Ulimi lwesiTjwao lusalela emuva enhlelweni zokhetho
Thandeka Matebesi
Uhlelo lokubhalisa ukuvota obe luqhutshwa yinhlanganiso ebona ngezokhetho iZimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) soluveze ukuba ulimi lwesiTjwao lusancindezeleke kakhulu njalo lusalalela emuva nxa lulinganiswa lezinye indimi ezifana lesiNdebele enhlelweni zokuphatheka kwabantu kwezokhetho lokuthuthuka kwelizwe.
IsiTjwao kumbe isiKhoisan ngolunye lwendimi ezivumelekileyo ukusetshenziswa ngokusemthethweni elizweni le Zimbabwe yisisekelo sombuso sika 2013.
IsiTjwao silulimi lwama Tjwa kumbe amaSan atholakala endaweni ezifana le Gulalikabili, Mtshina, Sikente le Gariya ezaseTsholotsho eMatabeleland North kanye lezinye indawo ezase Bulilima eMatabeleland South.
UNever Maphosa ongumuntu omutsha ozalelwe eMtshina waphinda wakhulela khona uthe sekusele abadala abambalwa abakhuluma ulimi lwesiTjwao, inengi labantu ikakhulu abatsha bazikhulumela isiNdebele.
“Mina nginje angilukhulumi ulimi lwami olwesiTjwao ngoba sebebalutshwana abantu abalusebenzisayo esingafunda kubo. Kunje bekulohlelo oliqakathekileyo olwe ZEC lapho ekade behamba befundisa abantu ngendaba ezitshiye-tshiyeneyo eziphathelane lokuvota bekukhulunywa sona isiNdebele”, kuphawula Maphosa.
Ekhuluma lentathelizindaba yeCommunity Podium ngemuva kohlelo lokuncedisa izigaba ukubhalisa ukuvota olusanda kwedlula, umnumzana Davy Ndlovu ongumkhokheli we Tso-o-tso San Development Trust, inhlanganiso ebona ngokuthuthukiswa kwamasiko lemikhuba yamaTjwa, uveze ukuba ulimi lwesiTjwao lusetshenziswa luhlekana lwabantu abadala okubangela ukuthi iziphathamandla zikahulumende zisebenzise isiNdebele enhlelweni zokhetho.
“Ngesikhathi kuqhutshwa uhlelo lokubhalisa ukuvota yiZimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) olusanda kwedlula, ulimi olusetshenziswe kakhulu yisiNdebele ngenxa yokuthi abantu abanengi eTsholotsho sebezikhulumela isiNdebele kuhlanganisela lawo amaTjwa. IsiTjwao siyahlupha ngoba sikhulunywa ngabadala abalutshwana.
“Ulimi lwesiTjwao lucine ukusetshenziswa kuhle ngabo 1920, abadala yibo kuphela abasakhuluma ulimi lwakhona okubangela ukuthi abatsha bangabi lolwazi njalo kungabi lalutho olubhaliweyo ngolimi lolu”, kutsho umnu Ndlovu.
Uqhubekele phambili wathi ukusalela emuva kolimi lwesiTjwao enhlelweni zokuthuthuka kwelizwe lenhlelo zokhetho yikho okubafuqe ukuba baqale uhlelo lwe Tjwao Language Research Institute oluzancedisa ekubhalweni kwamabhuku lokunye okubalwayo ukuze ulimi luthuthuke lungaze lwatshabalala.
“Inhlanganiso yeTjwao Language Research Institute isungulwe ngoba silesifiso sokubona isiTjwao sisetshenziswa ezigabeni zama Tjwa kanye lohulumende enhlelweni ezitshiye-tshiyeneyo ngoba sesibhalwe phansi. Sikhangelele ukubhala amabhuku, indatshana, inkondlo lokunye okubalwayo ngeizathu sokulondoloza ulimi ukuze kube lula ukulusebenzisa,” kuchasisa uNdlovu.
Isisekelo sombuso ku *Section* 6 sikhuthaza uhulumende kanye lengatsha zikahulumende lezizimeleyo ukuthi zisebenzise ngokulinganayo indimi ezivumelekileyo ngokusemthethweni, njalo uhulumende ukhangelelwe ukuthi ahambe phambili enhlelweni zokukhuthaza ukusetshenziswa lokuthuthukiswa kwendimi zonke eziqanjwe esisekelweni sika 2013.
UNdlovu uthe kuyadanisa ukuthi ulimi lungabi lamabhuku lokunye okubalwayo okuyikho okuqhakathekileyo.
“Saqala ngokubhala phansi esiyabe sikuzwa abadala bekhuluma kodwa sasesinanzelela ukuthi kumele sikhuphule izinga sibhale lamabhuku. Kunje nxa sifuna ukukhuluma ngezinto ejayelekileyo njengesikolo, lomntwana wesikolo kumele siboleke ibala elithi kwele kulimi lwesiKalanga elitsho isikolo. Umntwana ngu cwa ngesi Tjwao, ekucineni siphuma lebala elithi kwele cwa”, kutsho uNdlovu.
UKhansila Jonathan Ndlovu ozabe emele ibandla leZANU PF ku Wadi 10 eTsholotsho ekhetweni olukhangelelwe ukuba khona phakathi kuka 26 Ntulikazi lo 26 Ncwabakazi lonyaka ugcizelele amazwi kaMnumzana Ndlovu wathi abakhokheli yibo okumele bahambe phambili ekusebenziseni ulimi ukuze abanye balandele.
“AmaTjwa manengi khonapha ku Ward 10 kodwa abasasikhulumi isiTjwao, sebezekhulumela isiNdebele njengawonke umuntu lapha eTsholotsho. Emalangeni bekulohlelo lokufundisa abantu ngezokhetho lolunye uhlelo lokubhalisa ukuvota, bekusebenza sona isiNdebele kungakhethelekile ukuthi yindawo yama Tjwa.
“Ngibona ngani njengabakhokheli singatshengisa isifiso sokufunda lokukhuluma ulimi lwesiTjwao ezigabeni zethu labo abanikazi bolimi sebengalandela”, kutsho ukhansila uNdlovu.
