Bridget Mabanda
Government will soon be developing a National Languages Policy and a National Languages Act with the attendant National Languages Board and National Languages Fund, the Ministry of Youth, Sports, Arts and Recreation has announced.
In a statement on the commemorations of the UNESCO World Decade of Indigenous Languages Day Tuesday, the Ministry said these developments are essential frameworks for the development of indigenous languages, adding the magnitude and import of such a critical resource as language and the effect that it has on nation-building cannot be left to chance.
"Premised on the mantra, ‘Nyika inovakwa neve vayo/ Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabaninibalo,’ indigenous languages remain a vital cog and an indispensable heritage for inclusive access to quality basic services across all the sectors of society. The key is to ensure increased production, productivity and inclusivity," reads the statement from the Ministry.
Zimbabwe’s constitution, Amendment (No.20) lists 15 indigenous languages as officially recognised and the National Languages Indaba held in Victoria Falls in June 2022 was a key mechanism for giving effect to the language provisions of the Act.
"The National Languages Indaba sought to promote, preserve and develop all the officially recognised languages of Zimbabwe, including those that are yet to be officially recognised. All these efforts are in a bid to attain parity and inclusivity.
"The Government established the National Languages Advisory Committee (NALAC) with the intention of re-defining the role of Zimbabwe’s Indigenous Languages in achieving an upper middle-income society by 2030.
Thus, Government is working with NALAC and in line with the African Academy of Languages (ACALAN), an African Union Commission institution entrusted with the task of developing and promoting African languages," the Ministry further stated.
Zimbabwe is planning to celebrate ACALAN’s declared African Languages Week from 24-30 January 2023, whose theme will be “African Languages for Sustainable Food, Cultural and Socio-Economic Development for the Africa we Want”.
Currently, the National Languages Institute, domiciled at the Midlands State University (MSU) already offers translation services, terminology development, lexicography activities, brailing services, orthography development, literature development, speech therapy, Sign Language services, language technology and language instruction courses as critical exercises of fulfilling its mandate.
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