Ndebele ban in Binga a complex matter, says Dokora

AS debate over a Binga Rural District Council resolution to ban the teaching of Ndebele rages on, indigenous languages associations have blasted Government for trying to stifle the preservation of these languages.

Last week the Binga RDC passed a resolution banning the teaching of Ndebele in schools in the district, a move they said was aimed at promoting the Tonga language and preserving traditional values.

Contacted for comment, Primary and Secondary Education Minister, Lazarus Dokora, said his office had not yet been made aware of the matter but noted that it was a complex matter that required wide consultation.

"Before one makes such a unilateral decision there are a host of other factors that have to be considered like the curriculum and even whether there are teachers to do that or not, therefore, it is not something that can just happen overnight and as a council they just do not have the jurisdiction to pass such a resolution," said Dokora.

Matabeleland North provincial education director, Mrs Boithatelo Mnguni, echoed the minister's sentiments, noting that the move by the district should not be mistaken for a resolution but was just a mere motion that Tonga be included in the new education curriculum.

She said no council had the sole power to wholly ban the teaching of a subject, as this onus lay with Government alone.

"We will soon be having our curriculum review and I guess this is the best time they can table this motion of theirs. What is important to realise is that a curriculum is bigger than a district or province as it is national and only the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has the power to change a curriculum," said Mrs Mnguni.

Zimbabwe Indigenous Languages Promotion Association chairperson, Mrs Maretha Dube, said curriculum or no curriculum, the people from Binga had the power to either preserve or maintain their language and culture.

She said it was essentially wrong for Government to try and block the promotion of indigenous languages, which she noted was revealing its double standards.

"People from Binga are the owners of Binga. They know themselves better; they best know their identity and culture and the move by that council is to simply claim their right. If Government tries anyhow to block this resolution, it is like saying they are blocking their being Tonga.

"We must not take this as a fight against anyone but it is the people from Binga saying they were lost but they have now been found. They are not fighting anyone but they are promoting their interests because frankly, for how long will they hide behind a finger and claim to be Ndebele when they know that they are Tonga," said Mrs Dube.

She said the councillors in Binga had realised that one cannot be Tonga if they did not either speak Tonga or understood the culture of the Tonga.

Mr Saul Gwakuba Ndlovu, a trustee in the Khalanga Culture and Languages Promotion Association, said in any country there was an official language and the language of record. He said the time had come for Zimbabwe to accept the indigenous languages as part of the country's languages of record.

"While we are slowly getting to accept the so-called minority languages as part of the country's official languages, the move by Binga Rural District Council is to say the time has come for the country to recognise them as languages of record.

"I believe this move should act as a sign to the Government that the time has come to amend our laws such that each individual language spoken in each area should be taught in that area because we have a danger of encouraging cultural imperialism," said Mr Ndlovu.

Zimbabwe Indigenous Languages Promotion Association committee member representing the Tonga, Reverend Jeffrey Muleya said it was essential that Government supports this move as in any society language and culture worked hand in glove.

"Government has previously been supportive of promoting indigenous languages and I believe this is now the test we have all been waiting for to show how committed they are because the goal to preserve any language and culture starts at the formative years of any child and in this case it has to happen within the school set-up.

"It is because of this that I believe that this is a necessary and positive move by the Binga council and we look forward to more councils following suit," said Rev Muleya.

Binga RDC chairperson Councillor Dube Munkombwe said as far as they were concerned this was a binding resolution as they believed it fulfilled the provisions of the new Constitution that recognises Tonga as an official language.

"Tonga is an official language and because of this we believe we have all the right to choose what our children are to learn. We did not err as everyone wants to believe, we are simply saying it is our right and we will continue fighting for this," said Clr Munkombwe.