Making sense of South African Mmega Dikgang’s transition from Setswana to English

Introduction

The significance of African language media in general and newspapers in particular in any given nation cannot be overemphasised (Mpofu and Salawu 2018). They indicate African language media’s efficacy in information dissemination and ensuring the audience’s participation. The informative, educative and entertainment functions of the media are consolidated by the use of African languages as working languages. Against the backdrop of the unjustified supplanting of indigenous languages in post-independence Africa by colonial administrations in favour of ex-colonial languages such as English, use of African languages is a vital and reformist change towards decolonising African media systems. Promoting African languages in the media, generally, and newspapers, in particular, aids in the protection of regional and national cultural identities of the communities, and promotes the development of languages (Mpofu and Salawu 2018; Salawu 2019).

However, existing literature shows that the fall of African language newspapers in colonial and post-independence Africa, in general, and South Africa, in particular, is an increasing and worrisome occurrence (see Salawu 2006, 2015; Ndlovu 2011; Wasserman and Ndlovu 2015). The common observation is that, over the years, African language newspapers have risen and later collapsed (see Salawu 2013), while most English language newspapers have continued to survive. As an illustration, Salawu (2006) observes that, while in 1930 there were nineteen registered African language newspapers in South Africa, at present, the majority of them no longer exist. While the death of African language newspapers in South Africa has been noticeable, there are other papers that have survived. The IsiZulu language newspapers - Isolezwe and Ilanga from Kwa-Zulu Natal - are typical examples (Salawu 2006; Wasserman and Ndlovu 2015).

While African language newspapers that are said to have developed in South Africa and since collapsed are now virtually non-existent (see Salawu 2013), the story' of Mmega Dikgang, a community newspaper in North West Province is novel, eccentric and conspicuous. This publication has, over time, transformed from being an African language newspaper to becoming an English language newspaper. At its inception in 2007, Mmega Dikgang published all pages in the Setswana language. However, at some point, it became a bilingual newspaper, as it published in both

Setswana and English, with Setswana as the main working language. Recently, as evidenced by issues published since 2018, the newspaper’s main working language has shifted from to English. At present, Mmega Dikgang is now an English language newspaper, though in rare cases on some issues, the paper may include a story written in Setswana.

Against this background, this study empirically interrogates and seeks to understand Mmega Dikgang's shift from a Setswana newspaper to a Setswana-English newspaper, and eventually to a fully English language outlet. The focus of the study is three-fold. First, the chapter accounts for the factors that led to the demise of Mmega Dikgangf initial decision to publish in Setswana. Second, the study analyses its shift to the bilingual publishing model, in the process exposing the reasons for its subsequent failure. Third, the research explores the prospects for Mmega Dikgang reverting to publishing in Setswana, in the context of the revealed challenges and the constitutional need to promote previously marginalised languages in South Africa.

Background of Mmega Dikgang

Mmega Dikgang is a Setswana expression that means ‘the news reporter’. Mmega Dikgangwas founded in the year 2007 in Delareyville. Initially, the plan was to make it a municipal newsletter for the Tswaing municipality. However, an agreement could not be reached with the then mayor, Manketse Tlhape, particularly in terms of the method of funding of the newspaper. This is when the publication was established as a community newspaper. In 2008-2009, the paper obtained funding from the Media Development and Diversity' Agency (MDDA), which required it to broaden its focus to become a district newspaper. As a result, it expanded its distribution from Delareyville (in Tswaing) to places in the Ngaka Modiri district, such as Zeerust (Ramotshere Moilwa local municipality), Lichtenburg (Ditsobotla local municipality), Setlagole and Madibogo Villages (Ration local municipality), and Mahikeng (Mahikeng local municipality). The MDDA is a government entity' that exists to guarantee South African local communities’ active participation in community media as well as ownership of community' media platforms in the form of newspapers and radio stations (MDDA 2002). The rationale is that the accrued profits should be reinvested to ensure the sustainability of the media project. This implies that a community newspaper like Mmega Dikgang must operate commercially to some extent to ensure its continued existence.

In terms of circulation, at its inception, 2,500 copies of Mmega Dikgang were being printed, but the circulation grew to 5,000 copies, which were distributed on a fortnight basis. The newspaper is labelled free/gratis/mahala to show that it is distributed for free. The Ratlou local municipality serves as the distributing hub of Mmega Dikgang for citizens in the Setlagole village, where this study was conducted. The village’s population is just over 7,900, 99% of whom are Setswana speaking. Additionally; only 11.3% of residents in the village have completed secondary schooling, while about 36% of residents did not receive any formal education (Media Monitoring Africa 2011).