The Sunday News
Thobekisiwe Gumede Sunday Leisure Reporter
THE symbiotic relationship between language and thought and language and culture can never be underestimated. They are a mirror image of each other and are the lens through which society sees things. In the past, however, 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 in the country, a situation that sadly led to the extinction of some of the languages and culture.
The general belief among the affected communities was that the Government was marginalising them by assuming that they were less Zimbabwean than others and bringing extinction to their culture and languages by simply not recognising them as official.
In response to that, Government included the recognition as official of 16 indigenous languages in the constitution. Chapter 1:6(1) of the charter reads, “The following languages, namely Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Koisan, Nambya, Ndau, Ndebele, Shangani, Shona, Sign language, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda and Xhosa are the officially recognised languages of Zimbabwe.”
People, however, still feel that this has not been fully put to action as most of the languages do not have academic literature and are not yet fully taught in schools where these languages are spoken.
The Zimbabwe International Book Fair (ZIBF), which ran under the theme “Indigenous languages, literature, art and knowledge systems of Africa”’ which took place last week in Bulawayo with a number of renowned authors from all over the country coming to showcase their books, was an eye opener to many people that language played a significant role in enhancing culture.
Although there was little activity, the theme was spot on as it sought ways of cultivating interest in authors and publishers to look into the issue of writing and publishing in local languages as opposed to English.
The ZIBF’s aim is to bring together all the sectors of the book publishing industry to celebrate writers’ achievements and to promote them through making those books accessible to the public and run workshops for writers, publishers, booksellers, librarians and academics. Each year a special theme is targeted and people do presentations with regards to the theme which helps them identify areas of weakness in the industry.
During the official opening of the Book Fair, the acting deputy provincial education director (PED) of Matabeleland South, Luckson Zanawe, challenged writers to write in indigenous languages, noting that it was the only way of promoting our local culture.
“There are so many indigenous languages that are being ignored in the country yet there is a need for people to know them. Native languages are a way through which culture can be showcased,” he added.
Zanawe described how people should cultivate an interest in local languages pointing out that authors should write books that would teach the young generation about things of the past such as folktales, games and traditional medicines.
He expressed the need for people to revive their culture, which has become somehow endangered because of language deaths caused by merging of cultures.
The chairperson of ZIBF, Musaemura Zimunya, said Africans were in danger of losing themselves to the flood of globalisation, which was the process of international integration arising from the interchange of world views, products, ideas, and other aspects of culture, generating further interdependence in economic and cultural activities.
“Over the years we have been addressing this issue of language separately, but this year we chose to address the whole spectrum of issues surrounding language, literature and art in as far as they reflect African knowledge systems,” he said.
“Our children need to be educated on our different cultures and therefore, there is a need to produce books that will teach them about traditional medicines, folktales, games that were played in the past and many other things. As Africans it is important to know where we come from. Our language carries our culture, values of society and how to behave as young and old people.”
Renowned historian Pathisa Nyathi, who is also a poet, playwright and biographer who has published the likes of In Search of Freedom: Masotsha Ndlovu, Material Culture of the AmaNdebele, Changing Material Culture of the AmaNdebele, Kolobeja and Queen Lozikeyi, said language can be viewed in two respects, that is, language as the integral part of culture and language as a medium of culture which communicates the transmission of people’s cultural values from one generation to another.
“It is important that people note that language carries our views as a people, it carries information and knowledge. All the past experiences of people all over the world are carried in a language so when a language dies what you are losing cannot be under-estimated because all your beautiful experiences and struggles of nature are lost in that language,” he said.
Nyathi also said language comes as a source of cultural identity where it points out where people come from, their history included.
“I applaud the development that there is something happening at policy level, now there is clarity with the constitution stating that all Zimbabweans should recognise all the languages we have in the country. I believe that it is going to make a huge difference in the education sector.
“It is, however, very doubtful that these native languages will ever be at par with the English language which is the mark of education. What is, however, important is that the first step has already been taken,” he said.
Nyathi noted the importance of people being positive that their culture can be retained through language.
“People have a tendency of looking down upon some languages I do not believe that there is a minority language. My advice is that people should generally believe that their language is no worse than any other language, English included,” he said.
