A Photovoice Study of Bakoni Heritage

BY: .

Heritage, culture, and identity are the cornerstones of an explorative study by Mr Qiniso Mbili, a master’s graduate of the Centre for Communication, Media and Society (CCMS).

His dissertation on documenting local oral perceptions of the Bakoni people through Photovoice reflects a deeply personal and transformative endeavour to preserve indigenous narratives, challenge historical ones and honour ancestral legacies in contemporary South Africa.

The Bakoni were a pre-colonial society in Mpumalanga known for their sophisticated civilisation evidenced by intricate stonewalls and advanced agricultural practices. They were part of the broader Nguni-speaking group and made significant contributions to the region's cultural and historical landscape.

As an SABC News radio show host on Ukhozi FM broadcasting in isiZulu, Mbili was driven to connect with his own heritage and ancestral lineage. Invited into the research journey by Professor Lauren Dyll, project leader of the Mashishing Marking Memories project, Mbili believes the research is a way to give voice to indigenous narratives and correct historical misrepresentations surrounding the Bakoni people.

‘The study enabled me to understand my own history and heritage and to document and understand the cultural history and heritage of our collective ancestors as the people of South Africa.

‘While many narratives surround the heritage and culture of Bakoni, none were produced by local, indigenous community members. I wanted to correct this,’ said Mbili.

He used Photovoice - a participatory data collection tool - to amplify the voices of local communities and engage them in the knowledge production process. By providing research participants with cameras to capture pictures that represent their opinions, narratives and knowledge on the subject matter, participants who may not have been typically able to participate in traditional knowledge production activities were given a voice.

Mbili believes that his academic journey in heritage studies has honed his critical thinking skills, bridging the worlds of academia and broadcasting and enriching his radio content with newfound knowledge and expertise. ‘As a radio show host, I have to utilise knowledge almost all the time and my journey in academia has given me an insight into how it is generated as well as the politics and the economy of knowledge.’

The study challenges misconceptions by highlighting the Bakoni stonewalls (which built complex road systems) as proof that they enjoyed a prosperous way of life. They also boasted superior agricultural skills and advanced knowledge of the environment that enabled them to harvest for eight months a year.

Mbili says that this disputes claims of primitivism in Africa before colonisation, and informs nation building debates because the Bakoni were a collective of different tribes who lived in peace and harmony.

He thanked his family and friends, his supervisors, Professor Lauren Dyll and Dr Mary Lange, the Netflix Bursary Fund, the UKZN Foundation and Lydenburg Museum. He dedicated his achievement to his late father, who was a security guard on UKZN's Howard College campus: ‘I conquered this on behalf of him.’

Lauding his achievement, Dr Mary Lange said,’ Co-supervising Qiniso with Professor Dyll was a pleasure, as it was a productive collaborative experience. Qiniso was inspirational in that he applied himself despite demanding personal and work circumstances. He noted constructive critique and mastered the research process, using his critical thinking and bringing a novel approach based on his unique context.’

External examiner Dr Linje Manyozo was too all praise saying, ‘This is probably the best masters’ dissertation I have read in the last 20 years. Brilliant to its theoretical core, pure to its empirical methods. This fantastic work is an excellent problematisation of the centrality of visual anthropology within the context of development, especially as it is related to indigenous development.’

Words: Rakshika Sibran

Photograph: Sethu Dlamini