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Item An analysis of cognitive metaphors in contemporary Namibian Literature on the Nama-Herero Genocide of 1904-1908(Aisthesis Verlag, 2025) Hafeni, Linus. N.; Sabao, Collen; Woldemariam, Haileleul ZelekeThe study sought to undertake a cognitive analysis of the Nama-Herero genocide in Jaspar David Utley’s The Lie of the Land (2017) through the theoretical explications of cognitive metaphor. Through examining a Namibian fictional imaginary from a cognitive metaphor perspective (Sperber & Wilson, 1986), the themes and styles of the text were explored to understand how cognitive tools and processes influence linguistic choices in the construction of collective memory and collective experience. The study analyses the selected text using the cognitive stylistics framework. The selected novel was chosen because it presents the Nama-Herero genocide which took place from 1904 to1908 where over 65,000 Ovaherero and 10,000 Nama people died in what is known as the first genocide of the twentieth century. The study promotes new discourses on cognitive stylistics studies of Namibian literary works. The study is significant to researchers and readers as it is a useful reference tool for students, politicians and researchers conducting studies in the field of cognitive stylistics. Cognitive linguistics argues that a particular situation in a literary text can be interpreted in different ways. Observations from nuanced readings of the text indicated that theme in the selected text largely centres on the natives’ experiences of the genocide during this period of colonial occupation and encounter. This was achieved through the examination of literary creativity through the use of cognitive metaphor referring to genocidal trauma as well as to mental and physical oppression. It was concluded that reading, analysing and schematising genocidal fictional work can reflect a negative past for current world citizens to understand and adopt ways that can be used to prevent genocide.Item A Study of the level of endangerment of !Kung as spoken in Namibia.(Aisthesis Verlag, 2025) Woldemariam, Haileleul ZelekeThis study investigated the level of endangerment of !Kung (San language variant) as spoken in Corridor 17, Aranos and Amenuis localities of Namibia. The aim of the study was to protect, preserve and promote !Kung as an indigenous Namibian language and the cultural practices of its users. The study team conducted in-depth interviews, focus groups and distributed questionnaires and collected and later digitized 39 cultural expressions at the Namibian University of Science and Technology (NUST) library. The study team managed to study 41 households in !Kung speaking settlement areas only. The study concluded that !Kung is vulnerable, meaning although most children speak the language, it has been restricted to home domains. Outside these localities, there are noticeable indicators that !Kung is endangered, meaning children no longer learn the language as a ‘mother tongue’ at school level and the number of its users has dwindled. In order to revitalise !Kung and the culture, this study recommends seven strategies: 1) revitalizing !Kung and the culture through teaching !Kung folklore, 2) training !Kung speaking research assistants and teachers to utilise the existing San research outcomes, 3) contextualising and teaching !Kung historical narratives in the context of primary instruction, 4) introducing and promoting !Kung indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) and herbal life in !Kung classes; 5) organising !Kung story telling events at Chief Sofia Jakobs Primary School, 6) integrating !Kung folk art, folk songs, and traditional games in the !Kung instruction; 7) transforming !Kung endangered cultural practices into theatrical productions. In line with these linguistic and ethnographic strategies, the study also strongly recommends that the Namibian Ministry of Education introduce !Kung as a medium of primary instruction and as a subject in Corridor 17, 18, Amenues and Aranos localities of Namibia. The language can be accorded with the status of endangered Namibian language which can be preserved, protected, promoted and revitalized.Item Assessment of the linguistic vitality and the status of OluZemba as spoken in Namibia(European Journal of Linguistics, 2025) Woldemariam, Haileleul ZelekePurpose: The main purpose of this study was first to assess and then to determine the linguistic vitality and the status of OluZemba as spoken in the northern part of Namibia. Methods: The study followed a mixed methods approach and guided by the pragmatist paradigm. Above 167 elders in nine rural villages including Ombuumbu, Etunda, Otjovanatje, Etoto, Otjiyandjamwenyo, Okamboola, Etotoa West, Etoto East and Okadhandu were purposively selected following snowball and purposive sampling methods for in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and completing questionnaires. During the FGDs and interviews, OvaZemba elders chose Etanda and Oniyando (circumcision and its ritual) as previously the most cherished cultural practice of the tribe but currently the most endangered cultural value. Following UNESCO's Language Vitality and Endangerment Questionnaire (2003), and Ethnolinguistic Vitality Theory of Giles and et al (1977) and Linguistics Citizenship Theory of Stroud (2001). Findings: The study team investigated Etanda rituals and produced the first theatrical play in OluZemba. The study concluded that an observable language shift exists amongst this vibrant community which requires further investigation. The OvaZemba people use their language in an increasingly negligible and reduced number of communicative, business and administrative domains and might cease to pass it on to the next generation. Children are not taught in the language at schools, and many do not know how to read and write. Overall, the investigation has concluded that OluZemba is not a dialect of Otjiherero but a language of its own with its own orthography. It’s highly marginalised in the Namibian context. Unique Contribution to Theory, Policy, and Practice: This study will contribute to the implementation of language endangerment, marginalisation, and revitalisation theories. These theories guided the mainstream of the research. Presenting fresh data and evidence from the field, the study will contribute to the Nambian language planning and policy dialogue and so as to table endangered and marginalised languages as policy agenda. Practically, the research recommends OluZemba as a medium of instruction at the primary level. If government fund does now support OluZemba as the medium, Otjiherero should be the next closest language as the medium of primary education.Item Expounding the Nama-Herero genocide of 1904-1908: A cognitive metaphor approach(Journal of the University of Namibia Language Centre, 2024) Hafeni, Linus; Sabao, Collen; Woldemariam, Haileleul ZelekeThis study examines four literary texts about the Nama-Herero genocide in Namibia through the application of the Cognitive Stylistics Theory as a framework for analysis. The texts, namely, Lauri Kubuitsile’s ‘The Scattering’ (2016), Jaspar D. Utley’s ‘Lie of the Land’ (2017), Rukee Tjingaete’s ‘The Weeping Graves of our Ancestors’ (2017) and Zirk van den Berg’s ‘Parts Unknown’ (2018),were chosen because they (re)present fictionalised historical accounts of the Nama-Herero genocide, which took place from 1904-1908, where over 65,000 Ovaherero and 10,000 Nama persons were killed in what is regarded as the first genocide of the twentieth century. The study promotes new insights into (re)imagining the genocidal trauma, depicted as collective cultural memory in Namibian literary works through the lenses of explications of cognitive stylistics. The study is significant in that it promotes new ways of reading, understanding and interpretating the historical experiences of the genocide. Cognitive Stylistics argues that any particular situation [in a literary text] can be interpreted in different ways. Interpretations from nuanced readings of the texts evince that themes in the texts largely centre on the inherited trauma of the natives’ experiences of the genocide during this period of colonial occupation and encounter, passed down generationally as collective historical memory. This was achieved through the examination of these literary imaginaries through the use of cognitive metaphor, genocidal trauma, and mental and physical oppression. It was concluded that reading, analysing and schematising genocidal fictional works can reflect new and insightful ways of understanding and appreciating historical memory and experiences of trauma.Item A functional stylistics interpretation of “Losing Out” by Mutaleni Nadimi(Voice of the Publisher, 2024) Salom, Susana Ndapewa; Woldemariam, Haileleul ZelekeThe paper presents a Functional Stylistics interpretation of a short story “Losing Out” written by a Namibian author Mutaleni Nadimi. The study followed a Systematic Functional Linguistic framework in which it recognises the three metafunctions of language: ideational metafunction, interpersonal metafunction and textual metafunction. These components were used to analyse how the writer used language to create meaning. The study used a content analysis method to gather findings, present and analyse findings. The findings show that Mutaleni has used elements of the three metafunctions of language as per the Functional Linguistic theory. The study concludes that there are many Namibian writers who emerged after independence and their work needs recognition. Literary and linguistic studies should be utilized to encourage contemporary and aspiring writers, as well as readers to understand local literary work.Item The communicative competence of undergraduate students at the Namibia University of Science and Technology, Namibia(Journal of Applied Linguistics and Language Research, 2024) Henghono, Wilhem Shounawa; Woldemariam, Haileleul Zeleke; Mushaandja, TheresiaThe current study aimed to contribute towards the assessment of the pragmatic and communicative competence of second-year students in the department of communication at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST). The significance of pragmatic competence in a multilingual setting where English is the medium of instruction cannot be underestimated for the successful social integration of L2 speakers, which has been highlighted, and the need for assessing it has grown. The study specifically focused on assessing the level of students’ pragmatic competence by discovering the politeness level found in speech acts such as apologies, requests, and complaints. This study assesses these speech acts' syntactical structures and how important they are for determining and achieving pragmatic competence. A Written Discourse Completion Task (WDCT) was administered to study the formulation of apologies, requests, and complaint strategies, followed by an open-ended questionnaire, which was analysed qualitatively and quantitatively. A high pragmatic level was observed in request strategies, unlike in complaints where a low level of pragmatic competence is indicated, as more face-threatening acts were recorded. It further recorded that syntactical structures played a huge role in students’ production of speech acts, whereby impoliteness was recorded in the use of imperatives. The indication of these disparities among participants in pragmatic competence is mainly caused by the differences in age, cultural differences, and different cultural backgrounds or languages. The study suggests the implementation of activities that promote pragmatic awareness and instructional materials in the English teachers training to focus on communicative language rather than just grammar.Item A contrastive error analysis on the English essays of Oshiwambo speaking students: A case study(European Journal of Linguistics, 2024) Haimbodi, Kandishi-Omupika Ndeshipandula; Woldemariam, Haileleul ZelekePurpose: The aim of this study was to thoroughly analyze and evaluate the grammatical errors found in essays written by second-year students, with a particular focus on Oshiwambo-speaking students. By contrasting the errors made by these students in their English essay writing, the study employs contrastive error analysis to examine how the mother tongue, Oshiwambo, influences the acquisition of English as a second language. The research delves into various linguistic levels, including lexical, morphological, syntactic, and grammatical aspects, to identify patterns of interference from the students' native language. This detailed exploration not only highlights the specific challenges faced by Oshiwambo-speaking learners but also provides a nuanced understanding of how native language structures shape second language learning. The findings offer valuable insights into common areas of difficulty, which can be used to improve language teaching strategies and support more effective learning outcomes for bilingual students. Methodology: The research initially involved 317 students, employing a qualitative exploratory design. From this group, 54 Oshiwambo-speaking students from NUST's Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources Sciences were purposively selected to complete a standardized assessment script. The evaluations focused on three key objectives: word formation processes (prefixation, suffixation, insertion, reduplication, and verb structure), syntactic errors (noun and verb tense errors, subject-verb agreement), and grammatical competence (comparative analysis of Oshiwambo and English structures, syntactic differences, and sentence constructions). Findings: The evaluation of the assessment scripts yielded significant insights aligned with the research objectives. First, the analysis of word formation processes revealed a detailed understanding of prefixation, suffixation, insertion, reduplication, and verb structure, underscoring their fundamental role in linguistic construction. Secondly, the identification and analysis of syntactic errors provided critical findings on common mistakes, particularly in noun tense, verb tense, and subject-verb agreement, highlighting recurring patterns of error. Lastly, the examination of grammatical competence facilitated a comparative analysis between Oshiwambo and English language structures, revealing notable syntactic differences and variations in sentence construction. These findings not only emphasize key contrasts between the two languages but also reinforce the importance of targeted linguistic interventions for improved language acquisition and proficiency. Unique contribution to theory policy and practice: This study makes a distinctive contribution to linguistic theory, policy, and educational practice by deepening the understanding of word formation processes and their variations between languages. By analyzing prefixation, suffixation, insertion, and reduplication, it offers fresh insights into the mechanics of language structure, enriching theoretical perspectives on language formation and bilingualism. The identification of common syntactic errors, particularly in noun and verb tense, as well as subject-verb agreement provides crucial data that can shape language education policies. This knowledge equips policymakers with the ability to design targeted interventions that address specific linguistic challenges, particularly in multilingual contexts. Furthermore, the comparative analysis of Oshiwambo and English language structures offers practical guidance for educators, enabling them to tailor teaching strategies to address the unique syntactic challenges faced by bilingual learners. This research, therefore, serves as a vital resource for both theoretical development and the practical enhancement of language instruction and policy formulation.Item Nativisation of English by third-year students of Wildlife Management and Ecotourism, The University of Namibia Katima Mulilo Campus(International Journal of Linguistics, 2025) Siloka, Kahimbi; Woldemariam, Haileleul ZelekePurpose: This research aimed at identifying and examining words that were nativised by the thirdyear students of Wildlife Management and Ecotourism at University of Namibia (UNAM) Katima Mulilo Campus, investigating their frequency of occurrence, the sentence structure patterns and other grammatical patterns. Methodology: The study population encompassed of 15 third-year students. Mixed research methodology was implemented to analyse the word frequencies, sentence patterns and grammatical patterns. Findings: The findings of the study reveal that a total of 2290 words were nativised by the students. The sentence patterns also show that five structures of syntactic patterns were used by students in their writings, while patterns of grammar were more phrasal, with noun phrases favoured more, followed by prepositional phrases. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: On the basis of these findings, suggestions for future research have been recommended. It is hope that researchers in the future will employ a larger data sets to study nativisation of sentence patterns, focusing on nouns and prepositional phrases.Item Exploring factors influencing e-learning dropout rates in the post-COVID-19 era(International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education, 2024-07) Kaisara, Godwin; Peel, Clayton; Niemand, Cornelius J. P.; Bwalya, Kelvin JosephThe COVID-19 period ushered in a paradigmatic shift towards exponential growth of ubiquitous e-learning. Despite the well-documented benefits of e-learning, which received unprecedented attention during the COVID-19 pandemic, little has been reported on factors influencing student dropout rates in courses delivered via e-learning. In this paper, the authors explore the factors contributing to student discontinuations in nonvolitional postpandemic conditions. Adopting a multimethod qualitative research design, the authors investigated the factors leading to increased student dropout rates from e-learning programs. The researchers used thematic analysis to interpret the data, resulting in the emergence of five themes. The findings reveal several factors contributing to failure to complete studies on programs delivered via e-learning. Although not exclusively conclusive, the study’s findings indicate skills gap solutions and resource concerns which need to be addressed to convert market demand and enrolment into optimum completion rates, thereby increasing e-learning’s success.Item Interrogating xenophobic tendencies in Nadine Gordimer’s July’s People, Phaswane Mphe’s Welcome to our Hillbrow and Meg Vandermerwe’s Zebra Crossing(Namibia University of Science and Technology, 2023-10) Shihepo, AbsalomThe study serves to make use of the trauma theory to interrogate xenophobic tendencies in three South African novels namely Nadine Gordimer’s July’s People, Phaswane Mphe’s Welcome to our Hillbrow and Meg Vandermerwe’s Zebra Crossing. The three South African authors share details on the experiences of apartheid and colonialism in South Africa, but all their work revolve around the aspect of xenophobia in Southern Africa. The trauma theory was pragmatically used to dig deep into understanding the reasons of being xenophobic towards unfamiliar nationals and how the situation can be dealt with from the root and finally getting instruments that can be used to overcome xenophobia. The study prioritised the qualitative study approach to analyse the three novels. The text selection criteria were as follows: A mini research was conducted on the three novels that were not exploited especially knowing that little or no study was conducted on xenophobia before thus, there is no repetitions of previously studied content. Of course, there has been studies conducted on the novels but less has been done on the aspect of xenophobia. The texts selected offer a broader understanding of the new phenomenon of xenophobia in South Africa. There are several materials on the xenophobia in Southern Africa which prompted many articles to be explored for the literature review. The study adopted that trauma affects individuals in a manner which they themselves do not understand or are unaware of if they are traumatised. In most cases, most individuals are suffering the consequences of colonialism, it is safe to say that is why they tend to be xenophobic to foreign nationals which should not be the case. The study further believes in finding the root from which xenophobia evolved and how better it can be handled moving forward. We learn of many individuals who tend to be xenophobic but do absolutely nothing to address the issue because they do not know how to or simply because they do not see it as their responsibility. Therefore, the study strongly recommends that most xenophobic individuals need emotional and psychological help from both the state and private sector to help bring the situation under control.Item Language as an instrument of hegemony in selected Namibian plays written in English(2023-08) Absalom, Wilka; Woldemariam, Haileleul ZelekeReproducing hegemony and strengthening patriarchy, Namibian playwrights present women who are groomed to be good wives and mothers in some selected Namibian plays. Because of these cultural and societal expectations and practices, women assume reproductive roles and responsibilities without much remonstration. Men, on the other side, assume that women’s place is at home and that men’s place is outside home, which limits the participation of women outside home and men at home (Husselmann, 2016). Capitalizing on this simple argument and unlocking language as an instrument of hegemony, the main objective of this article is to answer few fundamental questions: Do Namibian playwrights practise derogatory language against Namibian women in the plays? Is language an instrument of hegemony and discrimination in Namibian plays? Where does this language hegemony originate? Theorizing and answering these basic questions, the article follows a feminist stylistics theoretical framework, an interpretivist paradigm, an explanatory design, and a qualitative research approach. Purposively, we selected two Namibian plays: Francis Sifiso Nyathi’s God of Women (2012) and Keamogetsi Joseph Molapong’s The Woman and the Ogre (2002). The key purpose of the article is to find out how Namibian playwrights use language to represent and characterise women. The article also argues that both Nyathi (1998) and Molapong (2002) used language to present women as inferior to men in their plays. Nyathi (2012) employed language persuasively to characterise women as victims of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse in the hands of their husbands within the Namibian marriage system and set ups. Similarly, we also argue that Molapong (2002) presented women characters negatively as dependent on their fathers. Molapong used language to portray women characters as beauty goddesses who are praised based on how beautiful they are, therefore, reducing and fragmenting their worth to appearances. Both playwrights used a wide range of linguistic devices such as metaphors and other figures of speech to characterise gender roles that are expected of women such as being domestic workers, providing sexual pleasures to their husbands as well as working in the fields to provide food for their families. In these plays, language is a strong instrument of economic hegemony. The article concludes that both Nyathi and Molapong largely practised language to characterise women negatively and Sara Mill’s Feminist Stylistic Theory (1995) is successful in unpacking these hidden assumptions, practices and hegemonies.Item The pedagogic relevance of Namibian literature in English(Namibia Educational Reform Forum Journal, 2023-08) Woldemariam, Haileleul Zeleke; Gawas, Emelda U.This article presents the pedagogic relevance of Namibian literature in English and describes the views of Namibian literature course facilitators and language students. Through in-depth interviews, the study team sensitised educators, curriculum designers at NIED and high school learners to the pedagogic relevance of Namibian literature in English. We advocate for the inclusion of many more Namibian literary texts in the English curriculum at all levels of the Namibian education system. We visited a total of 23 high schools and 2 public universities and collected 69 questionnaires, conducted 31 interviews with high school teachers and 32 with learners. The views of five university lecturers and two language experts at NIED were also included. A review of the Namibian high school curriculum (Grade 9-12) shows that only two Namibian literary texts: Sifiso Nyathi’s “God of women” and a poem about Hendrik Witbooi were included in the new ESL syllabus. This team could not identify a single Namibian short story, novel, or an autobiography as part of the high school ESL syllabus. The Namibian high school ESL syllabus has given more focus on the descriptive, functional, and communicative grammar tasks, essay writing exercises and short piece composition activities. The imaginative writing and creative thinking part of language teaching has almost been neglected. On the contrary, at the tertiary level, it can be conspicuously observed that there exists a tremendous growth of research niche areas in the Namibian texts at UNAM and NUST. We concluded that Namibian literature in the Namibian high schools has not been taught to enhance the linguistic capabilities, the overall personalities, the literary competencies of high school learners and inculcate the diverse Namibian cultures, values, and traditions.Item Comparing the exile and return memories of Namibian women in the Namibian autobiographies(Namibia Educational Reform Forum Journal, 2023-08) Emvula, Kaarina; Woldemariam, Haileleul ZelekeThis article compares the expressions used to recount the memories of women who lived in exile with those born and raised in exile from a predominantly cognitive stylistics image schema theory. The linguistic expressions compared were obtained from the four Namibian autobiographies namely Tshiwa Troudie Amulungu’s in Taming my elephant, Fousy Shinana-Kambombo’s Southwest Africa to Namibia, in My personal struggle, Valentina Nghiwete’s Valentina: The exile child and Lucia Engombe’s Child No. 95: My German African Odyssey. The autobiographies were examined by comparing how basic image schema such as SOURCE-PATH-GOAL, BALANCE, CONTAINER, and LINK can be used as a cognitive tool in dissecting the exile experience, understanding abstract linguistic expressions and meaning as well as explaining the impact of exile experiences on second generation refugees in a post-independent Namibia. The article concludes that the majority of linguistic phrases used in autobiographical narrations were found to be based on the four-image schema either at the concrete or at the abstract levels. Further, the article concludes that all the autobiographies examined have used figurative languages based on the various image schemas theory.Item Role of misconceptions and miscommunications in theatrical characters: Analyzing speech acts in the Namibian plays(Linguistics and Literature Review, 2023-03-31) Simasiku, Virginia; Woldemariam, Haileleul ZelekeThe current study examines the misconceptions and misunderstandings in the speech acts of the characters within three Namibian plays, namely The Oracle of Cidino written by Francis Nyathi, Checkmate by Maria Amakali, and The Bride and Broom penned by David Stone Ndjavera. Furthermore, this research examines the ways, which depict instances where characters’ speech acts lead to misconceptions and misunderstandings in the selected plays. Thereby, delving into these aspects, this study sheds light on the complexities of communication within the selected theatrical works. Moreover, this study examines the impact of miscommunication in discussions, which can culminate differences in understanding of speech acts between the speaker and the listener. The listener, however, is prone to a variety of emotional reactions, which arise from misunderstandings in a conversation - including feelings of joy, humor, embarrassment, regret or self-assumption, and impression of the speaker's utterance. The results of the enquiry evinced that the location-based actions performed by the characters in the three selected plays included declarative, interrogative, and imperative resources that are extracted from three Namibian plays. This is achieved by adopting a discourse analysis research approach, identifying, and explaining speech acts based on five classes of speech acts. Additionally, the current study is established on five functions of speech acts and on the other hand, the declarative statements proliferate the fewest of times since they require specified circumstances to be performed.Item A forensic stylistics investigation of suicide letters and suicide notes in Oshikoto and Oshana regions in Northern Namibia(Namibia University of Science and Technology, 2023-07-06) Kanyama, Jason KapukaCrimes related to forgery and falsification of documents are committed for various reasons. The investigation of written documents such as contracts, wills and suicide messages for evidence is significant in today’s world. Since there seems to be no decline in both the crime and suicide rates in Namibia today, suicide messages must be investigated from a forensic linguistics perspective. The escalation of crime today birthed an assumption that if suicide letters and notes are only treated as such, suicide could be faked to obstruct the course of justice. As a forensic study on suicide letters and notes, the current study drew from the Codal Variation Theory by Andrea Nini (2012). Specifically, the study sought to determine the authenticity of suicide letters and notes through a lexical forensic analysis, describing the authors of suicide letters and notes in line with a syntactic forensic framework. The study also sought to evaluate the genuineness of suicide letters and notes through a discoursal forensic perspective. It adopted the exploratory research design, followed the quantitative research approach and drew from the principles of the interpretivist research paradigm. The study established that the language used in the examined suicide letters and notes contained lexical features connoting positive and negative emotions. It also observed ineptitudes in the use of the rules of well-formedness in grammar. The authors explained the motives for their suicides, made reference and directives to addressee/s. Three major recommendations were made: A forensic investigation of all purported suicide letters and notes for authenticity and genuineness should be conducted; Engagement between criminal investigation units and forensic linguists; and Forensic linguistics should be introduced as a discipline in universities in Namibia.Item Politicising and commercialising death and pain: An analysis of The Uncertainty of Hope, We Need New Names, and Kwezi - The Remarkable Story of Fezekile Ntsukela Kuzwayo(Namibia University of Science and Technology, 2022-10-31) Namupala, Justina RememberThis study analysed the politicising and commercialising of death and pain in The Uncertainty of Hope by Valerie Tagwira, We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo and Kwezi-The Remarkable Story of Fezekile Ntsukela Kuzwayo by Redi Tlhabi, through the lens of the trauma and resilience theories. The study was a desktop qualitative research, and it used content analysis to interpret and analyse the chosen texts. The purpose of the study was to explore and interpret the myriad interrelations that exist between death, pain, politics and commercialisation as presented through the three selected texts. The study found that death and pain as presented in the selected novels are closely intertwined with politics and commercialisation. The politicisation of death and pain in the three selected texts is portrayed through character deaths and pain amidst the political and economic turmoil in the three selected texts. Death and pain are subsumed in the larger political and economic environments and they are also commercialised through the female body in particular. The three texts outline that death and pain are transformed to satisfy political and monetary needs. Whereas people’s emotions and feelings are not considered and death is used as a form of generating income for businesses, the focus is rather on politics and death. The texts reflect the death of loved ones and the pain that they endure because of the political decisions by those in power. In addition, the texts depict the manipulation and ‘overuse’ of power for political reasons viewed through the empowered against the marginalised which as a result has essentially evolved the meaning of death and pain. The three texts portray the betrayal of the marginalised by the black leaders. The irony in all the three selected texts is that the systems that replaced the colonial rule continue to recommend repressive and brutal tactics on the common people. Henceforth, the marginalised masses feel betrayed by the black leaders because they hoped for better living conditions after independence, rather than a life of deprivation and poverty. Therefore, the study revealed how death and pain are subsumed in the political and economic turmoil environments in South Africa and Zimbabwe as represented in the three texts. However, despite all the challenges that characters in these texts undergo, they employ various survival techniques in order to be resilient from their adversities.Item Entwined identities: A comparative study of Americanah, The Book of Not, and We Need New Names(Namibia University of Science and Technology, 2022-10-31) Negongo, Scholastika NamutenyaAfrica is a continent made up of numerous sovereign nations and different kinds of people. African identities, which are multiple, while acting as the root or stable core for the fluid and in-transit identities, are frequently misconstrued for being a single identity. Misconstruing identities thus becomes a problem. It is for this reason that this study sought to conduct a comparative analysis of three selected African authored texts, namely Americanah (Adichie, 2013), The Book of Not (Dangarembga, 2006) and We Need New Names (Bulawayo, 2013). The Postcolonial Hybridity theory was applied to the study as a framework that guides the study. A qualitative method of data collection and analysis was used in the study. Data with similar themes that respond to the research objectives were thematically grouped and organised and then analysed. Text selection criterion was used to select these three texts from a collection of texts that were written by each of the three authors. The study findings revealed that the Orient, including the African states and the African identities, are genuine people who have been researched and represented through Orientalism. Despite the fact that colonialism has long since ceased, Africanism outside Orientalism is impossible because African states are monuments of the colonial systems. It was further revealed that although identities, as conceptualised by Hall, are inherently fluid, they are nonetheless characterised by a sense of a core identity and a sense of belonging or a state of rootedness. As a result, a human subject is identifiable because of the consciousness and coherence of their fundamental identity, which for Africans, should be viewed as existing outside the boundaries of the binary constructed by the West. African identity is being rebuilt from personhood, nationalism, racial identification, ethnic identity or cultural identity. As a central assertion drawn from a variety of assertions made about a single human subject, therefore, the study recommends a collective identity as a label type that is transitory, ephemeral, and periodic. The study recommends an analysis of the significance of identities developed throughout a subject's childhood in Africa. It further recommends the evaluation of the importance of parents and their function in forming modern African identities.Item A comparative critical discourse analysis of Affirmative Repositioning and Popular Democratic Movement Youth League position papers on youth empowerment(Namibia University of Science and Technology, 2023-04) Endjala, Vilho MweneniThis study focused on critical discourse analysis in the position papers issued by the Affirmative Repositioning Movement (AR) and Popular Democratic Movement Youth League (PDMYL). Specifically, the study examined language use relating to youth empowerment issues. The overall objective of this research was to study the implications of language use by AR and PDMYL, including an attempt to understand their ideological stance. To achieve this overall objective, the study addressed the following specific objectives; to analyse the textual presentation of the two political formations, to describe how nominalisation and passivation are utilised in the textual presentation by the two formations and also to determine political rhetoric strategies dominantly used by the two political formations to maintain their narrative in the public domain. This was a qualitative study that adopted a constructivist worldview. As a desktop study, a case study design was used. The study population comprised position papers issued in the public domain by the two formations, and a sample consisting of ten (10) press releases was drawn, with five (5) from each. The statements were analysed at the sentence and syntax levels, looking at the semantic context of each sentence. The analysis of the first objective indicates that AR has used illocutionary act type consisting of Assertives, Commissives and Expressives. The least utilised illocutionary act type is Declaratives. In comparison, the majority of the PDMYL statements comprise Assertives, Directives, and Commissives. Similar to AR, the least used type of illocutionary act is the Declaratives. For the second objective, the results revealed that PDMYL was found to have used nominalisation in most instances than AR. However, with passivisation, the study showed that AR had utilised more passivised forms than PDMYL. Lastly, the dominant rhetoric strategies used by AR include praises, attacks and criticisms and inclusive language. Other strategies included emotional appeal and general metaphors. As for PDMYL, the results showed that it utilised attacks and criticisms, praises and evidence. The study made recommendations based on the outcome of the results, emphasising the need to use contemporary terminologies and language that is in keeping with the youth and the utilisation of less nominalised and passivised forms so that political promises are direct and easily accountable.Item A cognitive stylistics study of Ndinaelao Moses' Masked Warrior and Malakia Haimbangu's Complicated(Namibia University of Science and Technology, 2023-05) Kambwale, Elizabeth NdavavaelaoThe purpose of this study was to examine two Namibian authored texts titled Masked warrior by Ndinaelao Moses (2019) and Complicated by Malakia Haimbangu (2021) through cognitive stylistics. The study evaluated the language used to present anger in the novels. Lexical expressions of anger, figurative expressions, and features of discourse were also evaluated. The study applied the textual world theory as a theoretical framework for understanding and analysing the texts. A qualitative approach was used for data collection and analysis. The study findings revealed that anger has been used to manipulate and keep the readers interested in continuing to read the texts. It was further revealed that texts use dysphemism, euphemisms, repetition, personal pronouns, and other forms of derogatory language contributed to the building of the lexical expressions produced by the main characters. The study revealed that figurative expressions of language enhance anger statements to make them more provocative. Furthermore, the study revealed that anger discourse can be used to demonstrate arrogance, defensive actions, or remorseful attitude. The authors of both texts used various discursive techniques to propel the themes, linguistic elements, and characters as a way of producing texts that are relevant and more enjoyable to read. The study concluded that incorporating anger in writing texts engages readers as it relates to real-life situations. This was achieved through the roughening of characters. It was concluded that figurative expressions convey and simplify complicated messages that are difficult to understand. The study concluded that discourse plays a role in the construction of anger texts. The study recommends the use of other forms of language and grammatical expressions that align with Text World Theory, which emphasises the importance of creating a coherent and immersive fictional world through the use of linguistic and cognitive techniques. By using various linguistic expressions, authors can construct a text world that engages the reader's imagination and creates a vivid and memorable reading experience. In particular, the use of lexical expressions of anger can serve as a powerful tool for creating a narrative that entertains and captivates readers, while also conveying important social and moral messages.Item Interrogating the contemporary English language needs for the ICT industry in the Namibian context(BOHR International Journal of Smart Computing and Information Technology, 2023-04-06) Gawazah, Lazarus; Woldemariam, Haileleul ZelekeNew digital technology advances throughout the globe are principally responsible for the impetus behind the modern information and communications technology (ICT) industry’s requirement for English language skills. There is a steady increase in highly computerized new machinery, each with more complex, difficult -to-understand instruction manuals that demand a correspondingly high degree of linguistic proficiency. Thus, students studying computer science need access to subject-specific English for both immediate usage and long-term career development. Due to these constant changes and rapid advancements in the technology sector, it was essential to conduct research on the current needs of the ICT industry. It is essential for graduates and professionals in the ICT industry to be able to communicate fluently with teams working in the same field but located in different parts of the world. This can be in the form of written manuals or conversation. The purpose of this study was to interrogate the contemporary English language demands for the ICT industry and the necessary proficiency required of undergraduate ICT majors. The theoretical underpinning of this research was the Material Design Model proposed by Hutchinson and Waters (1). A mixed-methods research approach was used. The total number of participants that took part were 170 (N = 170), thus that is what the sample size was based on. Using convenience sampling, a sample size of 118 was drawn. The results indicated that ICT students often lacked skills in essay writing. The students’ lack of technical language skills seriously weakens the strength of their scientific argument. Students are recommended to attend subject-specific language courses in order to prepare for their present academic and future professional language demands. The study indicated that the existing curriculum for computer science students does not adequately prepare them for the kinds of work that would be available to them in the ICT sector. The study recommends utilizing education support professionals (ESP) professionals to teach English in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses, with a focus on using examples from specialized journals, magazines, and blog channels. The study concludes by suggesting that instructors of computer science language be incentivized to increase their usage of specialized scholarly terminology in their classrooms.