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Appraisal and Evaluation in Zimbabwean Parliamentary Discourse and Its Representation in Newspaper Articles

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Appraisal and Evaluation in Zimbabwean Parliamentary Discourse and Its Representation in Newspaper Articles APPRAISAL AND EVALUATION IN ZIMBABWEAN PARLIAMENTARY DISCOURSE AND ITS REPRESENTATION IN NEWSPAPER ARTICLES BY ERNEST JAKAZA Dissertation presented for the degree of Doctor in Philosophy in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Stellenbosch University Supervisor: Professor M. W. Visser March 2013 Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za i DECLARATION By submitting this dissertation electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained therein is my own, original work, that I am the sole author thereof (save to the extent explicitly otherwise stated), that reproduction and publication thereof by Stellenbosch University will not infringe any third party rights and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification. Date: 3 September 2012 Copyright © 2013 Stellenbosch University All rights reseved Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za ii ABSTRACT “Unofananidza Jesu naKombayi here? (Lit. Are you comparing Jesus with Kombayi?) (Condolences on the death of Senator Patrick Kombayi, 28th July 2009, Appendix B4, line 350) This Shona interjection during the debate on the motion on condolences on the death of Senator Patrick Kombayi (MDC- T) in the Zimbabwean parliament presents the speaker stance taking, appraising and strategically manoeuvering advancing certain argumentative positions. Considering the impact of the outcome of these debates on governance, discourse- analytic researches have to be carried out in order to explore the sorts of appraisal and argumentation principles that are realised. This study makes a multifaceted theoretical approach to a comprehensive exploration of debates and speeches in the Zimbabwean parliament and their representation in newspaper articles. The appraisal theory, the extended pragma- dialectic theory of argumentation and controversy analysis have been integrated to uncover important linguistic insights on parliamentary discourse and news reporting. The analysis is based on a corpus of debates and speeches in the Zimbabwean parliament within the period 2009 and 2010. Another corpus consists of newspaper reports on these debates and speeches in this period. A thematic approach informed by theoretical principles is utilised in the selection of reports, debates and speeches. Firstly, I examined parliamentary discourse. Focus have been on the critical discussion model, argumentative strategies- forms of strategic manoeuvering, how the dialectic- rhetoric relation can be understood, how appraisal resources are realised in the argumentation process and on examining how appraisal resources employed reflect the type of a debate or speech. Secondly, I explored newspaper articles from four Zimbabwean newspapers reporting on the same themes on debates and speeches. Focus has been to make comparative analysis of news reporting examining how appraisal resources are utilised in the representation of parliamentary discourse in different newspapers (independent versus government or state owned newspapers and English versus Shona newspapers) and to examine the nature of argumentation and strategic manoeuvering principles that are utilised in news reporting and Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za iii how controversial (divergent) debates or issues are represented. This multifaceted analysis offered varied dimensions in the exploration of parliamentary discourse and news reporting and expansions of the appraisal and argumentation theories. Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za iv OPSOMMING “Unofananidza Jesu naKombayi here? (Letterlik: Vergelyk jy Jesus met Kombayi?) (Medelye ten tye van die dood van senator Patrick Kombayi, 28 Julie 2009, Bylaag B4, reël 350) Hierdie Shona-uitroep gedurende die debat oor die mosie van medelye ten tye van die dood van senator Patrick Kombayi (MDC-T) in die Zimbabwiese parlement wys hoe die spreker standpunt inneem, en sekere beredenerende posisies opper, beoordeel en op strategiese wyse manipuleer. Met die uitkomste van hierdie debatte oor bestuur in gedagte, moes diskoers- analitiese navorsing gedoen word om die soorte waardebepalende en beredenerende beginsels wat gerealiseer is, te verken. Hierdie studie het ʼn veelvlakkige teoretiese benadering tot ʼn omvattende verkenning van debatte en toesprake in die Zimbabwiese parlement en hulle uitbeelding in koerantartikels ingeneem. Die teorie van waardebepaling, die uitgebreide pragma-dialektiese teorie van beredenering- en geskilsanalise is geïntegreer om belangrike linguistiese insigte oor parlementêre diskoers en nuusrapportering bloot te lê. Die analise is gebaseer op ʼn korpus debatte en toesprake in die Zimbabwiese parlement uit die tydperk 2009 tot 2010. ʼn Verdere korpus bestaan uit koerantberigte oor hierdie debatte en toesprake uit hierdie tydperk. ʼn Tematiese benadering wat deur teoretiese beginsels geïnspireer is, is gebruik by die keuse van berigte, debatte en toesprake. Eerstens het ek parlementêre diskoers nagegaan. Die fokus was op die kritiese besprekingsmodel, beredenerende strategieë, vorme van strategiese manipulering, die wyse waarop die dialekties-retoriese verhouding verstaan kan word, die wyse waarop hulpbronne vir waardebepaling tydens die beredeneringsproses verwesenlik word en op ʼn ondersoek na hoe hulpbronne wat vir waardebepaling gebruik word, die soort debat of toespraak uitbeeld. Tweedens het ek koerantartikels uit vier Zimbabwiese koerante verken wat oor dieselfde temas oor debatte en toesprake verslag gedoen het. Die fokus was op die maak van ʼn vergelykende analise van beriggewing om na te gaan hoe hulpbronne vir waardebepaling gebruik word by die uitbeelding van parlementêre diskoers in verskillende koerante (onafhanklik teenoor koerante in besit van die regering of die staat en koerante in Engels teenoor ander in Shona) en om die aard van beredenering en strategiese manipulerings- Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za v beginsels wat by beriggewing gebruik word en die wyse waarop kontroversiële (uiteenlopende) debatte of kwessies uitgebeeld word, te ondersoek. Hierdie veelvlakkige analise het wisselende dimensies by die verkenning van parlementêre diskoers en beriggewing en uitbreidings van die waardebepaling- en beredeneringsteorieë gebied. Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za vi DEDICATION I dedicate this work to my loving and caring wife, Tariro Chido Jakaza and our three children; Tinomudaishe, Maitaishe and Mufarowashe. Thus far the Lord has taken us! Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Indeed ideas are like a “kind of benign intellectual infection, spread in different minds in all sorts of ways” (Widdowson 2004: vii), my feeling after such a lengthy process of nurturing this baby. Firstly, I would like to sincerely thank my thesis promoter Professor M W Visser, who expertly guided and motivated me in this long journey. Your enthusiasm is infectious, your guidance unparalleled and your humour is energizing. You have constantly challenged me to go another milestone. I am honoured to be counted among your supervisees. I will always cherish every moment we had mum! Secondly, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Stellenbosch University, other universities in the PANGEA group, the African Doctoral Academy (ADA) and the graduate school. This project is a reality because of the generous scholarship I received from the African Doctoral Academy. I cherish the workshops that we had as they laid a strong foundation for my current and future researches. Under the mentorship of extra ordinary professors, I immensely benefited from these workshops and seminars. I urge you to continue giving HOPE to African academics, generating knowledge for Africa and giving a future to countless professionals. Thirdly, I would also want to acknowledge the support that I also received from the Dean, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and the postgraduate bursary office at Stellenbosch University. Your support for me to go and present a paper at the Rhetoric in Society 3 conference cannot go unmentioned. Thank you for assisting me in flying all the way to Belgium and be infected with sound theoretical knowledge from varied presentations, discussions and comments on my presentation. The role played by my institution, Midlands Sate University (MSU) cannot be ignored. I really appreciate the support I got from the university, the Faculty of Arts Executive Dean- Professor C. Pfukwa, Chairperson in the English and Communication Department- Dr T. D. Javangwe and Professor D. Z. Moyo- director research and postgraduate office. Without the study leave and the support to visit my supervisor, this project could not have been a success. Additionally, I would like to acknowledge the contribution that was made by Mr Z. Mudzingwa (Deputy Editor Newsday), Audacious (Newsday and The Standard archives librarian) and Shepherd Tashaya (The Herald and Kwayedza archives librarian). I appreciate your efforts in photocopying and scanning newspaper articles for me. That was incredible. I thank you. Level 4.2 May 2012 students at MSU I honour your support in translating some of Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za viii the Kwayedza stories into English. I am grateful. Many thanks also to Professors Agris and Villy Tsakona. Your reading material really made a difference in my study. I also acknowledge, with thanks, the Zimbabwean Parliament for granting me permission to use the debates and speeches for the purposes of this linguistic research. I would particularly
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