Ele-Zimbabwe ngolweSibili limanyane lamanye amazwe omhlaba ukunanza ilanga eliqakathekisa ulimi lukamama ele-International Mother Language Day 2023, ngesikhathi abenhlangothi ezitshiyeneyo zempilo bekhankasela ukuphathwa kwendimi zonke ngokulingeneyo phansi kweziqondiso zesisekelo sombuso welizwe.
Abenhlanganiso yomanyano wamazwe omhlaba eye-United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), babika ukuba isilinganiso phose sokungamatshumi amane ekhulwini sabantu emhlabeni jikelele bayehluleka ukuthola imfundo ngolimi abalukhulumayo kumbe abaluzwisisayo.
Kunje, ingcwethi zithi kungalesi sizatho kwabekwa eceleni iminyaka elitshumi esukela koka-2019 kusiya ku-2029, abayithi yi-International Decade of Indigenous Languages, emizameni yokuthuthukisa indimi zikamama.
U-Dr. Mbulisi Ndlovu, umgcinisihlalo wohlangothi olubona ngezokufundiswa kwendimi ekolitshini le-Lupane State University, ulandisa ngokuqakatheka kwalezi ndimi.
“Okusadingeka ukubana njengabantu abansundu, lanxa sathola uzibuse kwezombusazwe, kusadingakala ukubana sithole uzibuse egqondweni, abakuthi ngesiLungu, yi-decoloniality. Ingqondo zethu lokhe zisesengaphansi kwesiKhiwa; lokhe sisikhonza kangaka isiKhiwa. Kukhanya engani nxa umuntu ekhuluma isiKhiwa, ukhanya engathi ngumuntu ongcono. Njalo abanye uyawuzwe abanye besithi, ufundile lo ukhuluma isiKhiwa. Engani imfundo yinto elinganiswa ngokuthi umuntu ukhuluma isiKhiwa okungakanani. Ikanti hayi, indimi zethu lazo ziqakatheke ngendlela efananayo lasonaleso isiKhiwa.”
UNkosikazi Barbra Clara Makhalisa-Nkala, ongumlobi odume ngokuloba ngesiNdebele, owabumba inhlanganiso eye-Barbra Clara Makhalisa-Nkala Literary Trust yena uphatha ngokuqakatheka kokulondolozwa kwalezi ndimi.
“Ulimi lwakho yilifa lakho, ungubani, owangaphi, uvelaphi, ujongeni , uyangaphi, kuyini okujongileyo empilweni? Uphakathi kwabanye abantu, ungumuntu ukhuluma ulimi lwakho ozigqaja ngalo, onguwe ngalo. Ukhuluma kuhle uzwakale kuhle ulobe kuhle ngolimi lwakho ugabaza ngezitsho lezaga ezibonisa ukujula lokunotha kolimi lwakho, bala, bhala mkhokheli wakusasa. Sizama khonalokhu ukuthi sikhuthaze abatsha ukuthi kababale kakhulukazi, njalo babhale ukuze isiphala solimi singayi phansi; siqhubeke sisiya phambili. Ulimi luqakathekile.”
Kwasekelwa ngumsunguli wenhlanganiso ye-Coalition for Market and Liberal Solutions (COMALISO) Zimbabwe, uMnu. Rejoice Ngwenya.
“Ukuphumelela komhlaba, umnotho kumbe ezombuso welizwe, kuba lula nxa kusetshenziswa indimi ezitshiyeneyo. Ukusebenzisa indimi ezitshiyeneyo kumbe ukukhuluma indimi ezitshiyeneyo ezimbalwa, kuletha ukubambana, kuletha impumelelo lokuhlakanipha nje kuyatshiyana. Lolusuku oluqinisa lokunanza indimi ezitshiyeneyo ngolimi lukamama. Lusuku oluqakathekileyo esifanele lathi silunanze.”
Isikhulumeli senhlanganiso yababalisi eye-Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe-ARTUZ, uMnu. Thembakuye Moyo, uthi yikho kuqakathekile ukuthi ezikolweni zehlandla le-Primary, kusetshenziswa ulimi lukamama kuqala.
“Indimi zonke kaziphathwe ngokulinganayo, emsakazweni, ekunikeni imibiko endaweni ezehlukeneyo, ephalamende. Kunje nje khathesi abantu abafuna ukuvotelwa bazahamba sebesiyakhankasa, uthole ukuthi lapho abakhankasa khona basebenzisa ulimi olungaziwa ngabantu abafuna ivoti labo. Khonokhuyana ngesisekelo sombuso kuyabe kutshengisa ukuthi abantu ulimi kabaluhloniphi, ulimi kabaluqakathekisi. Ezikolweni ke lakho uhulumende kakwenze kube ngumthetho oqinileyo hayi owokukhuluma nje, umthetho wolimi lukamama. Akube yinsika ekuthumeleni ababalisi ukuthi baye ezikolweni ukuyafundisa.”
Omunye wababalisi asebekumhlalaphansi uMnu. Ben Moyo uthi kuqakathekile ukuthi umuntu abe lolwazi ngolimi lukamama.
“Uma sisebenzisa ezethu indimi sazi ngcono ngamasiko ethu, sazi ngcono ngemvelaphi yethu, sazi ngcono ngembali yethu. Kuba lula futhi ukuthi sifunde ngalo ulimi lwethu izinto ezinje ngenombolo, o-Science labo-Geography, kwenza ukufunda kwethu esikolo kube lula. Kwenza njalo sihlonipheke ngabanye bezinye izizwe uma sisebenzisa ezethu indimi, singasebenzisi indimi zokweboleka.”
Abe-UNESCO bathi bazaba lomkhosi wokunanza i-International Mother Language Day, ngoLwesine ngayonale iviki. Leli langa linanzwa mhlaka 21 Nhlolanja minyaka yonke njengendlela yokulondoloza kanye lokuthuthukisa indimi ezitsheyeneyo ezifundweni. Lolu suku lwaqala ukunanzwa phansi kweziqondiso ze-UNESCO ngomnyaka ka1999.
