Browsing by Author "Motsamayi, Mathodi Freddie."

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The Bernstein Collection of Rorke's Drift ceramics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal : a catalogue raisonne.
(2012) Motsamayi, Mathodi Freddie.; Calder, Ian Meredith Shepstone.
The thesis will focus on documenting, analysing and interpreting the motifs for the ceramics of Rorke’s Drift Art and Craft Centre Ecumenical (Evangelical) Lutheran Church (RDACC ELC, often called ELC Art and Craft Centre, hereinafter referred to as ‘Rorke’s Drift’) which were donated to the University of KwaZulu-Natal by Mark Bernstein. It is hoped that local indigenous narratives and visual designs in relation to Basotho and Zulu cultural identity will be outlined in the form of a catalogue. All vessel forms in the Bernstein Collection (as it will be referred to in this thesis) will focus on the figurative works and iconographic signifiers that represent local cultures. Ceramic works by the following ceramists will form the main argument of my thesis: Gordon Mbatha, Dinah Molefe, Ivy Molefe, Ephraim Ziqubu, Lindumusa Mabaso and Joel Sibisi of the Pottery Workshop.
‘Sotho-Tswana’ Difala vessels in selected South African museums: challenges in descriptions and catalogues.
(2019) Motsamayi, Mathodi Freddie.; Calder, Ian Meredith Shepstone.
This thesis focuses on specific rare examples of Sotho-Tswana indigenous vessels, known as Difala (‘granary vessels’ made of dung), in selected South African museums, with the aim to, firstly, contextualise the vessels in their historical and cultural background, including the identification of their past usage and their perceived symbolic meanings, and, secondly, analyse the ideological and conceptual dimensions of current museum practices regarding local material culture and, thus, create the basis for formulating a contextually more relevant form of cataloguing indigenous artefacts. Thereto, I have foregrounded information needed to develop an understanding of these ‘granary’ vessels. There is currently great global interest in the decolonisation of museums. I have examined some museum practices currently prevalent in South African local museums and considered the challenges these institutions face in cataloguing African collections. I further explored the dynamic pottery traditions existing for the purpose of comparing the production of Difala vessels with clay pottery making in past and present in the region of my study. Anthropological studies, as part of major academic discourse, have lent support to my arguments. The study makes use of a variety of illustrative materials, seminal literature on material culture, archival records, maps and photographs taken specifically for the purpose of this research. Qualitative methodology was applied to the gathering of data. Postcolonial theory underpins my critique of the museum cataloguing methods and of the colonial records I encountered in my study. The socio-historical and physiographic contexts that generated the production of undocumented Sotho-Tswana vessels were surveyed. The concept of chaîne opératoire has been applied in the framework of the study to consider produced artefacts. Colonial systems have shaped the ways in which people utilise natural resources, including the encouragement to exploit them. This position is problematic in view of climate change and the need for sustainable land use. The enormous gaps in the information available in local heritage institutions did pose challenges in the analysing of particular objects and the compilation of systematic catalogues. I found that, institutionally, South African museums will turn out to be undecolonisable if the artefacts collected in the past and housed in these institutions cannot be decolonised. I propose culturally more relevant models of descriptive cataloguing, that are possibly especially applicable to cover Difala ‘granary’ vessels in all their aspects.
Transposition and modulation in the translation of subtitles between isiZulu and English: a case of Umkhokha.
(2024) Gumede, Thandeka Mbali.; Dlamini , Phindile Dorothy.; Motsamayi, Mathodi Freddie.
This study explored the utilization of transposition and modulation as translation techniques for subtitles between isiZulu and English, focusing on the context of the South African linguistic landscape. The research addressed a notable gap in the existing literature on translation techniques, particularly concerning modulation and transposition, and contributed valuable insights into the comprehension and application of translation practices between English and isiZulu. The study aimed to achieve the following objectives: first, to gain insights into how transposition and modulation are utilized in the translation process as effective translation techniques in rendering isiZulu content into English; second, to investigate the proficient utilization of transposition and modulation in the translation of subtitles between isiZulu and English. Therefore, an interpretive paradigm is employed to develop sensitizing concepts and identify potential ideas that could foster a deeper understanding of the translation process. Furthermore, the data were randomly collected from English subtitles and isiZulu audio of the drama series Umkhokha, accessible on Showmax. The analysis focuses on the transposition and modulation techniques employed in translating Umkhokha episodes. For this purpose, Molina and Albir’s Dynamic approach to translation techniques (2002) and Vinay and Darbelnet’s linguistic model (1995) are utilized to examine and interpret the gathered data. The presentation of the study’s findings is textual, wherein the researcher explores the transposition and modulation translation techniques detected within the collected information. This study sought to provide valuable insights into the complex translation process between isiZulu and English, contributing to the advancement of translation studies in South Africa’s multilingual environment.