Sesotho riddles in the fourth industrial revolution : dynamism, development and digitisation

Abstract

This study investigated the status quo of Sesotho riddles in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The researcher realised that the practice of riddling among Basotho was not as popular compared to when she was growing up. It is imperative that riddling, as part of Sesotho discourse and, given the current technological development in digital communication, be preserved. The researcher attempted to collect and classify the riddles into pre-modern, modern and the Fourth Industrial Revolution riddles (FIR). Basotho’s perception on riddles and their value were questioned to determine if and why the riddling practice is not as popular as before. The dynamism of riddles as a genre, was also interrogated to assess if new Fourth Industrial Revolution riddles are being coined by millennial Basotho or not. Research was conducted in the towns of Sebokeng in Gauteng Province; Qwaqwa, Ficksburg, Welkom in the Free State Province and Malealea village in Lesotho. The qualitative research method of non-probability sampling techniques were applied to identify research participants for the data generation of the study. The Analytic Comparison method was used to analyse and make inferences from the collected data. The researcher looked at commonalities from the participants by applying the method of agreement. The method of difference contrasted the participants’ inputs on research questions posed. The results revealed Basotho’s thoughts, feelings, attitudes, beliefs, values and perceptions of Sesotho riddles in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The Critical Discourse Analysis theory was used to analyse the societal power relations that impact negatively on Sesotho riddling. The Ethnography of Communication confirmed that Basotho are coining new riddles that contextualise them in this Fourth Industrial Revolution. This study considered the ways of incorporating Sesotho riddles in Basotho’s everyday life, especially at home and school – not just being played during Heritage month. It also weighed the possibilities of ensuring that this important practice is preserved for future generations by creating an online gaming application accessible to technocratic Basotho. Repopularising riddles among all Basotho age groups will ensure that the generational gap is bridged, leading the way to more tribal linguistic and cultural teaching and sharing of Sesotho-centrism.

Phuputso ena e ne e batlisisa maemo a jwale a dilotho tsa Sesotho nakong ena ya Kabo ya Bone ya Mesebetsi. Mofuputsi o elelletswe hore papadi ya dilotho ha e sa tumme jwalo ka nakong eo a ntseng a hola. Ho bohlokwa hore dilotho tsa Sesotho di bonahale marangranng mme di bolokwe hoba ke karolo ya puo ya Sesotho mme di kenyelletswe diphetohong tsa thekenoloji ka ho etswa dijithale. Mofuputsi o lekile ho bokelletsa le ho hlophisa dilotho ka mefuta ya i) nakong tsa kgale, ii) nakong e mahareng (modern) le iii) tsa Kabo ya Bone ya Mesebetsi. Phuputso e ne e fuputsa hore na Basotho ba nahana eng ka dilotho le hore boleng ba tsona ho bona ke bofe. Dikarabo di hlaloseditse mofuputsi mabaka a etsang hore senannapo se se tume matsatsing a jwale. Mofuputsi o sekasekile ho fetofetoha ha dilotho e le mofuta wa sengolwa sa boholoholo le hona ho lekola hore Basotho ba qapa dilotho tsa Kabo ya Bone ya Mesebetsi kapa tjhe. Phuputso e thakgotswe Sebokeng, profensing ya Gauteng ya ya Qwaqwa, Ficksburg le Welkom, profensing ya Freistata mme ya phethelwa Malealea, Lesotho. Hwa sebediswa mokgwa wa khwalitheithife ka tsela ya non-probability techniques ho hlwaya bankakarolo ba phuputso hore e kgone ho jenereita datha bakeng sa patlisiso. Mokgwa wa Analytic Comparison o sebedisitswe ho manolla le ho etsa diqeto ka datha e bokelleditsweng. Mofuputsi a sheba dintlha tse tshwanang tse tswang ho bankakarolo ka ho sebedisa mokgwa ona. Hwa boelwa hwa sebediswa mokgwa wa dintlha tse fapaneng ho bapisa dikarabo tse sa tshwaneng tse neng di botswa bankakarolo. Sephetho se utullotse menahano, maikutlo, ditumelo, boitshwaro, boleng le ditjhebeho tsa Basotho ka dilotho tsa Sesotho nakong ena ya Kabo ya Bone ya Mesebetsi. Theori ya Critical Discourse Analysis e manollotswe ho pepesa dikamano tsa matla tse ipatileng setjhabeng mme di beha papadi ya dilotho ka mosing. Ha theori ya Ethnography of Communication yona e manollotswe ho toboketsa hore ka nnete Basotho ba qapa dilotho tse ntjha tse setletseng ho Kabo ya Bone ya Mesebetsi. Phuputso ena e file mofuputsi ditsela tsa ho kenyelletsa dilotho tsa Sesotho maphelong a letsatsi ka leng ho Basotho, haholoholo lapeng le sekolong – e seng feela ka kgwedi ya Botjhaba. Hape mofuputsi o nahanne ka botebo menyetla ya ho netefatsa hore papadi ena e bohlokwa e bolokelwe meloko e tlang ka tsela ya ho sibolla Epo (Appplication) marangranng eo Basotho ba thekenoloji ba ka e fihlellang. Qetellong, mofuputsi o tshepa hore Epo ena ya papadi ya dilotho e ka hopotsa le ho tumisa dilotho hape ho Basotho ba dilemo tse fapaneng, ho netefatsa hore sekgeo se teng pakeng tsa meloko se a fela. Ka sena, puisano le nehelano tsa thuto le setso tsa Sesotho le Bosotho ho Basotho di tla phethahala.