FORMER Matabeleland South governor Angeline Masuku has expressed concern that a vast number of civil servants employed in the Matabeleland region were not conversant in Ndebele saying this fuelled tribalism. NQOBILE BHEBHE CHIEF REPORTER
Masuku, who is now a Matabeleland South senator, said during her tenure as governor she encountered incidents at roadblocks where cops manning them could not speak Ndebele.
She was contributing to a motion on the policy on indigenous languages in the Senate on Wednesday and called for the teaching off all indigenous languages at schools. She said local languages should be made mandatory requirements in job applications.
She said too much importance was attached to the English language at the expense of indigenous languages.
“Our languages are as important as foreign languages. Today we are saying our languages should be taught in all schools; this enables communication across Zimbabwe.
“Communication is just as important as life itself because without a language you cannot be identified,” she said.
“I observed that we put so much importance in English over our languages.
“I think this is lack of pride in ourselves. We lose nothing if we were to learn these languages in Zimbabwe.
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“Local languages should be compulsory in all schools so that even if you are Ndebele or Venda there would be no one particular language better than the other.”
The new Constitution recognises 16 official languages.
In the past, there has been an outcry that the so-called “minority” languages were not recognised and were playing second fiddle to English, Ndebele and Shona languages, which were Zimbabwe’s official languages.
“So we need to support our children in whatever they will be doing to enable them to appreciate the importance of their language,” Masuku said.
“This will make it easier for people to apply for jobs as they will be able to speak in the languages common in that area.
“However, if they do not know the language, they will not be able to apply for those jobs.
“This will disadvantage them and they will stay unemployed. So, we need to teach them to our children. These languages should be taught by people with the accent and the linguistic competence to impart the knowledge.
“I say this because I had some of these experiences at roadblocks.
“A civil servant employed by the State will tell you they cannot communicate in Ndebele.
“I remember when I was still governor in my constituency, I asked the person who was in charge of that section to impart the Ndebele language to people under his jurisdiction, because it really irked me that somebody in this country could not communicate in Ndebele yet they were in Matabeleland,” Masuku said.
The Zanu PF Politburo member said when Zimbabweans understand several local languages it would foster “respect for each other because language barriers are created by non-communication in the languages. This also brings about tribalism”.
Masuku said during Senate debates there is one language that was be despised.
“I also plead with this august Senate because during our debates you will find that there is a language which is not held in high esteem when we are debating in this House, yet when we are talking, you hear someone saying my daughter-in-law is from Plumtree.
“How then does one communicate with the daughter-in-law when you do not speak her language?” she quirried without mentioning the language.
