Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation says indigenous languages remain a vital cog and an indispensable heritage for inclusive access to quality and basic services across all sectors of society.
In a Press Statement to mark commemorations of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Decade of Indigenous Languages Day, the ministry said language is a powerful vehicle that carry people’s culture, being and identity.
“For giving effect to the language provisions of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Act (N0.20), the magnitude and import of such a critical resource as language and the effect that it has on nation-building, cannot be left out to be celebrated,” reads the statement.
The ministry said Government will develop a National Languages Policy and a National Languages Act to promote the development of indigenous languages and increasing their functional space in high function domains.
“The Government established the National Languages Advisory Committee (NALAC) with the intention of re-defining the role of Zimbabwe’s Indigenous Languages in achieving an upper middle-income society by 2030, it is working with NALAC and inline with African Academy of Languages (ACALAN),an African Union Commission institution entrusted with the task of developing and promoting African languages,” reads the statement.
The World Decade of Indigenous Languages Day is commemorated annually to promote, preserve and develop all the officially recognized languages of Zimbabwe, including those that are yet to be officially recognized and the efforts are in a bid to attain parity and inclusivity.
