African Folklore: An Encyclopedia - Marshalls University

African Americans 869
the 1980s. In one instance Qabula refers to the trade union as: “a hen with wide wings
which protects its chickens” (Gunner 1989).
This tradition is also particularly vibrant among the Xhosaspeaking people. Izibongo is
performed at most important occasions and gatherings, whether they are cultural,
religious, political, or educational—the four contemporary pillars of power in Xhosa
society. It is also clear that the imbongi (oral poet) has kept pace with shifts in power. For
example, from a political point of view, as power gravitated away from traditional chiefs
to new leaders within the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the African
National Congress, the iimbongi (plural form of imbongi) shifted their focus to the new
leaders. This direct link between the imbongi and power, as well as the ability of
iimbongi to adapt to these new power bases, has ensured their survival within South
African society.
The adaptability of oral tradition is not a new phenomenon, but it has been reinforced
by recent shifts in political power in South Africa. For example, by 1827, Ntsikana, a
Xhosa oral poet, was converted to Christianity and used the tradition to praise God in the
same way as he would have formerly praised the chief (Kaschula 1995). Among the Zulu
people the same type of figure emerged about forty years later when Isaiah Shembe
began producing hymns in the traditional poetic style. The dynamic nature of this form of
literature is therefore not new, and it allows for this form of “auriture” to feed on and
mould itself within present-day happenings. Iimbongi can be heard at the openings of
new schools, circumcision ceremonies, graduations, political gatherings, funerals, and
weddings—indeed, they permeate the lives of South Africans at just about every level.
Bongani Sitole, an imbongi living in the Eastern Cape, recently referred to Nelson
Mandela as: Yinkunz’ ethi yakugquba kulal’ amatye (A bull that kicks up dust and
stones).
This is a recurring image in his poetry about Mandela, as well as about the late Joe
Slovo (the former leader of the South African Communist Party and Minister of Housing
in Mandela’s cabinet).
Conclusion
In this short synopsis of contemporary forms of South African folklore an attempt has
been made to contextualize the work within two areas: the orality-literacy debate and the
commercialization of folk art, spoken and otherwise. If one views South African oral
literature against this backdrop, one finds that the tradition is alive and well. While some
aspects of the oral tradi tion are no longer emphasized (such as riddles), the capability of
oral literature, or “auriture,” to adapt to new power bases and societal change is ensured
by its relevance within what one could call South Africa’s complex postprimary,
presecondary, and secondary oral society (Ong, 1982).
References
Coplan, David. 1994. In the Time of Cannibals: The Word Music of South Africa’s Basotho
Migrants. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.