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Leonard Ncube Victoria Falls Reporter
AFRICAN countries should free themselves from the colonial bondage of foreign languages, especially those of their former colonial masters and embrace indigenous languages that promote national identity, Vice President Costantino Chiwenga has said.
Speaking at the National Languages indaba in Victoria Falls, VP Chiwenga said Zimbabwe, Africa and the rest of the colonised world downplay their own indigenous languages preferring foreign languages that were imposed as a way to entrenching colonialism.
He said as proud Zimbabweans, there was need to enjoy the use of indigenous languages.
“The oppressors sought to trivialise our identity, unity, and cohesion as a way to entrench colonialism, hence the continued fantasising and use of English and other languages of the colonial past in most of our communication at the expense of our indigenous languages. This needs to be reviewed,” said VP Chiwenga.
He said Zimbabwe was making great strides towards recognising local languages as a medium for asserting and preserving cultural values.
Zimbabwe has identified 16 official languages which are enshrined in the constitution and efforts are being made to identify those that were left out.
Government has also set up the National Languages Institute housed at Midlands State University (MSU) where national documents are translated into indigenous languages as a way of promoting use of local languages in national development.
The languages indaba started on Monday, designed to create a platform towards the drafting of a National Languages Policy and for dialogue among various stakeholders to appreciate the role of indigenous languages as a key ingredient for sustainable development of the country.
The indaba is being held under the theme, “Redefining the role of Zimbabwean languages for national development towards Vision 2030 and beyond”.
It was officially opened by President Mnangagwa yesterday.
VP Chiwenga said Zimbabwe had made great strides in correcting the wrongs made by white supremacists with regards to the use of foreign languages.
Former colonisers, he said, “imposed their languages on Africa and robbed us of the right to use our own mother languages as they sought to entrench colonialism”.
“Yes, as a nation we continue to use English in most of our business communication. This trend continues elsewhere in Africa and beyond. It is important to note that this National Languages conference is indeed a timely reminder that we need to change that status quo,” said VP Chiwenga.
He challenged Africans to take pride in their mother languages and sing from the heart and soul, using the persevering indigenous languages.
We need to reclaim the value of our local languages so that we can walk tall among nations as we develop and use them in daily formal and informal transactions,” said VP Chiwenga.
He praised President Mnangagwa for being an icon of promoting rights of his people including their legitimate right to use their indigenous languages.
Indigenous languages are key in promoting and preserving Zimbabwe’s pristine and enduring cultural values.
“They provide us with the necessary national identity that binds us in our diversity and bring about economic development by ensuring that communication is in our indigenous languages,” added VP Chiwenga.
In a speech read on his behalf by his deputy, Raymore Machingura, Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Minister, Professor Amon Murwira, said as the country implements strategies towards attaining aspirations of Vision 2030, efforts should be focused on how national languages should be used effectively alongside dominant languages in achieving techno-scientific development.
“We thank you Your Excellency, through the Second Republic, for transforming our education through Education 5.0 with a heritage bias.
“The confidence of a people is seen in how they can technologically and industrially advance based on knowledge coming from their own language,” he said.
and host Minister Kirsty Coventry
Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Minister, Dr Kirsty Coventry, said the indaba was a critical platform for discussion towards coming up with a languages policy.
“Language is part of who we are. It gives us roots and where we belong. The Ministry has taken a multi-stakeholder approach so that we can gather consensus in trying to come up with a national languages framework.
“This is guided by the philosophy leaving no-one and no place behind,” said Minister Coventry.
Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Matabeleland North Province Richard Moyo and Defence and War Veterans Affairs Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, were some of the senior Government officials that graced the official opening.
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