Malawi 3

Listen to Malawi 3, a 45-year-old man from Mangochi, Malawi. Click or tap the triangle-shaped play button to hear the subject.

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BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

AGE: 45

DATE OF BIRTH (DD/MM/YYYY): 19/03/1972

PLACE OF BIRTH: Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Blantyre, but raised in Mangochi

GENDER: male

ETHNICITY: black/Yao

OCCUPATION: gardener

EDUCATION: Junior Certificate – Form 2

AREAS OF RESIDENCE OUTSIDE REPRESENTATIVE REGION FOR LONGER THAN SIX MONTHS:

The subject grew up in Mangochi, a rural area in the central region of Malawi. He received secondary education but was unable to complete it because of lack of financial resources. As the unemployment rate in Malawi is very high, he moved to South Africa in November 2015 in search of work. He arrived in Johannesburg but soon moved to Cape Town, where he was employed as a part-time gardener at the time of this recording.

OTHER INFLUENCES ON SPEECH:

The subject lives in an informal settlement/township called Capricorn/Vrygrond. The population is roughly half coloured (mixed race) and half black. Members of the coloured community speak mainly Afrikaans, but also English. One can hear the influence of Afrikaans in the subject’s speech, as he often uses the confirmation “ja” (“yes”) and the slang word for friend “broer” (“brother”).

The text used in our recordings of scripted speech can be found by clicking here.

RECORDED BY: Nadia. Barnard

DATE OF RECORDING (DD/MM/YYYY): 01/03/2018

PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTION OF SCRIPTED SPEECH: N/A

TRANSCRIBED BY: N/A

DATE OF TRANSCRIPTION (DD/MM/YYYY): N/A

ORTHOGRAPHIC TRANSCRIPTION OF UNSCRIPTED SPEECH:

Born in, ja, a Yao tradition; it’s like l- a Yao tribe. By now, I’m a Christian, but my parents continue; they stay in, er, a Yao tribe. They believe Allah. It’s better to follow Jesus, because I compare Allah and Jesus.

Me, I was born in Mangochi; this is central. It’s a rural, not urban, but rural. Sometimes more people there; they don’t like to learn like school, but always fishing; they like fishing. There is more boats there; it’s close to lake – Lake Malawi. There you can find a nice fish; we call it “chambo.” Chambo: It’s a good fish! [Subject laughs.] We fry it, ja. We take onion first; we put, ja, oil — cooking oil in a pan; then we cut onion into pieces. When the oil is hot, we put there; then we cut, er, tomato. [Subject laughs.] Ja, then we pu- put there again. Then we take that, er, that fish, chambo, when it is dry, ja you put on the sun to dry. So when it dry, you take a little salt, and then you throw there.

In Chichewa, we call it “chicondamoyo.” In English, it’s “heart lover” [subject laughs] – heart lover! Ja, we bake like, we bake flour and banana; ja, we cut into small pieces, ja, and we break it; then we mix with flour. We bake it; we take like, er, charcoal, so heat must go on top and underneath.

I desire in my heart to be a driver, like a truck driver, or electrician. Ah you know, Malawi is a small country, but there is no more companies. So many people are suffering. There’s a problem of money, problem of job; that’s why we are here. As I say already that there is more Malawians here, so we phone each other, ja. “Where are you?” “I’m here at Cape Town.” “Which side?” “Ah no, Capricorn.” If something happen, I can go there, or I can call them to help me.

Ah, the life in Capricorn: Er, is not, er, so good. We stay because we know that, er, there is no way; we can’t say anything; we can’t go anywhere. But sometimes, ja, the coloured people always steal us. They rob us too much – phones, money, clothes, even shoes! You see, when you deny to give them, maybe they can disturb you with a knife. And me, like now, I know the ones who has got guns there in Capricorn. So I was scared of them. When I met with them, maybe it’s Friday or Saturday; I’ve got ten Rand. “Ah, my broer, I have ten Rand; you can buy something!” You see? [Subject laughs.] In order to protect myself! Ah, if I can find another job, like maybe Monday to Friday, maybe I can leave.

Like my house now, where I was sleeping, I pay nine hundred, you see? Plus power, two hundred is one point one, so two hundred, two hundred, two hundred. You see? Times four; ah, it’s not enough. [Subject laughs.] You see? But I work because I know that something – to have something is better than nothing.

In Yao when, when I can say [subject continues to speak in Yao]; in English, it’s like “good morning.” If you want to answer like “I’m fine” [subject continues to speak in Yao] [subject laughs], ja. [Subject continues to speak in Yao.] “I’m fine, and you?” That’s Yao.

Chichewa I can say [subject continues to speak in Chichewa] — is same like “good morning.” Ja, if you want to answer [subject continues to speak in Chichewa] – “I’m fine, and you?” [Subject laughs.]

TRANSCRIBED BY: Nadia Barnard

DATE OF TRANSCRIPTION (DD/MM/YYYY): 12/03/2018

PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTION OF UNSCRIPTED SPEECH: N/A

TRANSCRIBED BY: N/A

DATE OF TRANSCRIPTION (DD/MM/YYYY): N/A

SCHOLARLY COMMENTARY: N/A

COMMENTARY BY: N/A

DATE OF COMMENTARY (DD/MM/YYYY): N/A

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