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Female writers honoured for using indigenous languages

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Two Mpumalanga female writers have been honoured for preserving Siswati and isiNdebele indigenous languages.

The National Library of South Africa has set aside a publishing grant for aspiring writers who tell their stories in indigenous languages.

Programs Executive Director of the National Library of South Africa Dr Mayisela Mayepa says, “The aim is to honour those women who are doing a great work in preserving our indigenous languages.”

These women write in Siswati and isiNdebele, two marginalised languages that are predominantly used in Mpumalanga.

They are the beneficiaries of the National Library’s initiative of training budding writers.

Writer Nurse Malobola says, “I am really happy to be honoured for writing in my language.  I thought I should do this because it took too long for isiNdebele to be taught in schools as it was a language that was not taken seriously.”

“I am glad to be honoured today. I would encourage upcoming writers to write in their languages because they are them and they are their languages.  They should write about what they know,” says Dr Bukiwe Malangwane.

The National Library of South Africa workshops budding writers hopes more writers to tell their stories and that of their communities in their home languages.

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