Warning to ZNBC’s Margret Chisulo; stop M’membe’s Post’s ‘Bemba national language’ rhetoric – Pt 2

Warning to ZNBC’s Margret Chisulo; stop M’membe’s Post’s ‘Bemba national language’ rhetoric – Pt 2

By Austin Mbozi

My book ‘Language Politics in Zambia’ (2018) advices how you should think about local languages.

First, Margret Chisulo should either have stopped all callers using local languages (including Bemba/Nyanja) or allow all. If she allowed all, she should simply have let that Lozi caller finish speaking, and then say ‘well viewers my understanding Lozi is not YET good (use the word ‘yet’ to show that you are willing to learn it) but may my fellow panelists or other callers elaborate her points please?’ Private TV presenters of Prime/Diamond TVs do this! ZNBC’s Lozi presenters who do not understand Bemba do this. But Margret’s ‘chasing’ of a Lozi caller clearly shows that she grew up believing the M’membe’s Post’s view/ attitude that Bemba/Nyanja are the only ‘national languages’.

Second, the ‘Zambezians’ (Tongas, Lozis, Luvales, Lundas, Kaondes) must top thinking that presidents Kaunda and Chiluba imposed the spread of their region’s Bemba language. ‘Zambezians’ wrongly think a ‘Zambezian’ president like HH will also spread theirs. No! Bemba/Nyanja are not spreading by politics but by the SOCIAL aggressive use of their speakers.

Since Reverend William Arthur Philips opened the Baptist Mission at Kafulafuta in 1905, Lamba was taught in Coppebelt schools. But the colonial administration since the 1920s recruited over 60 per cent of the mining workforce from northern regions. When these outnumbered the local Lamba, the colonial Native Education Board in 1929 replaced Lamba with Bemba; also recognising Tonga, Nyanja and Lozi for other regions. Lunda and Luvale were only recognised by the Justice MacDonnell Commission in 1939 after their speakers united to fight out Lozi from their region. Kaunda’s UNIP recognised Kaonde in 1965, but ignored the 26 March 1968 poster-protests for Lamba re-introduction.

By 1968, Lozi dominated Livingstone. Sixty nine point one per cent spoke it because the colonial government, through the Witwatersrand Labour Authority (WNLA), recruited Lozis into South Africa and to labour-construct the railway line that reached Livingstone in 1905. The local Tongas were wealthy cattle keepers, proudly rejecting ‘such’ work; just like Zulus refused to work in Kwazulu-Natal suger plantations, forcing colonists to import Indian labourers (producing those beautiful ‘fanta coloured’ girls you see in Durban!).

When the railway reached Lusaka, colonists ‘imported’ Eastern Province labourers, spreading Lusaka Nyanja. Those transported to Copperbelt mines produced Bemba-speaking ‘Copperbeltan’ Easterners like human rights activist Lucy Banda (who married Sichone). Soccer commentator Dennis Liwewe would comment on them like, ‘Here comes mwana wa kwitu Lucky Msiska, turning 360 degrees to pass the ball to Samuel ‘Zoom’ Ndlovu… And Willie Phiri loses the ball to Zairean defender Eugene Kabongo Ngoyi, who does a double one two with Mwepu Ilunga… we are in ‘maningi’ trouble with their striker Ngaye Mulamba. … and the ball zooms out for a throw, a throw to Zambia…yah, yah, yah, yah… Marcha Chilemena what is your comment?’ Such non-Bembas also bully you to speak Bemba while real northern-based Bembas don’t.

Third, my book teaches ‘Zambezians’ that no ‘Zambezian’ president will help them spread their language. Just socially-use them aggressively: (a) If Bemba/Nyanja speakers call to an English programme, just also call in your language. (b) Use your money to spread your language. If a seller addresses you in Bemba/Nyanja in non-Nyanja-Bemba regions, respond in yours or else don’t buy. My book (page 146) gives this Nigerian comedy by Basketmouth. A wealthy American confronted a receptionist in a Nigerian bank saying, ‘may I see your ‘‘fuckin’’ manager?’ The receptionist furiously warned , ‘sorry sir, we don’t use such language here’. When the manager heard them quarreling he came down stairs. The American asked, ‘are you the ‘‘fuckin’’ manager?’ Upset, the manager also told off the American. Then the American said, ‘okay I am leaving. I wanted to invest my 100 million dollars in your ‘‘fuckin’’ bank but you are lecturing me about your ‘‘fuckin’’ language manners’! Fearing to lose all this money the manager suddenly changed saying, ‘or sorry sir, yes I am the ‘‘fuckin’’ manager and I am sorry for my ‘‘fuckin’’ secretary’s rudeness to you. Let’s go to my ‘‘fuckin’’ office to receive your ‘‘fuckin dollars!’’’.

Money talks! (c) When speaking Lozi, dress elites like Innocent Kalaluka (of ZNBC), Simataa Simataa , Christine Munalula (where are you ‘mbuya’), Akashambatwa Lewanika or bo professor Sitwala Imenda of Kwazulu University, don’t speak Lozi dressed scruffy like my ‘mbuye’ opposition ‘president’ Alex Muliokela. Congolese musicians like Koffi Olomide make Lingala seem elite by elite-like dressing. (d) Code-mix your Lozi songs with popular languages English/Nyanja or Bemba. Music spreads language best. My craziness for rhumba drove me into learning some Lingala and polished my Bemba by mimicking the likes of Kings Malembe Malembe’s ‘Yahweh mwimpitilila iyo’ as I drive on long journey. Tonga music singer Mr Crown is globally selling because his ‘Don’t Go Away’ hit code-mix Bemba/Nyanja/English, funs familiar with these languages end up loving to mimic that Tonga part about ‘inga nda promisa nyama/shawama [but] akubola ndaleta impwa/delele’. (e) Your non-Lozi wife should speak Lozi, or else divorce her; just like Lozi women married to Bemba men must speak Bemba. (f) Use Lozi not only in hostile reactions to anti-Bemba dominance. Use it to praise Bemba people. Bembas loved the ‘mwamukolo’ (in the boat) Lozi word because it was used to support their tribesman Sata’s PF ‘pabwato’ campaign. My ‘imported’ Bemba players into my village soccer team love Tonga-Lenje because their supporters sing them praises in these languages.

My book’s Chapter 9 sub-title is, ‘Tonga: The Language that fears the city’. Tongas feared being comedy-joked as ‘amundipe baanzi ijisi Colgate akati’ (cream donald ), ‘amundipe T-shirt ichongedwe’ (Nike T-shirt) or ‘ndiite kuti chikkala’ not ‘aisha’ (which sounds town not village). I gave them self-confidence. I coach/play ‘madala’ soccer in Tonga (ask UNZA sports boss Mr Nshimbi). Now the likes of Lucky Comedy are spreading Tonga further in cities.

The author published ‘Language Politics in Zambia’ (2018). Phone +260-978-741920. Email: austin.mbozi2017@gmail.com