A novelist, Nkululeko Jackson, hopes that his Setswana novels will preserve the language especially among the younger generation that is slowly losing the grip on the language.
The Francistown-born author says he will continue to do his part to ensure that the language does not disappear, through his ‘Mosadi’ book series comprising of 10 editions.
The over 40-year-old has always been passionate about the Setswana language from an early age.
His latest offering, ‘Matsale wa Moloi,’ is an intriguing read about one of the most known toxic relationships of humankind, that of a bride and her mother-in-law.
He says among many cultures across the world, the relationship between a bride and her mother-in-law is known to always attract negative attention.
Through ‘Matsale wa Moloi,’ he highlights striking elements that define such a relationship and suggests healthier ways of resolving differences between the two.
His work currently targets young readers and fiction lovers. “I didn’t know I had a way with the language until several people began to notice it through my writings,” he said, adding that he realised that it was serious when people began to approach him for help with Setswana.
Jackson worked on the book for a long five years, until he was satisfied that it was good enough to hit the market. It was published in 2022.
“People who have read it are extremely impressed by the storyline. No one seems to predict the end. Many readers like the style of writing and the way the language has been used,” he said, adding that such feedback has inspired him to go on.
Jackson’s intention is to build a powerful publishing company that will revive the Setswana language.
“I will like to produce what I refer to as Setswana edutainment - a combination of education and entertainment powerhouse.”
One of his challenges is that since the book was self-published, it is still sold from his car boot, a predicament that most local authors find themselves in.
It can also be accessed from Botswana Book Centre in Gaborone. He bemoans the lack of market for their work.
“We do not have enough edictionaries, e-encyclopaedia, Thesaurus, spell checkers installed on systems to ease our work,” he says.
He has also observed with regret that nowadays, there is a poor reading culture and it gets worse when it comes to Setswana.
