TONGA people have hailed the government for officially recognising their language in the national Constitution and as one of the examinable subjects both at Grade 7 and O-Level.
BY NUNURAI JENA
The Tonga language, Chitonga or iciTonga, is a Bantu language primarily spoken by the Tonga people in the Zambezi Valley.
People who live mainly in the southern and western provinces of Zambia and in northern parts of Zimbabwe speak Tonga.
Tonga was introduced in secondary schools four years ago and in primary schools a year later. Students doing languages in Binga will write Tonga at O-level and Grade 7 examinations for the first time since independence this year.
The once belittled and frowned upon language is among the country’s 16 official languages that should be taught in schools mainly in Matabeleland North province.
Binga villager Benard Malaba said the recognition of the Tonga language will restore their dignity as a people.
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Malaba said he was happy that the Constitution now recognises the Tonga language.
“We are happy that our children now learn Tonga in schools . . . it is good because a people is recognised by their language,” Malaba said. Malaba said the teaching of Tonga was not new in Binga as this happened way back before independence when Zambia supplied learning materials under a programme covering the two countries.
Former Kariba legislator Clemence Machacha said the teaching of Tonga should not be confined to Matabeleland North, but spread to other provinces.
Machacha said the Tonga language is rich as it incorporates other languages like Ndebele, Venda, Korekore, even Nambia and Chidombe.
Primary and Secondary Education minister Lazarus Dokora recently said 210 indigenous language teachers were undergoing training at the Great Zimbabwe University to beef up the number of various language teachers in the country
“This is one of the positive things that happens in our ministry at the moment we have 210 language degree holders who are being trained as teachers under a government programme between the ministry and Great Zimbabwe University,” Dokora said.
