The voice of a people: Exploring language and ethnicity among the amaBhaca in uMzimkhulu and KwaBhaca

Abstract

AmaBhaca speak isiBhaca and belong to the Nguni language and ethnic group; they are predominantly found in parts of uMzimkhulu, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), and most parts of KwaBhaca (formerly Mount Frere) in the Eastern Cape (EC) province in modern-day South Africa. AmaBhaca (Bhaca natives) speak isiBhaca, a non-official language mutually intelligible with isiZulu, isiXhosa and siSwati. This article examines how the language situation in South Africa impacts the ethnicity of amaBhaca of KwaBhaca and uMzimkhulu. Furthermore, the article establishes how the amaBhaca of KwaBhaca in the EC and uMzimkhulu in KZN identify themselves in terms of language and ethnicity. The study sampled eight purposely selected participants. Content analysis was used to analyse the data. The findings of this article demonstrate that even though the government of South Africa does not recognise specific languages or so-called dialects such as isiBhaca as official languages, amaBhaca strongly believe that it is an independent language which they identify as a symbol of their ethnicity. This study recommends that policymakers and government make clear articulation in the Constitution regarding non-official languages; for instance, the Constitution should note non-official languages such as isiBhaca for its speakers to have a sense of belonging.