Zimbabwe Vice President Mujuru Launches Tonga Program

Vice President Joice Mujuru receives a sheep from Chief Kavula after launching a language programme aimed at documenting the history of the Tonga people at Lubimbi High School in Binga on October 20, 2012., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

VP Mujuru launches Tonga programme

Monday, 22 October 2012 07:07
Tendai Mugabe recently in Binga
Zimbabwe Herald

Vice President Joice Mujuru has launched the Tonga language pro­gramme aimed at documenting the history of the Tonga people.

The programme was launched on Saturday at Lubimbi High School in Binga. Under the programme being sup­ported by Twalumba Holdings, Tonga people would be asked to write poems, essays and stories on anything about Tonga language and culture.

The write-ups would be used to document the Tonga history and as part of the material for a Bachelor of Arts Degree introduced by the Uni­versity of Zimbabwe Department of African Languages.

Speaking at the launch, VP Mujuru said it was important to note that the Tonga people were still committed to their culture.

“The issue of our languages makes me feel happy. We take pride from young people like Dr Nkululeko Sibanda (Twalumba Holdings chief executive chairman), who are still committed to their culture,” she said.

VP Mujuru said President Mugabe initiated a programme to learn Tonga language in 1980, but it collapsed because there were no Tonga teachers in the country at that time.

She donated 4 210 Tonga text­books and 4 200 exercise books for distribu­tion to schools in the Lubimbi cluster.

VP Mujuru said they were target­ing to print 50 000 Tonga textbooks to promote learning of the language.

The books are part of the 30 000 consignment donated to 150 schools in Binga by Cablemail.

VP Mujuru said part of the US$14,5 million Matabeleland North Commu­nity Share Ownership Scheme should be channelled towards electrification of Lubimbi High School and expan­sion of Lubimbi Clinic.

Lubimbi High School received 10 computers donated by President Mugabe in 2008, but they are lying idle because of lack of electricity. Dr Sibanda said the launch of the Tonga writing and poetry was a huge milestone in the history of the Tonga people.

“Our language has been distorted and mutilated, for example, we are called Tonga instead of Vasidonga. We have been made to feel inferior over the years and as a result we changed our names,” he said.

Dr Sibanda said the UZ Depart­ment of African Languages partnered with the University of Zambia to teach Tonga since there are no local lectur­ers on the language.