The Politics of “Minority” Languages in Zimbabwe

Abstract

This article discusses the trajectory of language legislation in colonial and postcolonial Zimbabwe in order to demonstrate the influence of language-related constitutional provisions on the use of indigenous “minority” languages in the civil courts. Naturalistic data were collected from native speakers of Kalanga, Tonga and Shangani using semi-structured interviews. The data were analysed using Critical Discourse Analysis and the Ecology of Language theories. Our main findings demonstrate that national constitutions crafted during the colonial era undermined the use of “minority” languages in Zimbabwe. Despite numerous promises for total political and cultural liberation by the postcolonial administration, the use of Kalanga, Tonga and Shangani, just like that of many other indigenous languages, has remained generally limited due to the absence of a vigorous implementation matrix.

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