CHIPINGE — Chipinge South legislator Clifford Hlatshwayo has called on the Government to stop teaching Shona in schools in the constituency, arguing that Nda...
CHIPINGE — Chipinge South legislator Clifford Hlatshwayo has called on the Government to stop teaching Shona in schools in the constituency, arguing that Ndau should be prioritised as the indigenous language of the area.
Hlatshwayo said children in Chipinge should be taught in their local language and called for Ndau-speaking teachers to be deployed to schools in the area.
He made the remarks during the Matlharihasi Festival held at Hakamela Stadium in Mahenye, Chipinge South, last Friday.
The festival brought together traditional leaders from Chipinge and Chiredzi, as well as representatives from Gonarezhou Conservation Trust, Chilo Gorge and Save Valley Conservancy.
Hlatshwayo said teaching Shona to children in a predominantly Ndau-speaking community amounted to what he described as cultural colonisation.
“What pains me is that we are being forced to learn a language that is alien to us. We are Shanghani, we are Ndau, let us learn our language. Learning in Shona is colonisation. Government should support our indigenous language,” Hlatshwayo said.
He also called for the deployment of teachers who speak Ndau to schools in Chipinge, saying this would help children learn and understand their cultural heritage.
His comments were supported by Chief Gezani, who said education in indigenous languages could help preserve local culture.
“I support the MP. Teaching our children in their indigenous language will enable them to know and understand better their culture. This will help preserve the culture,” Chief Gezani said.
Chiredzi traditional leader Chief Tshovani also supported the call for greater recognition of local cultures. He said communities should be taught their own traditional dances, including the popular Xibelani dance.
Hlatshwayo also criticised the teaching of Mbende Jerusarema dance in schools, arguing that it does not represent the culture of communities in his constituency.
“We don’t want our children to be taught Jerusarema dance, it’s not their culture. We have our own dances and our children should be taught those dances in schools,” he said.
The comments come as Zimbabwe continues implementing the Heritage-Based Curriculum for primary and secondary education.
The curriculum framework places indigenous language among the learning areas and says indigenous language is also used as a medium of instruction at the infant school level. The Government began implementing the Heritage-Based Curriculum Framework in 2024, with full implementation for specified grades and forms beginning in 2025.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has said the Heritage-Based Curriculum is intended to strengthen the teaching and preservation of Zimbabwe’s heritage, including indigenous knowledge, languages and cultural values.
In Parliament earlier this year, Education Minister Torerai Moyo said indigenous languages including Shona, Ndebele, Kalanga, Shangani and Tonga were part of the heritage-based approach. He said Government wanted children across Zimbabwe to learn indigenous languages while continuing to allow international languages such as French and German.
Hlatshwayo’s position therefore represents a call for greater localisation of language education in Chipinge rather than an existing Government decision to remove Shona from schools in the area.
The MP’s call also reflects wider discussions around the implementation of the Heritage-Based Curriculum and how indigenous knowledge and cultural practices should be incorporated into education.
The Matlharihasi Festival itself focused on culture and conservation, with organisers and community members linking cultural preservation to the relationship between communities and wildlife in Mahenye. Recent reporting from ZBC described the festival as a platform for celebrating traditional Shangani culture while promoting coexistence with wildlife.
Hlatshwayo was elected as the Citizens Coalition for Change legislator for Chipinge South in the 2023 elections. Parliament’s current committee membership also lists him as a member of the National Assembly.
