhubela ekubeni athiwe jize ngewonga lembasa yeBhodi yeeLwimi zonke zoMzantsi Afrika iPanSALB yeeLwimi eziliqela kwiCandelo loLutsha ekuqaleni kwalo nyaka umiyo (2024).
Uphandonzulu lukaThina Diko nalo lube negalelo kuncwadi olukhulayo lwesiXhosa, kwaye lugxile kubuqhophololo, kurhwaphilizo lwemali, kusetyenziso olugwenxa lweziyobisi, ndawonye nobundlobongela obusekelwe kwisini ngokusekelwa kwincwadi eyinoveli yesiXhosa, uNgenxa Yesithembiso (ebhalwe nguM, Nkohla)
Ngaphandle kwemingeni abahlangene nayo ngexesha beqhuba izifundo zabo zemfundo enomsila, ezi zihlobo zafumana amandla ngokwabelana ngolwazi nanjengoko bekwicandelo elinye. “Ukugxila ngokukodwa kwicandelo elinye kwenza izinto zaba lula kuthi”, utshilo uGqr. Diko.
"Sidibanise ulwazi kunye namava ethu ukuze siphucule uphandonzulu lwethu".
Kungoku nje, ezi nzalelwane zakwaDiko zimemelela urhulumente woMzantsi Afrika ukuba athathe inxaxheba ngokubonakalayo ekuphuhliseni iilwimi zesiNtu.
“Njengokuba kunje, sicinga ukuba inyathelo lokuqala kukuthintela ukubandakanywa kwezopolitiko kuphuhliso lweelwimi lookhokho bethu okanye iilwimi zesiNtu zoMzantsi Afrika”, baxoxe ngelitshoyo. “Ukubandakanywa kwezenzo zopolitiko okuqhubekayo ekufundiseni iilwimi zeengingqi zeli kuqhuba ii-ajenda zopolitiko ngeendleko zokuphuhlisa ezi lwimi”.
Ukuqwalasela ikamva labo, bobabini aba bakwaDiko baceba ukuqhubeka nokuqhubela phambili nophandonzolu kunye nezifundo zesiXhosa, bezinikele ngokumandla ekuqinisekiseni ukuba olu lwimi lufumana ingqwalaselo newonga elifanelekileyo.
