Newly elected Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader, Nelson Chamisa has lived up to his April 7, 2018, promise where he vowed to polish his Ndebele speaking skills to thousands of Bulawayo residents he was addressing at White City stadium in the build-up to last year’s election.
Yesterday, while addressing MDC supporters who remained glued to what was initially meant to be a three-day national congress but ended up spilling into the fourth day, 263Chat witnessed the 41-year-old leader showcase his Ndebele speaking skills to a wide applause of appreciation from the crowd.
Last year, as he pointed out his government’s resolutions, Chamisa said it will be compulsory for national leaders to be able to speak both Ndebele and Shona languages after he had made an attempt at a few Ndebele words.
“Pardon me, my Ndebele is still being perfected but in the new dispensation (MDC government) we want to make sure that it is compulsory for our national leaders to speak both languages.
“We do not want language imperialism in the new dispensation, no language should be superior than the other, where you belittle other people’s languages while you want to advance your own. We are correcting that and it has to start with your president” he said.
Most politicians in Zimbabwe have come under heavy criticism for failing to master the Ndebele language as some are accused of using Shona and English while addressing rallies in the Matabeleland region.
