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Prioritise local languages

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WE recently laid to rest our famous cleric and national hero, Father Emmanuel Francis Ribeiro, at the National Heroes’ Acre in Harare. 

May his soul rest in peace!

There is, however, something unforgettable about Fr Ribeiro. 

He prioritised use of local languages and tried his best to educate the masses on the importance of local languages and our culture as Zimbabweans. 

We have a lot to learn from our late hero.    

Indeed, let us learn as many languages as we can, but it is important that we start to use our local languages at every level. 

History shows that all powerful nations like Russia, China, the US, Germany and Japan, among others, continue to strengthen their national languages, using them even as they interact with the rest of the world.

As a country, we are relentlessly pursuing our policies that have indigenised the economy, while empowering our people. 

Everyday we are taking up our discourses, shaping our national agenda and telling our story.

Yes, we have not waited for outsiders to shape our narrative, but in what language are we shaping our discourse.

It is sad that we are delivering this discourse in the language of our former colonisers.

Our children have to first go to school to learn this language (English) so that they can fully comprehend the story of our nation, the story of our achievements and the strides we have made thus far — those we intend to make.

We have to give our children the history of their people and their cultural heritage in the language they understand.

Can we effectively teach and inform our children of the limitless potential of their natural and human resources in the language of another? 

If we continue to deliver this all-important message in the language of the imperialists, it will not be fully grasped by our people.

The language one is raised in is the most effective language, because, in it, nothing is lost in translation.

We advocate the use of indigenous languages not just for pride’s sake, but for sustainable development.

As long as we continue to use English as our main medium of communication, instruction and interaction, we are exalting the British.

Why have we unwittingly made Britain our benchmark for everything?

We are presently engaged in the battle to effectively occupy our cultural and discursive spaces, just like we occupied our land and political spaces.

It is the intellectual space that we must regain now! 

We have our poets, authors and brilliant people producing well-researched essays, poems and reports on our people and our rich diversity. 

Zimbabwean scholars and writers have carved a superb reputation in the region and worldwide, but the majority of the works of these illustrious sons and daughters of the soil are not in our languages

As we ideologically and intellectually engage the same enemy we trounced on the battlefield, let us do so in our languages.

Our erstwhile colonisers are producing copious amounts of reading material, constantly lamenting the demise of Rhodesia in their language.

Why don’t we also produce copious amounts of their cruelty, of our stories and aspirations — in our languages.

The rich legacy of our struggles, right from the day the Union Jack was raised in the then Salisbury (Harare) to date, must be written and documented in our languages.

Let us also never tire celebrating being Zimbabwean and doing so in our local languages is key. 

Let us also nurture our children to be proud of their local languages.

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