The new Tshivenda Orthography and Spelling Rules took centre stage during the Tshivenda Poetry Fair Literary Outreach Incubation Programme at the Thulamela Community Library last Tuesday (26 August).
The event was a collaboration between Kwetso Consulting Services, the University of Venda, the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, and the Limpopo Arts and Culture Council. It was attended by language experts, authors, book clubs, librarians, teachers, learners and other stakeholders in the literature space.
Launched in 2022, the Literary Outreach Incubation Programme aims to promote a culture of reading in South Africa's indigenous languages.
Kate Lengwasa, director of Kwetso Consulting Services, which runs the programme, told the audience that it encouraged society to embrace reading. "We aim to ignite passion and love for reading, especially literature written in African indigenous languages. We want to portray reading as fun, a culture that can be a lifestyle activity," she said.
Dr Nthambeleni Netshisaulu urged the public to familiarise themselves with the Tshivenda Orthography and Spelling Rules, developed in 2019 by the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) and the Tshivenda National Language Body (TNLB). The TNLB, formerly chaired by renowned Tshivenda language expert Prof Walter Muloiwa, comprises Tshivenda academics, experts and advisers who compiled the rules.
Dr Netshisaulu said the rules were introduced to correct long-standing errors in the written form of the language. "Those who think we are changing our language are wrong. We are only correcting what was written wrongly many years ago … We need to restore our identity and authenticity through our original language."
He said many Tshivenda authors were already applying the new rules in their books. "Although we still have a lot of awareness to do, this is the right step towards our goal. Some people will resist changes when they come, however, we will continue persuading them to accept that the new changes are here to stay."