A Centre for Creative Writing and African Languages was recently launched at the Sol Plaatje University (SPU) in Kimberley.
Situated in the newly constructed Heritage Studies and Humanities Building on the central campus, the centre’s primary goal is to nurture linguistic diversity, focusing especially on the under-represented languages spoken in the Northern Cape area, such as Tswana, regional variations of Afrikaans, Xhosa and Khoe-San dialects.
The initiatives led by the centre demonstrates the SPU’s commitment to preserving these unique languages for future generations.
The centre plans to engage with the community through diverse initiatives and will conduct writing workshops at the Northern Cape Correctional Services, as well as launch programmes to enhance children’s reading and writing skills.
At the launch on 7 December, the acting head of the School of Humanities, Dr Cobus Rademeyer, said the launch of the centre was an important milestone for the SPU, and had been made possible through dedication, interaction and collaboration with the SPU’s staff and external partners.
Prof. Andrew Crouch, vice-chancellor and principal of the SPU, remarked that this initiative had been a key strategic priority since 2015.
“We aim to become a unique institution with an exceptional ability to generate new knowledge that addresses regional challenges,” he stated.
He also emphasised that language is crucial to one’s identity and culture.
Prof. Victor Teise, acting director for the centre, outlined why the centre was essential in contemporary society.
“African languages were ossified in the racial and linguistic geography of the apartheid imagination and left to stultify as English and Afrikaans became increasingly hegemonic, hence the majority of South Africans cannot read their own archive in their home languages. With the launch of this centre, such challenges will be addressed.
“At the centre we will recognise and respect the linguistic and cultural diversity existing at the SPU and the broader Northern Cape, as well as the importance of Afrikaans, Tswana and Xhosa as custodians of culture, tradition, heritage, and a means of communication.”
Creative Writing at the SPU is currently taught at the undergraduate level – from the first year up to the third year. The plan is to introduce honours, master’s, and PhD programmes in Creative Writing, with a focus on African languages, through the centre.
The centre will feature various units such as the Academic and Training unit; Research unit; Manuscript Studies and Literary Translation unit; Social Impact unit; Museum and Archiving unit; and the Khoe and San Language unit.
