Language vital cog in a people's culture

Speech by Honourable Information, Media, and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Chris Mushohwe at the official launch of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) Montrose Studios news bulletins in nine languages.

Salutations!

Pamusoroi vanoremekedzwa Chief Hwange neMadzimambo ese ari pano,

Honourable Deputy Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Mathuthu, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Charamba, acting chief executive officer of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation Mr Patrick Mavhura, the chief executive officer of Transmedia Mai Sigudu-Matambo, Heads of Government Departments here present;Vice Chancellors here present, officials from the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, senior management of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, representative of the National Arts Council, independent producers, staff of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, invited guests, ladies and gentlemen!

Today is a historic day indeed as the ZBC acting chief executive officer Mr Mavhura has said.

It is not a day of celebration for the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation or my ministry alone, but an important day for all Zimbabweans as we are putting the final nail in the coffin of colonialism.

Language is an effective tool for colonisation, which is why we were forced to learn to speak the language of the colonialist, for a language comes with the culture of a people.

So when we address each other in a certain language, we are also exchanging its cultural values.

By finally accepting our own languages and putting them on national television, we are proudly saying as Zimbabweans we can communicate in our own languages.

We can hear each other in our national languages and proudly share our Zimbabwean cultures.

This makes it a great day indeed.

We are here for the launch of television News Bulletins in nine national languages.

In other words we are today introducing nine languages on television, languages that were formerly marginalised.

With this occasion we are giving such languages the respect they deserve as Zimbabwean languages, and also fulfilling the dictates of our Constitution, which recognises 16 national languages.

Of these nine languages, four were introduced on television in 2016, while five will be introduced today.

Last year in September ZBC introduced television bulletins in the following languages:

Indebo-Nambya

Ditaba-Sotho

Makani-Tonga

Mafhungu-Venda

These were the pioneer bulletins in the promotion of all our national languages on television.

Today we are proudly launching the following news bulletins:

Nkani-Chewa

Mashoko-Ndau

Ndebo-Kalanga

Indaba-Xhosa

This marks nine the number of "new'' bulletins introduced on television news.

The above bulletins join the already existing news bulletins in Ndebele, Shona, English and Sign Language, which are already broadcast on ZBC television.

The remaining languages to be brought in on television are:

Chibarwe

Tswana

Khoisan

Chisocha

And as the minister responsible, l want to assure our chiefs that bulletins in the remaining three languages will be on air soon as the ZBC acting chief executive officer has promised.

Let me however, point out that these languages are already being broadcast on radio on National FM.

However, l cannot sit down without reflecting on the theme of this launch which l find very appropriate for such an event.

Celebrating Cultural diversity through broadcasting. United in Diversity!!

A language is an important element of a people's culture. By introducing on television news bulletins in languages that were previously not broadcast, as a national broadcaster ZBC is promoting the cultures associated with these languages.

In other words, the introduction of these languages is synonymous with the introduction or exposure of the cultures associated with the languages to the nation.

Zimbabweans should be aware and proud of their languages and culture.

Therefore with the introduction of each news bulletin on television, the nation is indeed celebrating the cultures of Zimbabwe.

While our cultures are diverse, the people of Zimbabwe remain united against common causes like protecting our sovereignty, developing the economy and against our enemies like neo-colonialists, hunger, corruption and other vices, which threaten the nation.

So while there is diversity - it has not divided us as a nation, thus the phrase we are indeed united in diversity.

And let me, therefore, remind the national broadcaster that one of its important mandates is to bring together and unite the people of Zimbabwe regardless of their diverse cultures.

Our independence and sovereignty, the peace that we have and the unity brought by our fathers, the late Umdala Joshua Nkomo and our President Robert Mugabe should never be taken for granted.

The national broadcaster, and any broadcaster in Zimbabwe for that matter, should fight through its programming to safeguard the sovereignty and integrity of Zimbabwe, and one such way is through the promotion of languages and cultures of this nation.

This launch, Mr Mavhura and your team, is the beginning.

As you have already said, we expect to see Montrose Studios being expanded now to accommodate more programmes in the 16 languages of Zimbabwe.

We want to see Current Affairs Programmes, dramas, comedies and much more in the languages of the bulletins we are launching today.

Independent producers must take up this challenge as I have said before.

Let us see and celebrate our languages and cultures on radio and national television.

Having said this, it is my singular honour and privilege to declare the Television National News bulletins, also known as the Montrose Studio Bulletins, officially launched.

Madzimambo edu, ladies and gentlemen and viewers at home and listeners on radio, allow me to introduce the first two bulletins which will run for the first time on television.

Mashoko - which is a bulletin in Ndau and iNdaba - which is a bulletin in Xhosa.

I thank you!