Tlhotlhomiso ya go sekaseka maboko a Setswana a pele le morago ga 1994

This study was conducted entirely in Setswana. It compares metaphoric representations of dystopian conditions pre and post 1994 in selected Setswana poetry. Using literary criticism informed by historical, sociological and African Marxist approaches, the study critically analyses metaphors and themes that depict lived realities of Black South Africans across the two eras. Findings indicate that poems foreground harsh socio-economic conditions, including poverty, unemployment, inequalities, violence, corruption, and failures of democratic governance. Notably, themes evident in pre-1994 poetry persist in post-1994 poems, indicating striking continuities. The study concludes that Setswana poetry functions not merely as literary expression but as a critical reflection of enduring dystopian realities, illuminating the persistence of apartheid-era injustices more than 30 years into South Africa’s democracy. Lastly, the thesis contributes a model for comparative literature within the frameworks of a real-life phenomenon.