NEW: Marymount Teachers’ College to offer Ndau studies

Freedom Mutanda
Correspondent

MARYMOUNT Teachers’ College is incorporating the Ndau language as part of its curriculum as Government’s policy of having official languages being taught from ECD level gathers momentum.

This was revealed at Ndau Festival of the Arts (NDAFA) commemorations at Bangira Village under Chief Musikavanhu’s area last weekend.

Mr Frederick Bandama, one of the directors of NDAFA, said he was happy that Ndau has taken its place among the official languages and will soon be an examinable subject at school.

“As NDAFA, we are happy that soon our children will learn Ndau from the formative stages. Marymount Teachers’ College has come at the right time to further boost Government’s policy of leaving no one and no place behind in the development agenda. Language is a tool for development and this cannot be argued,” he said.

A carnival atmosphere engulfed Bangira Village where Phillip Kusasa, the NDAFA director, did a good job of harnessing cultural makers from far and wide to showcase their skills.

However, experts said there is need for a coordinated approach from all stakeholders to ensure that Ndau orthography and lexicology are captured correctly.

“There should be a meeting where we will thrash out issues related to orthography. We have a number of linguists who come from this area who can give expert advice,” said Dr Elias Konyana, a Great Zimbabwe University academic.