Microsoft Word - PhD Thesis Final.pdf - University of Limpopo ...

In addition to identity creation through names in the Makgabeng area
language is an identity marker which should be contextualised according to
the general categorisation of languages at an “Official Discourse” level.
Today in South Africa, it is declared that there are eleven official languages
which are, Northern Sotho, Southern Sotho, Tswana, Zulu, Xhosa, Venda,
Tsonga, Ndebele, Afrikaans, Swazi and English. The language identities are
officially conceptualised and regarded as accepted at macro-level. At meso-
level, the Makgabeng communities constitute part of what is officially
regarded as Northern Sotho language group. The concept of Northern
Sotho is not a homogenous identity because it comprises heterogeneous
components. This concept was conceived and designed at an “Official
Discourse” level for political convenience, in which those who were in
authority were grouping South Africans into racial and ethnic groups. It was
in accordance with imposed identity creation notion.
What is referred to as Northern Sotho comprises various and different
communities of the Bapedi, Balobedu, Bakone, Bahananwa, Batšhadibe,
Baroka, Batau, Babirwa, Matebele, Batlokwa, Bakwena and other smaller
groups. All these groups have their distinct linguistic features which indicate
their different origins and backgrounds. Although they all form the Sotho
group (what is called Northern Sotho to be specific), actually they speak
different dialects. This difference is explained in linguistic terms and
relegated to what is known as “dialects”. It is not within the scope of this
366