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<h1 class="entry-title">All languages are equal in Malawi: Tumbukas can fight to preserve their language</h1> <div class="entry-meta">
<span class="gmail-glyphicon gmail-glyphicon-calendar"></span> March 15, 2018
<span class="gmail-glyphicon gmail-glyphicon-user"> </span> Lowani Mtonga
<a href="https://www.nyasatimes.com/languages-equal-malawi-tumbukas-can-fight-preserve-language/#comments"> <span class="gmail-glyphicon gmail-glyphicon-comment"> </span> 5 Comments </a>
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<p>Desmond Dudwa Phiri has argued that if the Tumbukas want to preserve
their language they should initiate action. He has further shifted the
responsibility to Livingstonia Synod to preserve the language.</p><div class="gmail-NIe2bzCv" style="clear:both;float:left;width:100%;margin:0px 0px 20px">
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<p>What action the Tumbukas should take to achieve that goal is unclear.
Why the Livingstonia Synod should be singled out to preserve Tumbuka
language as if other churches do not preach in Tumbuka is something that
one cannot understand.</p>
<p>Preserving a language is not only the responsibility of the people
who speak it, but, to a large extent, a deliberate government policy.</p>
<p>Malawi lacks a language policy that can guide the government on how other languages should be promoted and treated.</p>
<p>For example, the State broadcaster should have been opened up to all
the ethnic groups to express themselves and not just Chichewa.</p>
<p>Besides, government should have been encouraging <a class="gmail-vglnk" title="Link added by VigLink" href="http://rd.bizrate.com/rd?t=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB07712SNFN%2Fref%3Dasc_df_B07712SNFN5397122%3Ftag%3Dshopz0d-20%26ascsubtag%3Dshopzilla_mp_1387-20%3BSZ_REDIRECT_ID%26creative%3D395261%26creativeASIN%3DB07712SNFN%26linkCode%3Dasn&mid=184059&cat_id=10010800&atom=10272&prod_id=&oid=8689874385&pos=1&b_id=18&bid_type=4&bamt=48cd9202db195e9b&cobrand=1&ppr=ea2c15a289e533b3&rf=af1&af_assettype_id=12&af_creative_id=2973&af_id=26865&af_placement_id=1&dv=0a2e9f0da04df303d857c98626b6609d" rel="nofollow"><span>Malawians</span></a> to use their mother language to communicate.</p>
<p>This is in line with Section 26 of the Constitution which says:
“Every person shall have the right to use the language and to
participate in the cultural life of his or her choice.”</p>
<p>Although the clause is vague, it is obviously referring to the right
of everyone to use their mother language or language of their choice in
public communication. But government has overlooked this important
clause to promote Chichewa only. Why?</p><div class="gmail-lgvGI3hy" style="clear:both;float:left;width:100%;margin:0px 0px 20px">
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<p>A government that is nondiscriminatory makes deliberate steps to promote all languages.</p>
<p>For example, the South African government promotes all the languages
equally, including sign language, which is now recognised as part of
language of communication.</p>
<p>All language groups are represented on the public broadcaster SABC
(they have their own radio stations) and learners at both primary and
high school are free to learn in their own language.</p>
<p>Since founding president Hastings Kamuzu Banda banned Tumbuka in 1969
on MBC, there has not been any political will to accord Tumbuka, spoken
by millions, its rightful place in Malawi.</p>
<p>All successive political parties that have been in power post 1994—United Democratic Front (UDF), People’s Party (PP) and <a class="gmail-vglnk" title="Link added by VigLink" href="http://rd.bizrate.com/rd?t=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB0742TQKQ7%2Fref%3Dasc_df_B0742TQKQ71520679600000%3Ftag%3Dshopzilla0d-20%26ascsubtag%3Dshopzilla_rev_5-20%3BSZ_REDIRECT_ID%26creative%3D395261%26creativeASIN%3DB0742TQKQ7%26linkCode%3Dasn&mid=184056&cat_id=10060900&atom=10303&prod_id=&oid=8371807855&pos=1&b_id=18&bid_type=4&bamt=823abe7ec9c4bc8a&cobrand=1&ppr=941a228c99a7c190&rf=af1&af_assettype_id=12&af_creative_id=2973&af_id=615103&af_placement_id=1&dv=0a2e9f0da04df303d857c98626b6609d" rel="nofollow"><span>Democratic </span><span>Progressive </span><span>Party</span></a> (DPP) have failed to promote minority languages.</p>
<p>What we have seen is systematic suppression and discrimination of Tumbuka and other minority languages.</p>
<p>For how long should this continue?</p>
<p>Section 20 of the Constitution prohibits discrimination of persons in
any form including language. The government should, therefore, be held
accountable for discriminating Tumbuka and other minority languages in
communication.</p>
<p>The Tumbukas and other minority groups have all the reason to demand
that government take necessary steps to promote their languages. One
such step is to have learners learn in their mother language in primary
schools. Citizens should be free to be who they are.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the government has maintained the policy that learners
in primary and secondary school should be learning Chichewa throughout
Malawi at the expense of other languages.</p>
<p>This policy was introduced by Kamuzu to suppress Tumbuka and other languages. It should be discontinued in a democratic era.</p>
<p>All languages are equal regardless of whether they are spoken by the majority or not.</p>
<p>It is equally unfortunate that members of Parliament have not raised
the issue of promoting all languages in Malawi in parliament.</p>
<p>The Tumbukas can fight to preserve their language, but if government closes space for that promotion it is a futile exercise.</p>
<p>Opening up MBC to diverse ethnic groups and changing the policy that
says learners should learn in their own mother tongue will go a long way
in preserving Tumbuka and other minority languages. The decision for
such a radical change cannot come from the Tumbukas or Livingstonia
Synod. It is the domain of Executive and Parliament</p></div>
<br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+<br><br> Harold F. Schiffman<br><br>Professor Emeritus of <br> Dravidian Linguistics and Culture <br>Dept. of South Asia Studies <br>University of Pennsylvania<br>Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305<br><br>Phone: (215) 898-7475<br>Fax: (215) 573-2138 <br><br>Email: <a href="mailto:haroldfs@gmail.com" target="_blank">haroldfs@gmail.com</a><br><a href="http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/" target="_blank">http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/</a> <br><br>-------------------------------------------------</div>
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