Proverbs, Misreading And The Youth: Implications And Remedial Interventions In Contemporary Society

Abstract

Modern-day Vatsonga seemingly find it difficult to use, let alone decipher the meaning of proverbs. This is because traditional values and norms are no longer observed. Several factors contribute to this, namely, modernisation, globalisation and what may be termed cultural schizophrenia. In lieu of this, this article analyses the essence, relevance and role of Xitsonga proverbs in transmitting indigenous knowledge among Vatsonga. As a point of departure, the article highlights prevalent inconsistencies in the use of proverbs and further proffers remedial interventions towards the valuation and correct usage of Xitsonga proverbs. Reliant on the qualitative approach, data was collected from different books and purposively selected from Xitsonga speaking participants. The collected data from books was analysed by means of textual analysis whereas data acquired through interviews was interpreted using the thematic analysis technique. It was found that the usage of Xitsonga proverbs is challenging due to a lack of understanding of the roles they play in society. As part of the tradition, paremiology is suggested to the society.