Mangaliso Kabulika
UNIVERSITY of Zimbabwe lecturer, Dr Tawanda Matende, has earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics from the University of Venda.
His research could help strengthen the teaching, documentation and recognition of Zimbabwean Sign Language (ZSL).
His doctoral thesis, titled “A Morphosyntactic Analysis of Zimbabwean Sign Language,” examines how signs are formed and combined to convey meaning and construct sentences.
It addresses a significant gap in the documentation of the language used by Zimbabwe’s Deaf community.
Despite the constitutional recognition of sign language in Zimbabwe, ZSL remains largely under-documented and is not taught as a curriculum subject in the country’s schools, limiting opportunities for structured language instruction and the development of appropriate educational resources.
The achievement adds to his growing academic contribution, with his doctoral research having produced six peer-reviewed journal articles, while three more have been accepted for publication.
Dr Matende, who lectures in the Department of Languages, Literature and Culture at the University of Zimbabwe, has research interests spanning sign language, Deaf and bilingual education, language policy and planning, interpretation and translation, audiology, speech therapy and sustainable development.
However, behind the academic milestone lies a personal story of hardship, sacrifice and perseverance, which he credits largely to his mother.
“Life was never a bed of roses. Yet my mother pressed on with unwavering determination so that I could stand here today as an academic,” he said.
He said his mother assumed the responsibilities of both parents following his father’s death, despite having no formal education, and resorted to selling vegetables to support his studies.
Those who frequented Mutare OTS near Court 10 would find her selling vegetables in the hope of making enough money to sustain her son’s education.
“She left her comfort zone and took to the streets to sell vegetables so I could stay in school,” Dr Matende said.
He recounted how his mother endured harsh weather conditions and sometimes slept in queues to secure vegetables for resale.
As economic challenges intensified, she moved to the Sakubva Primary School, where she sold food to schoolchildren.
Years of carrying heavy loads have since taken a toll on her health, leaving her with back problems, he said.
“You will never fully understand why I do what I do until you understand where I came from,” he said.
He urged people to appreciate and support their parents and others who had played significant roles in their lives, saying success was rarely achieved through individual effort alone.
“Remember your mother. Remember your parents. If you no longer have biological parents, remember anyone who played a significant role in your life they are your parent too,” he said.
