Tinaye Agere
Talent Mudenda
For decades, President Mnangagwa’s remarkable multilingual abilities have gone largely underappreciated both within Zimbabwe and internationally.
While some have portrayed him negatively, it has become clear that under his leadership, Zimbabwe is experiencing its most unified and inclusive development in recent memory. Through nuanced language policies and drawing on his own fluency in many of the country’s tongues, President Mnangagwa is nurturing a shared national identity that includes all citizens, a visionary approach that is overcoming past divisions and propelling the nation collectively into a brighter future.
Born in 1942, as Zimbabwe’s independence movement was just gaining traction, he demonstrated a rare gift for languages from a young age that would serve the country well in the decades to come.
As a teen, he left Zimbabwe for Zambia with his family where he furthered his education and gradated as a lawyer.
In the neighbouring country, he was able to master Tonga, Lozi and Bemba, which he proudly speaks fluently. Along the way, he gained functional competency in Russian too through interactions with international peers.
As the war intensified, President Mnangagwa continued broadening his global profile, spending extended stints in other African, European and Middle Eastern nations to bolster diplomatic and operational support networks. Through these travels, he further diversified his language portfolio, attaining competence in other international tongues like Portuguese, Russian, Kiswahili and French.
No leader of Zimbabwe has matched President Mnangagwa’s rare multi-competence, a gift nurtured over decades spent immersed in diverse communities at home and abroad.
Returning to Zimbabwe in the 1970s, he enlisted in the military wing of the Zimbabwe African National Union, known as ZANLA, to actively contribute to the revolution. Over the following years, as he ascended through the ranks of the armed struggle, he relentlessly criss-crossed the country meeting with villagers, rallying support and gathering intelligence.
It was through these rural immersions that President Mnangagwa truly honed his mastery of Zimbabwe’s indigenous tongues.
He became fluent in languages like Ndebele, Tonga, Shona, Venda, Kalanga and many other community dialects. Living among the people allowed the President to absorb nuanced cultural norms and traditional world views. He came to understand the unique historical trajectories and identities of different ethnolinguistic groups.
This enriched his perspective and strengthened bonds of trust between the populace and the liberation movement’s objectives.
After independence in 1980, President Mnangagwa ascended the ranks of Government and eventually to the Presidency in 2017, and his linguistic talents have remained a strategic asset. With a deep appreciation of the integral role languages play in empowering citizens and supporting development, he instituted policies to promote multilingualism and the preservation of indigenous knowledge systems through ministries, in line with the United Nations (UN)’s International Decade of Indigenous Languages 2022-2032 meant to ensure local languages are preserved, revitalised and promoted.
The President further opened the Midlands State University National Language Institute, which is spearheading research in all the 16 languages. The centre is translating Government policy documents so that “no one is left behind”, in line with Vision 2030.
In 2021, to demonstrate this vision, President Mnangagwa launched the prestigious National Development Strategy 1 not only in English but with full versions in all the 16 languages. This made these vital development blueprints accessible nationwide for the first time. The message was clear — in Zimbabwe’s Second Republic, no citizen would be excluded from progress due to the language they speak.
As president, he regularly conducts public engagements and international diplomacy directly in languages like Ndebele, Tonga, Venda, Shona and Kalanga. His meaningful contributions in the mother tongues of various audiences have garnered tremendous respect and trust. Where past leaders relied heavily on translated speeches, the president favours the immersive approach that strengthened his linguistic abilities and cultural understanding for over half a century. Even in his days as a Government minister in the 2000s, President Mnangagwa displayed a unique vision for national reconciliation and inclusion in Zimbabwe.
As Minister of Rural Housing and Social Amenities, he recognised that meaningful development must reach all citizens regardless of background. One of his priority initiatives was establishing community radio stations across the vast rural areas to bridge information gaps. For the first time, farmers in remote villages could access practical programming in their mother tongues on diversifying crops, improving yields, disease prevention and more. Expectant mothers got vital health information in their own languages. Learners gained access to educational content that cultivated dreams beyond their borders. Programmes also covered civic participation, governance and legal rights to empower marginalised groups.
This innovative approach recognised that development begins by preserving identity and strengthening cultural roots. By presenting locally relevant data through intimate mediums like community radio stations in heart languages, citizens felt seen and motivated to actively engage in building the country.
It laid the foundation for an inclusive media landscape that now informs and connects all communities. This early success shaped President Mnangagwa’s perspective on empowering grassroots populations through multilingualism. Through inclusive initiatives from community radio to nationwide campaigns respecting cultural diversity, President Mnangagwa is nurturing a reconciled post-colonial identity and prosperous future where all citizens feel recognised. They also feel they are empowered participants in their nation’s success. His mastery of language is unlocking human potential on a scale unlike ever seen before in Zimbabwe’s history.
During his landmark 2018 election campaign, the President’s mastery of language was on full display nationwide. Drawing on oratory skills honed over decades liberating the country, he delivered impassioned speeches in over a dozen regional dialects that captivated audiences.
For communities long excluded, here was a Presidential candidate who communicated directly with cultural sensitivity in their mother tongues. Looking at the 2023 elections, while his competitors struggled to authentically engage rural bases or understand diversity’s importance, President Mnangagwa undoubtedly leveraged on his rare skills. Through inclusive national events like the commemoration of Unity Day, National Heritage Day and Mother Tongue Day, he nurtures oneness across backgrounds.
As he toured all corners of the country, his message of “leaving no one behind” truly resonated at the grassroots level where it mattered most. While other candidates relied on translated slogans or English, President Mnangagwa connected personally with rural Zimbabweans in languages. This authentic engagement of communicating on citizens’ terms in their heart languages greatly contributed to his decisive victory mandate. Recognising cultural diversity, the President established the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee. The board develops comprehensive language policies, documents oral traditions and ensures balanced cultural representation.
It promotes harmony while strengthening grassroots capabilities in communities. The recent commissioning of the Museum of African Liberation by the President is clear testimony that his leadership is interested in the initiative of the re-documentation of the history of our liberation struggle.
One of the most complex challenges facing post-independence Zimbabwe has been confronting its tragic Gukurahundi conflict of the 1980s. Where once inflammatory rhetoric poisoned society, President Mnangagwa’s consultative, multilingual approach is achieving reconciliation through empathy and understanding. He initiated high-level indabas or dialogue sessions in Matabeleland, bringing victims, survivors and former perpetrators together in the spirit of addressing the past soberly and finding equitable solutions.
Critically, through skilled interpretation, all were truly able to engage directly in their mother tongues, whether Ndebele, Tonga, Kalanga, Nambya or others. This empowered even the most marginalised to share painful testimonies and have their voices heard with cultural sensitivity. Traditional leaders also played a vital role in the indabas, consulting on customary terms through native languages.
Through these unity-focused talks held multilaterally across ethnic lines, long-standing prejudice and misunderstanding began breaking down.
It is through this that President Mnangagwa is nurturing a spirit of national healing and reconciliation by ensuring all citizens see themselves reflected in the leadership.
International partnerships are also flourishing as President Mnangagwa builds on his repute as one of Africa’s most skilled multilingual figures.
Recent surges in investment, expanded social programmes and overall macroeconomic stability under the Second Republic suggest these inclusive strategies are promoting unity and prosperity.
As devolution accelerates, traditional leaders now consult citizens using native tongues. This boosts transparency and responsiveness. To further empower the youth, the President launched e-learning initiatives ensuring children across regions receive quality education in their heart languages. Devolution funds were also strategically allocated based on subnational linguistic demographics to guarantee equitable access across regions. The local leadership is now deeply interfacing with communities in heart languages, increasing accountability and responsiveness.
In conclusion, through decades navigating Zimbabwe’s complexity immersively as a linguistically gifted son of the soil, President Mnangagwa profoundly understands the strategic importance of social cohesion. By upholding all citizens’ God-given right to thrive proudly within their cultural identity, and through initiatives like radio, archives and leadership inviting participation multilaterally across ethnic divides, he is leaving an inspiring legacy of an independent, reconciled Zimbabwe where no one is left behind.
History will surely judge him favourably for how he has utilised this special talent to heal wounds, promote unity through diversity and ensure no one is excluded from development.
While past regimes restricted access, under his leadership Zimbabwe has moved into an exciting new era of multilingualism where all citizens can participate as valued equals. Truly, it is through the President that one sees the strategic importance of harmonising language, culture and nation-building for long-term peace and shared prosperity. His is an inspiration not just for Zimbabwe but for all leaders seeking to overcome divisions in a way previous thought impossible.
Talent Mudenda is a Pan-African linguist/historian. His research interests are in enthnolinguilistics, power of language and the role of language in the African liberation struggle. This article is part of his work in progress of a detailed biography of President Mnangagwa’s lingustic flair.
Online Reporter