J.S.M. Matsebula

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James Shadrack Mkhulunyelwa Matsebula (1918 - 1993) was a Swazi linguist, writer and historian best known for the A History of Swaziland editions. [1] He worked as King Sobhuza II's private secretary. [2]

J. S. M. Matsebula
Born
James Shadrack Mkhulunyelwa Matsebula

1918 (1918)
Near Mbabane, Swaziland
Died1993 (aged 74–75)
OccupationHistorian
Known forHistory of Swaziland; development of Siswati orthography
Notable work

Matsebula served for many years as a close adviser, private secretary and chief counsellor to King Sobhuza II. [2]

He authored several editions of A History of Swaziland, which became one of the most widely used historical works on the Kingdom of Eswatini, and helped establish orthography for Siswati literature. [2] In 1952, Matsebula published Izakhiwo zamaSwazi ("The Origins of the Swazi"), an early historical work examining Swazi origins and social structures. [3]

In 1989, Matsebula donated a substantial collection of work to the library of the University of Eswatini, termed the J.S.M. Matsebula Collection, which includes Matsebula’s papers and manuscripts as well as official correspondence from the mid-19th century. [2]

Works

References

  1. ↑ Eldredge EA. Interviewees from the James Stuart Collection of Oral Traditions. In: Kingdoms and Chiefdoms of Southeastern Africa: Oral Traditions and History, 1400–1830 . Rochester Studies in African History and the Diaspora. Boydell & Brewer; (2015). p.p.339
  2. 1 2 3 4 Dorothy C. Woodson (1991). The J. S. M. Matsebula Collection at the University of Swaziland, History in Africa, Vol. 18 (1991), pp. 381-397, Cambridge University Press
  3. ↑ Matsebula, J. S. M. (1952). Izakhiwo zamaSwazi. Afrikaanse Pers-Boekhandel.
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