IsiXhosa Intellectual Traditions (IsiXIT) Digital Archive

isiXhosa

Inkcazelo

Isigidimi sama-Xosa (The Xhosa Messenger) ngelinye lamaphepha-ndaba okuqala okubhalwa ngolwimi lwaseAfrika eMzantsi Afrika. Lasekwa nguJames Stewart weGlasgow Missionary Society, ze lapapashelwa eLovedale, eyiAlice ngoku eMpuma Koloni. NgoOctober 1870 ukuya kuDecember 1875 lalipapashwa njengecandelo lesiXhosa kwi-Kaffir Express Newspaper. Elocandelo lwaluquka uguqulelo lwecandelo lwesiNgesi esiXhoseni kunye neeleta nemibhalo yesiXhosa. Ngelixesha, Isigidimi sasiphantsi kobuhleli bukaElijah Makiwane kunye noKnox Bokwe. Ukusukela ngo1876 Isigidimi sashicilelwa njengephepha-ndaba lokuqala ukushicilelwa ngolwimi lwase-Africa kuphela, phantsi kobuhleli bukaElijah Makiwane, John Tengo Jabavu kunye noWilliam Wellington Gqoba. Indaba nemibhalo yayibhalwa ngababhaleli basekuhlaleni abamele iidolophu ezi-27 eMpuma Koloni, kunye nezimbini eNatal. Eliphepha-ndaba lalinazo neeleta eziya kubahleli ezivela kubafundi. Eliphepha-ndaba lalishicilela iindaba zasekuhlaleni, kunye nezamaqela opolitiko. Ngapha koko, lalipapasha ngezopolitiko nezasekuhlaleni, laliquka kunye nemibongo yokuqala yoqhankqalazo. Ukungafuni kwamamishini ukupapasha imibhalo ethetha phandle ngezopolotiko kwakhokhela umhleli, u-J. T. Jabavu ukuba arhoxe ayokuseka iphephandaba, Imvo Zabantsundu. Imvo yona yayithetha phandle ngezopolitiko. Saye sayeka ushicilelo ke Isigidimi ngo1888 emveni kokulahlekelwa ngabafundi kunye nokusweleka komhleli, u-W. W. Gqoba.

English

Description

Isigidimi sama-Xosa (Eng trans: The Xhosa Messenger) was one of the earliest African-language newspapers in South Africa. It was founded by James Steward of the Glasgow Missionary Society, and was published at Lovedale, present day Alice, Eastern Cape. From October 1870 to December 1875 it was published as the isiXhosa language section of the Kaffir Express newspaper, and included translations from the English language section as well as isiXhosa language letters and articles. During this period it was under the editorship of Elijah Makiwane and John Knox Bokwe. From 1876 it was published as the first independent African-language only paper and edited by Elijah Makiwane, John Tengo Jabavu, and William Wellington Gqoba. The articles and news reports were authored by African local correspondents who represented at least 27 towns in the Eastern Cape, and two towns in Natal. The paper also included letters to the editor, which were sent from a broad range of the newspaper’s readership. This newspaper focused on publishing general interest news, but also became a mouth piece for the earliest African political organizations, fostered political and social debate and commentary in articles and letters to the editor, and featured some of the earliest African protest poetry. Missionary reluctance to publish pieces with explicit political themes ultimately led the editor J.T. Jabavu to break away and found the more openly political Imvo Zabantsundu newspaper. Isigidimi eventually lost readership to Imvo Zabantsundu and closed in 1888 after its editor W.W. Gqoba passed away.

Is Referenced By

Switzer, L., & Switzer, D. (1979). The Black press in South Africa and Lesotho: a descriptive bibliographic guide to African, Coloured, and Indian newspapers, newsletters, and magazines, 1836-1976. Hall Reference Books. pp. 45-46

Collection Notes

Note that some editions from 1874-1883 are still in progress. Editions for the year 1886 are not available in South African Archives. The range presented here is in progress and editions for the years 1870-1873 will be added in the future.