By Gofaone Motsamai

Master’s degree student Otsile Emily Moatshe from the Indigenous Language Media in Africa (ILMA) research niche area of the North-West University (NWU) is advancing the role of Setswana in academic research.

She is the first student at ILMA to write a master’s-degree dissertation entirely in Setswana, aligning with the research niche area’s focus on African languages in the media. She is supervised Prof Gilbert Motsaathebe – a renowned scholar in journalism, film, and television studies at the NWU.

Her master's-degree dissertation is titled “Tshekatsheko ya puosetso mo diphetolelong tsa dikgang tsa Setswana mo kgasong ya dikgang tse di tlhophilweng: Tobiso ya Motsweding FM le Mahikeng FM” (An expository study of the significance and role of culture language on Setswana news media platforms: The case of Motsweding FM and Mahikeng FM). It focuses on the role of translation (puosetso) in indigenous language media, with a particular emphasis on the case of Motsweding FM and Mahikeng FM.

Otsile says her decision to pursue postgraduate studies in Setswana is rooted in a lifelong passion for the language. “From a young age, there was nothing I took more pride in than my home language, Setswana. As Batswana say, ‘Modisa wa dikgomo o tswa natso sakeng, mme tloga tloga e tloga kgale’ (a good herder grows with their cattle). Today, I am a second-year Master of Arts in Setswana candidate, and I am beyond proud of myself for staying true to my dreams.”

She believes indigenous languages deserve equal recognition in academia, despite the dominance of English. “I believe in the power of indigenous languages. Writing my master’s-degree dissertation in Setswana is a way of proving that our languages are just as capable of academic rigor as English,” she says.

However, researching in Setswana comes with challenges, particularly the limited availability of academic resources. “Unlike English, where there is an abundance of journals and books, Setswana academic literature is scarce. This means I often have to rely on primary research, oral history and personal interpretations of existing literature,” she says.

Otsile sees her work as a contribution to the preservation and promotion of Setswana in academic spaces. “There is no better time than now to reclaim our languages,” she says.

Otsile Emily Moatshe.