Mthobisi KaMalandela: Juni 2020

Zibalelwa ezinkulungwaneni eziyisikhombisa (7000) izilimi ezikhulunywayo emhlabeni wonke jikelele. Ulimi olulodwa kwezintathu (1/3) kulezi zilimi lukhulunywa abomdabu basezwenikazi i-Afrika. Yize izilimi ziningi kangaka emhlabeni kodwa kukhulu ukungalingani ekuhlonishweni kwazo. I- website yeNhlangano yeZizwe (United Nations) ishicilele ukuthi ngonyaka wezinkulungwane ezimbili nekhulu (2100) kungenzeka isigamu (uhhafu) wezilimi emhlabeni zishabalale kuhle kwamazolo ebona ilanga ngenxa yokucindezelwa izilimi zokufika. Izilimi zabomdabu yizona ezingcupheni kakhulu yokushabalala njengoba ucwaningo luveza ukuthi emavikini amabili ulimi olulodwa luyashabalala. Lokhu kudala okukhulu ukukhathazeka ngoba izilimi azigcini nje kuphela ngokuxhumanisa abantu kepha ziqukethe imfundiso ngomlando waleso sizwe esikhuluma lolo limi.

INingizimu Afrika inezilimi eziyisishumi naye ezisemthethweni njengokusho koMthethosisekelo. Eziyisishiyagalolunye kuzo kubalwa isiZulu, isiXhosa, isiSwati, isiNdebele, isiSuthu, isiTswana, isiPedi, isiVenda kanye nesiTsonga zingezabomdabu bakuleli. Esifundazweni saseNyakatho yeKapa (Northern Cape) kuyavela ukuthi zisekhona izilimi zabomdabu abathathwa njengabantu bokuqala kuleli zwe ababizwa ngabaThwa (San & Khoi). Lokhu kushiya imibuzo eminingi ingaphendulwanga ukuthi kungani uMthethosisekelo oshicilelwe ngenkathi yentando yeningi ungakuboni ukubaluleka kwezilimi zabaThwa (Nluu,!Xun, Birwa kanye neKhwe).

ENingizimu Afrika bangaphansi kwamaphesenti ayilishumi (10%) abakhuluma ulimi lwesiNgisi njengolimi lwasekhaya. IsiZulu nesiXhosa izona izilimi ezikhulunywa ngabantu abaningi bomdabu kuleli kodwa wonke umfundi esikoleni uphoqelekile ukuthi afunde isiNgisi. Uma ungakwazi ukukhuluma kahle lolu limi uphenduka inhlekisa kuleli, lokho kuyakhombisa ukuthi inkulu inkinga esibhekene nayo, asikwazi ukubaluleka kwezilimi zethu futhi asazi ukuthi uma kungagqugquzelwa ukukhuluma kuphinde kuthuthukiswe izilimi zethu inkulu inzuzo esingayithola. Ucwaningo emhlabeni jikelele luyaveza ukuthi abafundi abaningi benza kahle ezifundweni zabo uma befundiswa ngolimi abaluncela ebeleni kanti futhi lokho kuba nomthethelela omuhle ekuthuthukeni komphakathi abaphila kuwona.

IShayina, iRashiya kanye neJaphani amazwe enza kahle kakhulu ekuthuthukiseni isimo semfundo kanye nomnotho emazweni abo. Onke lamazwe enza isiqiniseko sokuthi ulimi lwasekhaya luyasetshenziswa kusukela emabangeni aphansi emfundo kuze kuyofika kwaNgqondonkulu. Abantu abaningi bathi ngeke sikwazi ukusebenzisa izilimi zomdabu ezifundweni zobuchwepheshe, lokhu akulona neze iqiniso. Uma abasemagunyeni kanye nomphakathi bezimisele ngokubamba iqhaza bephinde bedlale indima yabo konke kungaba impumelelo. Lama zwe engiwabalile ngenhla enza kahle ezifundweni zobuchwepheshe besebenzisa izilimi zabo. Lokhu bakwenza ngokuthi bazinike isikhathi beqamba amagama amasha kanti futhi bafaka imali eningi ekuthuthukisweni kwezilimi zabo nobuchwepheshe. Kumanje namanye amazwe asekhombisa ukukuthakasela ukufunda lezi zilimi. Lena impumelelo engavelanga yehla phezulu kuhle kwemana kepha kungenxa yokuthi abanikazi balezi zilimi benze konke okusemandleni ukuthi izilimi zithuthuke.

Umbuzo omkhulu uthi ikuphi ngempela okumele sikwenze ukuze izilimi zabomdabu nazo zithuthuke? Engingakusho ukuthi umuntu ngamunye kumele azibophezele abambe iqhaza noma ikuphi lapho ekhona. UHulumeni, abazali, intsha, abafundisi, osomabhizinisi kanye nawo wonke amalungu omphakathi kmele babhunkule badlale indima yabo. Okulindelekile kuHulumeni wethu ukuthi aqale uMnyango ozobhekana ngqo nokuthuthukiswa kwezilimi kuphela, ngoba njengamanje kunzima ukwazi ukuthi imuphi kahle hle uMnyango obhekele ukuthuthukiswa kwezilimi zomdabu, ingabe uMnyango wezobuCiko namaSiko noma uMnyango wezeMfundo? Kufanele kugqugquzelwe ukusetshenziswa kwezilimi zethu emabangeni emfundo aphansi nakwaphezulu, noma umfundi esefike esikhungweni semfundo ephakeme kumele ekwazi ukuzikhethela ukufunda ngolimi aluncela ebeleni. ENingizimu Afrika sinoSolwazi nezingcithabuchopho esingakwazi ukubasebenzisa uma sifuna ukubhala imiqulu yolwazi ngezilimi zethu.

Inkulu kakhulu indima engadlalwa abazali emakhaya ukuze begqugqumezele ukukhula kwezilimi zethu. Abazali emakhaya kumele bakwenze injwayelo ukukhuluma izilimi zomdabu nezingane ukuze ulimi luzongena emqondweni ingane isencane, ingani nomuthi ugotshwa usemanzi. Kubalulekile ukuthi abazali bakhulumise izingane into abazincelise yona. Sekuyinsakavukela umchilo wesidwaba ukubona abazali bebala elimnyama bengayigqizi qakala eyokufundisa izingane zabo izilimi zomdabu. Lokhu kwenza ukuthi izingane uma zikhula zilahlekelwe Umlando nemvelaphi yazo. Ziningi izindlela abazali abangafundisa ngazo ulimi izingane, bengahlala nazo phansi bezixoxele ngezigameko ezenzeka eminyakeni edlule bephinde bebaxoxele ngomlando womndeni wabo, bebafundise nezithakazelo. Lokhu kwenza ukuthi izingane ziziqhenye ngolimi nangemvelaphi yazo.

Osomabhizinisi ikakhulukazi abamnyama, bengabamba iqhaza elikhulu ekuthuthukisweni kwezilimi zomdabu ngokuthi bephonse esivivaneni ezinhlelweni ezisunguliwe. Singeze sakungabaza ukuthi izinhlelo zokuthuthukisa izilimi zomdabu zodinga enkulu imali njengoba kuzodingeka abafundisi, abashicileli, abacwaningi, kanye nabazobheka ukuthi zonke izinhleko zihamba ngonina yini. Osomabhizinisi bengafaka imali ukwenza isiqiniseko sokuthi imigubho yamasiko kanye nemiqhudelwano yamakhono ahlukene ehlose ukuthuthukisa izilimi zomdabu iba impumelelo. Ukuba khona kwemiklomelo kungagqugqumezela kakhulu nentsha ukuthi izibandakanye kulezi zinhlelo.

Kungasisiza nathi singabohlanga ukuthi sibonele kumaBhunu lokhu abakwenzayo ukulondoloza ulimi lwabo (Afrikaans). AmaBhunu akwazile ukuhlanganisa imali yokwakha isikhungo sabo semfundo ephakeme iSol-Tech University. Abagcinanga lapho bakwazi nokuziqalela phansi idolobha labo bodwa i- Orania. Ukuze isicelo sakho samukelwe eSol- Tech kumele ulwazi ulimi lwesiBhunu, kanjalo nase-Orania yonke into yenziwa ngesiBhunu. Konke lokhu kuyizithukuthu zabo uHulumeni akazange afake sandla. Umbuzo uthi ikhona yini iNyuvesi kuleli ethi abohlanga bamukelekile ukuthi bazofunda ngolimi lwabo? Ayikho neyodwa, kungenxa yokuthi asifuni ukufaka imali ekuthuthukisweni kwezilimi nemfundo yethu. Kuleli zwe sinezimpunyela, omacaphuna kusale kodwa akukaze kubafikele emqondweni yabo ukuhlangana kusungulwe izikhungo zemfundo zethu, bancamela ukuthatha izingane zabo beziwelise izilwandle ziyofunda emazweni aseNtshonalanga.

Ukukhula kobuchwepheshe kanye nokuba khona kwe-internet kwenze ukuthi kube lula ukuba sixhumane ngaphandle kokuthi sibonane ngamehlo. Lokhu kusho ukuthi nathi singasebenzisa lezi ndlela zokuxhumana ukuthi zikhulise izilimi zethu. Intsha iyona kakhulu okmele idlale indima enkulu kulokhu njengoba kuyiyona enolwazi oluningi ngokusebenzisa lobu buxhakaxhaka ukudlula abantu asebekhulile. Baningi manje abohlanga abasebenzela izinkampani zobuchwepheshe abanye basezikhundleni eziphezulu. Labo bantu bengafaka isandla ngokuthi beqale izinto ezifana nama- website afundisa ngezilimi zethu. Bengaphinde futhi besize ngokuthi sikwazi ukusebenzisa izinto ezifana no-Google Translation ukuthi incazelo esiyithola khona kube eshaya emhloleni.

Singafunda okuhle nakwezinye izilimi zalana e-Afrika ezifana nesiSwahili othi uma ufuna incazelo yegama kwi- internet uyithole njengoba injalo. Konke lokho akwenzeki ngomlingo futhi akekho asikho isizwe esizokwenzela thina. Intsha kumele iqale isebenzise ulimi lwebele ezinkundleni zokuxhumana, iphinde isebenzise ne-Youtube ifundise ngezilimi zomdabu ukuze nomuntu ofuna ukuzovakasha kuleli kube lula ukuthi azifundele esekhaya. Okunye futhi okungasiza ukuthi siqale amakhasi (Blogging) sibhale ngezilimi zethu, sibhale ngomlando, izithakazelo, izindaba kanye nangakho konke okuthuthukisa izilimi zethu. Sekukaningi ngibona abantu besebenzisa i-internet ukubheka izithakazelo zabo, ngiye ngizibuze ukuthi bayazi yini ukuthi umuntu nje ofana nami nawe obhale lolo lwazi. Lokhu kusho ukuthi sonke kumele sisebenzise ulwazi esinalo silufake kwi-internet ukuze izizukulwane zethu zizosala nenqolobane yolwazi, sikhumbule ukuthi eminyakeni ezayo lonke ulwazi lobe selutholakala kwi-internet akekho ozobe esathwalwa imiqingo yezincwadi. Uma sisonge izandla thina banikazi bezilimi zomdabu abeza emva kwethu bazohlupheka ngenxa yethu.