Dintshontsho tsa Lorato
Dintshontsho tsa Lorato ("Deaths caused by love") is a verse tragedy in Setswana by L.D. Raditladi (1910-1971)[1].
Also found as Dintšhontšho tsa loratô.
Contents
The original text
The play, dealing primarily with issues of love, also looks at problems caused by a generation gap and the character Sakoma's belief in witchcraft.
First published in Johannesburg by Bona Press (A.P.B. Publishers, African literature collection, no. 250.) in 1957 and thereafter published in many editions by Educum.
Translations and adaptations
Translated into Southern Sotho as Lefu hase letho tseleng ya lerato ("Where there is love, there is a way"). The translation is often credited to Raditladi himself, but is also cited as a work by "M.E. Mosese-Raditladi" (so perhaps a translation or edited translation by his wife or daughter?). This text was published by Educum in 1970.
Performance history in South Africa
No trace of a production has been found so far, but the play text has been a school setwork for many years and has been republished numerous times.
Sources
SACat: A union catalogue of items held by Southern African libraries. Raditladi, L. D.
Pilane, G.E. 1997. Naming: an aspect of character portrayal in Dintshontsho tsa Lorato by Raditladi. Mini-thesis, Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education.
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