UNAM Repository :: Browsing by Author "Mbenzi, Petrus A."

Browsing by Author "Mbenzi, Petrus A."

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An analysis of linguistic features in the selected speeches of Bishop Kleopas Dumeni in the pre-independence era in Namibia
(University of Namibia, 2018) Mbenzi, Petrus A.
Linguistic features were used by Bishop Kleopas Dumeni of Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN) in the pre-independence era to persuade the audience to support the struggle for independence. Bishop Kleopas Dumeni used linguistic devices in an attempt to convince his target audience that the Namibians suffered a great deal at the hands of the colonial authorities. Thus international community support was desired to break the shackles of colonialism. Although Bishop Kleopas Dumeni employed various linguistic features in his speeches as a tool to whip up support for struggle for independence of Namibia, his language choices were never subjected to a critical examination to unravel their contribution to the effectiveness of the speeches. This paper thus examines how Bishop Dumeni used linguistic devices in his speeches to appeal to his audience as well as the effects these features had on the audience to support the struggle for Namibian independence. The paper is pegged on Aristotelian theory to reveal how language choice affects the three appeals of Aristotle namely, ethos, logos and pathos. Content analysis was used to deconstruct the selected speeches of Bishop Dumeni thereby identifying and evaluating the linguistic features in the speeches. The conclusion from this investigation is that Bishop Kleopas Dumeni effectively used the linguistic devices to woo his audience to his side to support in his efforts to end the wickedness of colonialism in Namibia.
A discourse analysis of the second Aristotelian canon, arrangement, in the selected
(University of Namibia, 2018) Mbenzi, Petrus A.
This study investigates arrangement in the speeches of Bishop Kleopas Dumeni. The paper hinges on an Aristotelian theory of rhetoric. Aristotle divides arrangement into the following components, exordium (introduction), narratio (statement of facts), partitio (division), confirmatio (proof), refutatio (refutation) and peroratio (conclusion). These components of arrangement were used to evaluate arrangement in the speech of Bishop Kleopas Dumeni. Bishop Dumeni conducted various speeches calling for the independence of Namibia from 1979 to 1988. However, the speeches of Bishop Dumeni were not subjected to analysis to reveal how his speeches were organised to woo the audience to his side to support him in his decolonising efforts. Content analysis was used to dissect the speeches of Bishop Dumeni to identify the elements of arrangement in these speeches. The study reveals that Bishop Dumeni effectively used the elements of arrangement as expounded in Aristolean theory.
Exploring the problems of second language learners’ English pronunciation: A contrastive analysis of English and Oshiwambo (Oshikwanyama)
(University of Namibia, 2016) Hamakali, Hafeni P.; Mbenzi, Petrus A.
English is the official language of Namibia. The majority of Namibians have to learn English as a second language because their mother tongue is either one of the Namibian indigenous languages or a different foreign language. Learning English has been a challenge to many learners and several studies attribute the high failure rate in Namibia to poor proficiency in English. In particular, contrastive analysis studies attribute some of the second language learners’ learning difficulties to their first language influence on the target language, English. This study, also a contrastive analysis, focuses on the difficulties which the native speakers of Oshiwambo encounter in learning to speak English, with particular reference to the Ovakwanyama. The study attempts to identify common errors which Oshikwanyama speakers would make in English and establishes the grounds for such errors. Finally, the study makes suggestion for the intervention strategies to remedy the situation.
Germanising Oshiwambo language: Phonological integration of German loan words into Oshiwambo
(University of Namibia, 2018) Uushona, Johannes; Mbenzi, Petrus A.
Oshiwambo, a Bantu language spoken in Northern Namibia and Southern Angola, like other languages in contact, has adopted foreign words from other languages to meet the needs of its daily life vocabularies and activities. This paper identified and described the phonological changes which the loanwords from German go through to fit into Oshiwambo speech system and established the phonological rules that account for these changes. The paper is based on the hypothesis that words borrowed from other languages, especially European languages, into Oshiwambo, are phonologically modified to fit the Oshiwambo speech system because little information is available on the phonological wambonisation of German words. The data were collected from school textbooks, daily conversations and personal vocabularies of the researcher. The loanwords were transcribed for phonological analysis. The paper investigated how Oshiwambo borrowed words from German yet the two languages differ widely in terms of phonemic inventories and phonotactics. It has become evident that there are several vowel and consonant changes in the process of borrowing. The paper contributes to the linguistic study in the area of Oshiwambo in particular and Bantu languages in general. The knowledge acquired could be utilized by the institutions of higher learning too.
Iho popitha aantu? – Don’t you greet people?: A contextual analysis of Oshiwambo greetings
(University of Namibia, 2018) Mbenzi, Petrus A.; Mulema, Justina; Amakali, Latenda
This paper is intended to investigate the socio-pragmatic context of Oshiwambo greetings. There is a dearth of literature on the intricacies of Oshiwambo forms of greeting and the metamorphosis that it has undergone to date. Thus there is a need to investigate the present state of Oshiwambo greetings. The paper is pegged on Austin’s Speech Act theory that emphasizes that utterances are the production of words and sentences on particular occasions by particular speakers for particular purposes. In view of that, Oshiwambo greetings are expressed to convey a specific message to the addressee by the addressor. Two approaches were employed to collect information for this paper namely, ethnographic approach to gauge the impact of Euro-western culture on Oshiwambo greetings and, documentation to dissect the socio-pragmatic context of Oshiwambo forms of greetings. The paper focuses on the functions, situations and types of greeting that exist in Oshiwambo. It further focuses on the paralinguistic and extra-linguistic features which complement the forms of greetings. The analysis has shown that greetings are an integral part of interactional discourse and serve as a prelude to the establishments of social relationships and that they can vary according to the age of the interactants and the circumstances under which the greetings take place. The paper further reveals that there are circumstances in which no exchange of greeting is expected. In the final analysis the paper reveals that western culture has an effect on the extra-linguistic features which accompany greetings thus both verbal and non-verbal modes of greetings are partly westernized.
Omikalo omikulu nomipe dhokuyunga oosa dhAawambo
(University of Namibia, 2017) Mbenzi, Petrus A.
This paper describes the past and the present mourning practices and rituals of Aawambo. It examines traditional practices, which were adhered to in the ancient time, and the impact of modernization on the mourning practices of Aawambo. The paper also presents the responses of the Aawambo to the funeral rites in Oshiwambo society. Interdependent construal theory is used to identify the tenets of mutual obligations among Aawambo during the mourning rite. In addition westernisation theory is employed to gauge the impact of euro-western culture on the mourning practices and rituals of Aawambo. The data for this paper were collected through interviews, observation and documented texts. In the final analysis, the paper reveals that western cultures co-exist with Oshiwambo culture. It further reveals mourning period has become a conduit for class distinction associated with prestige, respect and economic status.
The political rhetoric of Bishop Kleopas Dumeni in the pre-independence era in Namibia
(2014) Mbenzi, Petrus A.
This dissertation is a rhetorical study of the speeches of Bishop Kleopas Dumeni of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia. The main purpose of the study was to analyse Bishop Dumeni’s selected speeches based on the five canons of Aristotle, namely, invention, arrangement, style, delivery and memory, and his three modes of persuasion of logos, pathos and ethos. This study examined the English and Oshiwambo speeches which Bishop Dumeni delivered at meetings locally and internationally from 1979 to 1988. The study also examined the responses of interviewed and audiovisual taped audiences to the speeches of Bishop Dumeni and translation techniques used by Bishop Dumeni to get the message across to his target audiences, since some of the speeches were translated from English into Oshiwambo or vice versa. Twenty sampled speeches were analysed to obtain information on the use of the five Aristotelian canons and his three modes of persuasion within the framework of the Aristotelian theory. This theory was supplemented by other theories such as Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), semiotic theory and Nida’s theory. The CDA deals with an oppositional study of structures and strategies of the discourse and their cognitive and social conditions as well as the discourses of resistance against such domination. The semiotic theory was used to interpret the non-verbal behaviour and Nida’s theory was used to examine the translation techniques used by Bishop Dumeni. In addition, interviews were conducted with thirty respondents drawn from three groups: the supporters of colonial authorities, ordinary people and pastors to obtain further information on the responses of the audiences to the speeches of Bishop Dumeni. The study revealed that Bishop Dumeni effectively used the five Aristotelian canons. Invention was used to formulate arguments and opinions on the speeches. Arrangement was used to organise the speeches in a particular manner to make them appealing to the audiences. Style was intended to maximise the correctness, clarity, appropriateness and ornament of the messages to achieve the greatest level of acceptance by the audiences. The canon of delivery helped the speaker to present the speeches in a way that was most effective for the audiences. Memory was employed to help the audiences retain the messages in their minds. This study further revealed that Bishop Dumeni successfully used the three modes of persuasion, i.e., ethos, pathos and logos, to persuade the audiences to support the liberation of Namibia. The study also revealed that Bishop Dumeni used a combination of epideictic (ceremonial) rhetoric, to either praise his supporters or blame the colonial authorities; deliberative rhetoric, to exhort or persuade the audiences to promote good and avoid the harmful; and, to a lesser extent, forensic rhetoric, with specific reference to the verdict of the International Court of Justice on the Namibian question. The researcher also found that Bishop Dumeni mostly used the formal equivalence type of translation with some elements of dynamic equivalence type of translation, and free translation, which affected the intelligibility of the speeches. Based on the findings of the study, the researcher made recommendations directed at training institutions in Namibia for further research to improve the standard of speech writing and delivery. This study is a great contribution to the study of rhetoric in Namibia, which is in its infancy stage.
Revolutionary songs as a response to colonialism in Namibia
(University of Namibia Press, 2015) Mbenzi, Petrus A.
Traditional songs in Africa were often used as a weapon against indiscipline in a society (Finnegan, 1970). Transgressors were ridiculed and shamed through singing when boys and girls met for social dancing in an open space (which usually took place in the evening) and vulgar language was hurled against the offender. Misdemeanours and the shameful acts of certain people were also criticized through action songs. On these occasions, the names of ‘alleged’ offenders were mentioned as well as the offences they had committed. These songs were also performed when people did teamwork for threshing, weeding and so forth. During the struggle for independence, the same strategy was applied. Ruth Finnegan (1970, p. 273) argues that it would be a mistake to assume too easily that there is necessarily a complete break in continuity between traditional political poetry and that of modern politics. Songs were used to sensitise the oppressed to their plight and to expose the iniquities of the old regime. The proponents and protagonists of the apartheid system were criticised and Namibians were encouraged to resist oppressive laws. To boost their morale and demonstrate their indefatigable quest for emancipation from the yoke of colonialism, the People’s Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) fighters composed various revolutionary songs. With the attainment of independence, the popularity of these songs has dwindled. They are sung on rare occasions and it is feared that some songs may vanish with time if they are not properly recorded and documented to ensure their survival. As a result the historical events inherent in these songs may drift into obscurity. This chapter investigates the functions of revolutionary songs in the Namibian independence struggle and identifies their most important themes. The main aims of the chapter are to highlight the historical value of the songs and gauge their significance during the colonial era.
The treatment of equivalent relations in English-Kwanyama dictionary
(University of Namibia, 2018) Shikesho, Edward; Mbenzi, Petrus A.
This paper investigates the treatment of equivalent relations in English-Kwanyama Dictionary (EKD) by G. W. R. Tobias and B. H. C Turvey compiled in 1954. For any bilingual dictionary to satisfy the needs of the target users, it should treat the equivalent relations effectively (Gouws, 2002; Gouws & Prinsloo, 2005 & Svensén, 2009). Although EKD was compiled 65 years ago, it seems no comprehensive study has been conducted to evaluate its effectiveness. Hence this paper is an attempt to evaluate its treatment and the effectiveness of equivalent relations. The paper is couched on the text theory of Herbert Ernst Wiegand which deals with dictionary textual structures, function theory developed by Sven Tarp, and Henning Bergenholtz that focuses on dictionary functions as well as the user needs. In addition, lexicographic theory of communication developed by Beyer (2014) is employed to analyse EKD purposes. The findings reveal that full equivalence is treated well in EKD, but partial equivalence and zero equivalence have not been presented effectively in EKD. This paper recommends that EKD be revised extensively to present all types of equivalent relations adequately.
Uushiindaism as a collective poverty alleviation mechanism and social support
(University of Namibia, 2018) Mbenzi, Petrus A.; Ashikuti, Selma
There are attempts to break the cycle of poverty among indigent people in communities globally and in Namibia in particular. In Africa, attempts are made to devise various strategies and develop tools to alleviate poverty. There is, thus a need to implement poverty alleviation tools based on the indigenous knowledge system. By employing and promoting the existing tools among the indigenous people, poverty is likely to be alleviated. This paper presents uushiindaism as one of the existing indigenous tools that can be used to lessen poverty among the poor and marginalized people. Using the collectivism theory which advocates for communal, societal, or national interests in various types of political, economic, and educational systems, the study investigates the concept of uushiindaism as practiced by Aawambo. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews. The narrative approach is used in the paper to unravel the role, significance and relevance of uushiindaism and to highlight threats to uushiindaism. It is revealed, in this paper, that poverty may be alleviated through sharing of resources, coupled with work related programs and not through the creation of dependency syndrome.

Browsing by Author "Mbenzi, Petrus A."

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