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Mthabisi Tshuma, Features Correspondent

Speaking in what were regarded as minority languages in the pre-Independence era resulted in one being labelled an outcast.

Forty years later in a liberated Zimbabwe, the situation has changed as the country through Constitution Amendment (No. 20) Act 2013 recognises the importance of more languages.

The 16 officially recognised languages of Zimbabwe are Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Koisan, Nambya, Ndau, Ndebele, Shangani, Shona, sign language, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda and Xhosa.

In Matabeleland region, communities that include the Kalanga, Koisan, Nambya, Venda, Xhosa and Sotho finally found their voices loud and clear. Language activists in the region and elsewhere played a critical role in ensuring that they are recognised. Those that fought the country’s liberation struggle envisaged this form of equality among languages, the cultures they represent and by extension, the people who speak the tongues.

Former broadcaster, now Deputy Minister of ICT, Postal and Courier Services and TshiKalanga advocate Cde Dingumuzi Phuti said:

“The mischief of the colonial regime was to the extent that it didn’t respect the black people’s social and moral fabrics where they, from 1928 to 1931, hired one Professor Eric Doke from South Africa to come and design their language policy in this country because to them it was multifaceted to deal with various tribes and languages in the country. They decided to bunch everything by creating two war zones that they would manipulate to their advantage; that is the Ndebele and the Shona.

“The reality is that the Ndebele and Shona people of today as bunched by the white settlers are one united people. A majority of these people were taken from a number of languages who today are united,” said Cde Phuti.

He recalled how the broadcasting sector played a vital post-Independence role in ensuring that every language in the country is recognised and respected.

“Independence brought about change and a break from the controlling yoke, to say that we respect each and every culture and its characteristics and this has been slowly implemented.

“In the broadcasting sector that I’m conversant with, I remember Harry Nleya would do programs in Kalanga on Radio 4 and the cluster of languages had a group called Vetoka, a group of the Venda, Tonga and Kalanga speaking people who advocated for the recognition of their languages,” said Cde Phuti.

Being one of the born-free leaders, Cde Phuti said efforts made by the Government to recognise the previously marginalised groups has grown over the years.

Among those in high profile positions from previously marginalised groups are Advocate Jacob Mudenda, the current Speaker of the National Assembly and Minister of State in Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s Office Cde Evelyn Ndlovu who is also the Bulilima-Mangwe proportional representation legislator and committee member of the parliamentary portfolio on health.

Mr Davy Ndlovu, the Director of Creative Arts and Educational Development Association, an organisation which promotes San language and culture, said the San people who were among the first inhabitants of the country, have had to change their day to day living as they unite with other communities. He said they are happy that their language that was facing extinction has been elevated to the same status as the so-called major languages.

“During the struggle for Independence from white minority rule in Southern Rhodesia, which took place from 1965 to 1980, the Tjwa, like their neighbours the Ndebele, Kalanga, Nambya, and Tonga, supported the opposition to the white minority regime that ruled the country.

“In this process, the Tjwa and other people in Zimbabwe were moved into larger settlements that could be policed, patrolled, and protected more easily by white government forces,” said Mr Ndlovu.

He said although the San community have had to migrate from their initial place of residence, they are slowly getting used with the assistance and cooperation of fellow communities within their boundaries.

In Zimbabwe, the community is found on the outskirts of Bulilima District in Matabeleland South province and in Tsholotsho District in Matabeleland North.

“The current Tjwa/San communities of Tsholotsho inhabited the land 20 000 years ago, being continuously pushed to the remote areas by other stronger social groups. In 1928, they were moved from the main forest by the then white colonial government when the Hwange Game Reserve was created.

“This meant that the land which they occupied and used as a source of livelihood was drastically reduced. The then white minority government made promises to assist their adaptation to a sedentary lifestyle. As time went on, the Tjwa people had to live a life that vacillated between sedentary and nomadic, maintaining permanent homes, while depending on nomadic livelihood systems of hunting and gathering,” said Mr Ndlovu.

Continued nomadic lifestyles became increasingly difficult due to government laws on access and use of forest and wildlife resources for the San community.

“With increasing control on forest and wildlife resources through anti-poaching laws, dwindling forests, droughts and other socio-economic challenges, the Tjwa people found themselves at the edge of survival. This left them with limited livelihood options that were all based on adaptation to the sedentary lifestyles of neighbouring communities.”

Mr Ndlovu expressed hope that since their language and culture are now recognised, the San people will, in the coming few years be included in the central and local governance structures.

Ms Sihle Dube who is the Zimbabwe Indigenous Languages Association (ZILA) vice president said they have observed a positive change on the acceptance of marginalised communities.

“We have observed a positive change in relation to the lives and acceptance of marginalised communities in Zimbabwe.

“As an organisation that promotes the teaching and learning of indigenous languages, we’ve seen the adoption of the 1999 Nziramasanga Commission, the language policy and the 2013 Constitution of Zimbabwe brought the introduction and development of indigenous languages. They recognised all 16 languages spoken in Zimbabwe to be taught in their respective areas and to be treated equally,” said Ms Dube.

She said over the years, their organisation had played a critical role in the development of all the 16 languages but mostly the marginalised ones.

“As an alternative association that promotes the teaching and learning of indigenous languages, we have observed that these are useful to the development of our languages. We have observed a positive move by our government through the introduction of these languages as subjects.

“The indigenous languages are now taught from primary education up to universities. We have Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Polytechnic Teachers College and Great Zimbabwe University among others who provide lectures on indigenous languages. Most importantly is that these languages are now examined at national level. This shows the great change to Zimbabwe since independence,” she said. — @mthabisi_mthire.