By Abraham Mabvurira
THERE is an erroneous deep-rooted belief among some Africans that a person’s intelligence is measured by the ability to speak fluent English.
However, this is not the case and this is not true at all.
Firstly, a mind that is free from mental colonisation should understand that English language was introduced by Europeans as a weapon of a deadly cultural genocide. It was introduced as a weapon to maim and murder other nations’ cultures, identities, languages and traditions.
Unlike what most people think, the English language was not introduced to African schools as a yardstick of intelligence, nor was it introduced to establish how smart and bright the Africans were. It was not introduced as a way to measure our academic brilliance and learnedness. Rather it was introduced as a tool to conquer and defeat us as Africans. It was introduced in our respective countries through a harmful and counter-productive European education system aimed at causing a massacre to our languages, identities, cultures and indigenous knowledge systems.
Since language carries a people’s identity and culture, its introduction and acceptance in Africa meant losing much of our identities, languages and cultures. Secondly, the English language was introduced in Africa, and Zimbabwe in particular, during the period of colonisation as a tool of exploiting natives more easily and efficiently. It was introduced as a way to facilitate communication between the European master and his African servant.
Before the advent of the English language to African states, it was not easy for racist colonisers to give commands, orders, instructions and demands of exploitation to a Tonga, Ndebele or Shona speaker. As a result, the colonisers who first came to Africa found it necessary to introduce their colonial lingo (chilapalapa) to the natives to make the exploitation of Africans more smooth, easy and effective. Thirdly, the introduction of the English language to the African population was meant to exert and advance white supremacy, power and dominance. Blinded by the subjective and racist ‘Monroe Doctrine’, the European groups moved around the world teaching colonial natives the English language instead of them learning the language of the native people.
This was an arrogant, barbaric and unethical conduct, for our rich African culture teaches us that you can never visit someone’s home and try to teach the head of the house manners in his own home.
Fourthly, one should know that use of the English language by African leaders at international conferences and national gatherings does not mean they want to display their academic brilliance or portray how intellectually gifted they are, but rather it is a sign of resignation and despair. Their use of English as a vehicle of communication is simply because they do not have any other choice since in Africa, or Zimbabwe, we have so many ethnic groups. Consequently, this makes it difficult to use any African language on national and international platforms since each ethnic group needs a fair representation.
Writing this article in the coloniser’s language is a sign of resignation and defeat as well, but for the simple reason that this article would not reach a wider audience if written in any African language leaves me with no other options.
Therefore, this article seeks to reiterate that there is no link whatsoever between one’s ability to speak English and intellectual capabilities. Whereas one could appear dumb, stupid and dull in expressing oneself in the English language the other may speak meaningless and senseless things using fluent English.
Yes, we acknowledge the dominance of the British language as a medium of communication but that does not mean we should take it as a sign of wisdom, knowledge or academic brilliance. Just like the Chinese and Russians who have resisted being conquered by Britain, we long to see African leaders speaking in their native languages at UN summits just the way the late Muammar Gaddafi of Libya did during his time.
If the coloniser wants to understand speeches from African leaders at those international gatherings, they should translate and interpret our native languages into their own overrated English to understand what we are saying, for there is not a single nation that has a superior language that transcends all other global languages.
There is nothing intellectual, sacred nor holy about the English language, for each and every language is equally important as a communication channel during national and international conferences and discourses.
