Venda language

The Venda language (also called tshivenda or luvenda) (pronounced: /ʧʰivend̪a/) is a Bantu language that is part of the Niger-Congolese languages, spoken in some areas of the Southern African countries of Zimbabwe and in South Africa where it is a co-official language.

During the time of apartheid in South Africa, the Venda Bantustan was created for the Venda-speaking ethnic groups.

It has 666,000 speakers in northern South Africa (12% of the population of Limpopo province) and 84,000 in Zimbabwe.

Its main speakers are the Vhavenda, a people that has a long history that begins in the IX century with the kingdom of Mapungubwe, which joined the Venda to give rise to the Vhavenda under the reign of Shiriyadenga. There has been no recognized king since the death of Thoho-ya-Ndou, known as 'Elephant Head', which gave rise to the name of the capital of the Vhembe district, Thohoyandou.

In 1979, the Vhavendas of South Africa became independent and created the Republic of Venda, until April 27, 1994, when it was reintegrated into South Africa. Currently, the Venda are politically represented by the Dabalorivhuwa Patriotic Front (DPF), integrated since 2003 into the UNPO (Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization). Since 2010, the president of the vhavenda is Mphephu-Ramabulana, but those who rule in the region are the 26 tribal leaders (called sub chiefs in South Africa).

In 2019, the New World Translation was presented in the Vendal language (the online bible is also available).

The true Venda are divided into two groups; the western group, of Singo origin, descended from leaders such as Mphephu, Senthumule and Kutama, and the eastern group, descended from Leamonde, Rambuda, Tshivashe and Mphapuli. Another important division is that between the individuals themselves, the so-called whasiwana or common people, and the whakololo, descendants of the tribal chiefs.

The birthplace of the Vhavenda, Mapungubwe, has been a World Heritage Site since 2003. The archaeological site is part of the 28,000 ha Mapungubwe (Vhembe) National Park, created to protect Mapungubwe Hill, which is Located at the confluence of the Shashe and Limpopo rivers 22°12′S 29°23′E / -22.200, 29.383, where the city of the same name was located, which flourished between 1050 and 1270, with a population of 5,000 people, and was then abandoned.

The famous song y#34;Jerusalema#34;, a global hit in 2020, is written in this language.