Costain Tandi

Inclusion of the Tjwao language in the Constitution of Zimbabwe: Tjwa Expectations versus Reality

For decades, the Tjwa people, who are believed to be the first inhabitants of Zimbabwe have experienced, among other injustices, lack of recognition by both colonial and post-colonial governments. The present government only recognised their language, Tjwao, in the Constitution of 2013, Chapter 1, Section 6 (1) which is erroneously captured as Khoisan. The Tjwao is left with less than 3000 members of whom less than 250 are active speakers. Almost ten years after the 2013 Constitution, Tjwao is still threatened with extinction; remain underdeveloped except for limited efforts by independent anthropologists and linguists. This paper discusses Tjwa expectations following their inclusion in the Constitution versus the reality on the ground. Using qualitative methodology, open-ended interviews were administered with two Tjwao linguist activists and twenty (20) Tjwa people in the Tholotsho District of northwestern Zimbabwe where they are located. This was done in order to establish their expectations versus reality of their situation. Data gathered during this study revealed that the Tjwa feel that the recognition they were accorded by the 2013 Constitution was not only erroneous but never implemented. The research participants for the study reported that the Zimbabwean Government did not, in any way, attempted to improve the linguistic situation of the Tjwa people. They expected the constitutional recognition of their language to open avenues and enhance access to education for their children which in turn would improve their livelihoods, inclusion in development issues and access to opportunities. Besides, they expected their language to be rescued from “language shift” which they say are forced into, in order to increase chances of getting menial jobs employment for basic survival needs from the dominant Ndebele people whom they live in contact with in northwestern Zimbabwe. The paper argues there is linguistic exclusion of the Tjwa people in Zimbabwe and concludes that their plight must be seriously considered by the government of Zimbabwe.