THE
PRIME MINISTER, Kassim Majaliwa has said that the
Government continues to take steps to ensure that it promotes and spreads the
Kiswahili language in the world, including instructing all Tanzanian embassies
to set up language centers. He said this today March 18, 2024 in this city
opening the fourth conference of Kiswahili Channels in the World.
Majaliwa said the
Government is preparing a national strategy to make the language an economic
opportunity.
He has said that until
now Tanzanians living abroad, have already received education if it is to
increase the scope of employment.
He asked the citizens to
organize themselves well so as not to lose this opportunity to the needy.
"There are embassies
that have opened Kiswahili language centers such as Korea, Colombia, Italy,
Zimbabwe and France. I was happy when I arrived at a school in Korea to talk to
Koreans who spoke Kiswahili and others have given themselves names including
Zuhura, Tausi, Joseph and Adam," he said. add:
"In that sense, we
must organize ourselves well otherwise jobs will leave us and go to those who
love this language. The government is preparing a national strategy to make
this language an economic opportunity," said Majaliwa.
He said that currently
the language has taken a big step, previously it was connecting the countries
of East Africa, but now it has started reaching the region of the Southern
African Development Community (SADC) where there are people who speak
Kiswahili.
He said in honoring the
work of the leaders of the first phase who influenced the language, Kiswahili
must be used without being mixed in any events including in parliament.
"In promoting this
language, the area of journalists needs to be improved and it is important now
to provide guidance to remove those individual languages. The Ministry should
find a strategy to train young people to get rid of the distortion of the
language by considering the use of grammar," he ordered.
He has given instructions
to the Tanzania Standards Agency (TBS) and the Medicines and Medical Devices
Authority (TMDA) to collaborate with the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Sports,
and the Ministry of Information, Youth, Culture and Sports in Zanzibar to
translate the language on the medical equipment.
He has also asked the
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to prepare and strengthen
training by preparing language translation experts to provide scope for
Tanzanians to find employment.
"Bakita and Bakiza
implement a training program for editors, writers of books, all government
documents should be in Kiswahili language as well as all events, and if there
is someone from outside who does not understand Kiswahili, they should be
helped with special equipment or an interpreter," he said.
Minister of Information,
Youth, Culture and Sports Zanzibar, Tabia Maulid said his ministry in
collaboration with Dr. Damas Ndumbaro (Minister of Culture, Arts and Sports)
will ensure that they promote the language and bring income to the country,
also maintain culture.
"Dr. Ndumbaro, we
will work together to implement the instructions of the leaders to ensure that
we promote this language for the benefit, including the output of our
countries," said Tabia.
The Executive Secretary
of the Tanzania Kiswahili Council (Bakita), Consolata Mushi said the aim of the
conference is to look at the use of language, content in writing and
broadcasting.
"At the conclusion
of this conference, we will receive the ideas, advice and suggestions of the
participants and then the Council will work on them, including the mistakes
made by the media," he said.