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Constructions of Nationhood in Secession Debates Related to Mthwakazi Liberation Front in Bulawayo’S Chronicle and Newsday Newspapers in 2011

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Constructions of Nationhood in Secession Debates Related to Mthwakazi Liberation Front in Bulawayo’S Chronicle and Newsday Newspapers in 2011 Constructions of nationhood in secession debates related to Mthwakazi Liberation Front in Bulawayo’s Chronicle and Newsday newspapers in 2011. A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Journalism and Media Studies RHODES UNIVERSITY By Mphathisi Ndlovu Supervisor: Professor Lynette Steenveld November 2012 i DEDICATION In loving memory of my brother, Shepherd Melusi Ndlovu, who is gone but never forgotten. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis would not have been completed without the help and unequivocal support from the people around me. I owe my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Prof Lynette Steenveld, whose wisdom, knowledge and commitment towards my work guided and inspired me throughout the whole process of dissertation writing. I am greatly indebted to my beloved family who have always supported, motivated, and believed in me in all my endeavours. To mum, dad, Sibusiso, Nompilo, Sehliselo, Hloniphani, and Hlalisani, you are truly a gift in my life. Not forgetting my friends, Chelesani Moyo and Abigail Tshuma, whose advice, support and care has been invaluable throughout my time at Rhodes University. To my MA colleagues, Ajibola, Fuel, Richard, Egbert, Paul, Judith, and Susan, I will always cherish the time we spent together. This thesis would not have been completed without the financial assistance from my two sisters, Sehliselo and Hloniphani. Words are not enough to express my gratitude to you. Above all, I am forever indebted to my God for granting me the wisdom and strength to complete this academic journey. iii ABSTRACT This study investigates the constructions of nationhood in two Bulawayo newspapers, the Chronicle and Newsday. Against the backdrop of the emergence of a secessionist movement, Mthwakazi Liberation Front (MLF), this research examines the discourses of nationhood in the secessionist debates raging in these two newspapers. This study is premised on a view that nationhood constructions cannot be understood outside the broader context in which these newspapers are embedded. Accordingly, it traces the roots and resurgence of Matabeleland separatist politics, exploring the political-historical forces that have shaped a distinctive Ndebele identity that poses a threat to the one, indivisible Zimbabwean national identity. Further, the study situates Matabeleland separatist politics within the broader African secessionist discourse challenging the post-colonial nation-building project on the continent. Informed by Hall’s (1992, 1996) constructivist approach to identity, it considers national identities as fragmented, multiple and constantly evolving. Thus, this study is framed within Hall’s (1997) constructivist approach to representation, as it examines the constructions of nationhood in and through language. The study uses qualitative research methods, as it examines the meanings of nationhood in key media texts. Informed by Foucault’s discourse theory, this research employs critical discourse analysis (CDA) to analyse 12 articles from the two newspapers. The findings confirm that the representations of nationhood in the two newspapers are influenced by their position within the socio-political context. The state-owned Chronicle legitimates the unitary state discourse advocated by ZANU PF. On the other hand, Newsday’s representations are informed by the discourses of the opposition political parties and civil society that challenge the dominant nation-building project. Thus, within this paper, secession and devolution emerge as alternative imaginaries that contest the authoritarian discourse of nationhood. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION ............................................................................................................................................. i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................................... ii ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................................... iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................................................ vi INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 1 Background ......................................................................................................................................... 1 The construction of Ndebele particularism ........................................................................................ 1 The context of the two newspapers ................................................................................................... 5 The Chronicle ................................................................................................................................. 5 Newsday .......................................................................................................................................... 7 Significance of the study .................................................................................................................. 11 Goals of the Research ....................................................................................................................... 11 Methodology ..................................................................................................................................... 11 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................... 12 CHAPTER1: LITERATURE REVIEW .......................................................................................................... 14 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 14 What is a nation? .............................................................................................................................. 14 Theoretical approaches to Identity ................................................................................................... 18 Ethnicity and nation-building in Africa ............................................................................................. 20 The Challenges of forging nationhood in Africa ............................................................................... 21 Artificial and arbitrary colonial boundaries .................................................................................. 21 Anti-colonial nationalism .............................................................................................................. 22 For the Nation to Live, the Tribe must Die.................................................................................... 23 Authoritarian nation-building ....................................................................................................... 24 Secession as an alternative to authoritarian nationalism................................................................. 25 The making of Zimbabwe as a nation ............................................................................................... 27 5 The concept of representation ......................................................................................................... 28 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................... 29 CHAPTER2: METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................................. 31 Methodological approaches ............................................................................................................. 31 Quantitative research ................................................................................................................... 31 Qualitative research ...................................................................................................................... 32 Validity .............................................................................................................................................. 33 Reliability ........................................................................................................................................... 34 Generalisability ................................................................................................................................. 35 Data gathering .................................................................................................................................. 36 Sampling techniques ..................................................................................................................... 37 Selection procedures .................................................................................................................... 38 Data Analysis ..................................................................................................................................... 41 Foucault and discourse theory ...................................................................................................... 41 Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as an analytic method .............................................................. 44 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................
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