Dr Justice Legodi first student to obtain PhD in Setswana
Dr Justice Legodi has become the first student to obtain a PhD in Setswana at Unisa.
His doctoral thesis applied cultural semiotics to analyse the process and significance of the cultural portioning of beasts of slaughter and compared it with similar practices elsewhere in the world.
Legodi completed the PhD in three years and said he achieved that through commitment and hard work, very closely with his supervisor and professor of African languages at Unisa, Daniel Matjila.
“Time and again I was consulting my supervisor and challenging him and it took hard work and commitment,” he said.
Matjila said this would open doors for more students to explore their indigenous languages.
He said since 1974 Setswana had been at the forefront of introducing African languages as languages of teaching, learning and research at higher education institutions.
Legodi said it was difficult to get sources for his studies, and that there was very little information available, which proved to be challenging when he was doing his research.
“It was difficult because most of the Batswana people don’t have sources, and neither did house of traditional affairs, which also had a shortage of information.
“There was nothing at the Department of Arts and Culture. I also collected the data from the tribal elders during the times when traditional functions took place like marriage and then I visited the family and collected the data,” he said.
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