A TOPONYMIC PERSPECTIVE on ZIMBABWE's POST-2000 LAND REFORM PROGRAMME (THIRD CHIMURENGA) by VINCENT JENJEKWA Submitted in Acco
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
A TOPONYMIC PERSPECTIVE ON ZIMBABWE’S POST-2000 LAND REFORM PROGRAMME (THIRD CHIMURENGA) by VINCENT JENJEKWA submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF LITERATURE AND PHILOSPHY in the subject of LINGUISTICS at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA SUPERVISOR: EMERITUS PROFESSOR L. A. BARNES 15 NOVEMBER 2018 DECLARATION Name: Vincent Jenjekwa Student number: 57663556 Degree: Doctor of Literature and Philosophy: Linguistics A TOPONYMIC PERSPECTIVE ON ZIMBABWE’S POST-2000 LAND REFORM PROGRAMME (THIRD CHIMURENGA) I declare that the above thesis is my own work and that all the sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references. 14 February 2019 ________________________ _____________________ SIGNATURE DATE ii ABSTRACT This qualitative study presents an onomastic perspective on the changing linguistic landscape of Zimbabwe which resulted from the post-2000 land reforms (also known as the Third Chimurenga). When veterans of Zimbabwe’s War of Liberation assumed occupancy of former white-owned farms, they immediately pronounced their take-over of the land through changes in place names. The resultant toponymic landscape is anchored in the discourses of the First and Second Chimurenga. Through recasting the Chimurenga (war of liberation) narrative, the proponents of the post-2000 land reforms endeavoured to create a historical continuum from the colonisation of Zimbabwe in 1890 to the post-2000 reforms, which were perceived as an attempt to redress the historical anomaly of land inequality. The aim of this study is to examine toponymic changes on the geo-linguistic landscape, and establish the extent of the changes and the post-colonial identity portrayed by these place names. Within the case study design, research methods included in-depth interviews, document study and observations as means of data generation. Through the application of critical and sociolinguistic theories in the form of post-colonial theory, complemented by geo-semiotics, political semiotics and language ecology, this study uncovers the richness of toponymy in exposing a cryptic social narrative reflective of, among others, contestations of power. The findings indicate that post-2000 toponymy is a complex mixture of pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial place names. These names recast the various narratives in respect of the history of Zimbabwe through the erasure of colonial toponyms and resuscitation older Chimurenga names. The resultant picture portrayed by post-2000 toponymy communicates a complex message of contested land ownership in Zimbabwe. There is a pronounced legacy of colonial toponymy that testifies to the British Imperial occupation of the land and the ideologies behind colonisation. This presence of colonial toponymy many years after independence is an ironic confirmation of the indelible legacy of British colonialism in Zimbabwe. The findings show a clear recasting of the discourses of violence and racial hostility, but also reveal an interesting trend of toponymic syncretism where colonial names are retained and used together with new names. Key words: Onomastics, toponymy, toponymic landscape, ethnic slurs, geo-linguistic landscape, erasure, resuscitation, geo-semiotics, political semiotics, post-colonial theory, colonisation, post-coloniality, land reform. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to unreservedly thank the following people who directly or indirectly made the completion of this thesis possible: Firstly, I sincerely acknowledge the invaluable role played by my supervisor and mentor, Emeritus Professor Lawrie Barnes. His mentorship was always illuminating; his criticisms stretched my academic imagination to levels I never thought I could reach. His support in terms of securing financial support for tuition, research and conference expenses was always beyond reproach. I wish to say to him thank you for taking me through this journey. Secondly, my warm acknowledgement goes to UNISA’s Department of Student Funding for granting me a bursary for this doctoral study. Thirdly, I wish to extend my gratitude to Professor E.J Pretorius, the Chairperson of the Higher Degrees Committee in the Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages. I heartily say thank you for assisting me expeditiously with all the administrative issues of my thesis. Similarly, I wish also to acknowledge Professor Peter E. Raper of University of Free State for encouraging me to be a member of International Geographical Union (IGU)/International Cartographic Association (ICA) Commission on Toponymy, a joint international place names organisation, and for finding time to send me valuable literature on my study. My heartfelt appreciation also goes to my numerous academic colleagues who assisted me to refine my ideas through their very constructive and sometimes hard-hitting critiques. I should not forget the prompt and efficient library support from Malan Dawie of UNISA and Mariette Harcombe, the Personal Assistant to Emeritus Professor Lawrie Barnes in his capacity as editor of the journal, Language Matters, I say thank you. To the participants who took time off their busy schedules to grant me time to interview them, I say thank you. I also thank the Government of Zimbabwe through the then Ministry of Rural Development, Promotion and Preservation of National Culture and Heritage for granting me permission to carry out the study in the designated area for this thesis. Lastly, I warmly recognise the tremendous role played by my family during this study; it was not easy to always have a husband and a father always glued to books. To my wife, Varaidzo Agnela Jenjekwa, I wish to say thank you for the understanding. To Nyasha Matthew Jenjekwa, I wish to say thank you for accompanying me on the tiring journeys into the area of study. To Shingirirai Vincent (Jr) Jenjekwa and Felix, I say thank you for your prayers; and to my Father and Mother, I say, let us give glory to the Lord for He is good and He has taken us this far. iv CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND .............................................................................. 1 1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 The land question in Zimbabwe: Historical overview ................................................ 5 1.2.1 The colonisation of Zimbabwe ............................................................................ 5 1.2.2 Post-independence land reform initiatives ......................................................... 17 1.3 Statement of the problem .......................................................................................... 22 1.4 Aim of the study ........................................................................................................ 23 1.5 Objectives of the study .............................................................................................. 23 1.6 Research Questions ................................................................................................... 24 1.7 MOTIVATION BEHIND THE STUDY .................................................................. 24 1.8 Limitations of the study............................................................................................. 28 1.9 Ethical considerations ............................................................................................... 28 1.10 Preview of chapters ............................................................................................... 29 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................................ 30 2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 30 2.2 Theoretical framework .............................................................................................. 31 2.2.1 Post-colonial theory ........................................................................................... 31 2.2.2 Geo-semiotics .................................................................................................... 38 2.2.3 Political semiotics .............................................................................................. 40 2.2.4 Language ecology .............................................................................................. 42 2.3 Toponymy and Post-colonial theory ......................................................................... 44 2.3.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 44 2.3.2 Toponymy and culture ....................................................................................... 46 2.3.3 Toponymy and identity ...................................................................................... 49 v 2.3.4 Toponymy and history ....................................................................................... 50 2.3.5 Toponymy and memorialisation ........................................................................ 53 2.3.6 Toponymy and ideology .................................................................................... 55 2.3.7 Toponymy and politics ...................................................................................... 56 2.3.8 Toponymy and power ........................................................................................ 57 2.3.9 Toponymy and Indigenous Knowledge