Lost in Translation
We’re midway through Africa month and this has made me think a lot about what it means to be an African in 2016. Of course I could never define my Africanism without reflecting on my identity as an African from Swaziland. One of the things on my mind is our language siSwati; how it has evolved and with what consequence. Have we lost ourselves in translation? Maybe it’s the nostalgia on being home a few weeks ago where I attended a traditional Swazi wedding and listened to recordings of the radio show of yesteryears called Khala Mdumbadumbane that got me thinking about this thing that separates us from most Africans called siSwati. Spoken Word To be honest, I never really took an interest in this popular show when I was younger – I only paid attention, in fact only some attention, on the days that it drew controversy and the protest of women’s empowerment groups who denounced it for its sexist approach to addressing some issues. This was mostly because by t...