03 Oct 2016

Teaching of mother tongue is critical to development of villages, according to retired Justice Mosojane.
Speaking during the annual Domboshaba Cultural event at Domboshaba ruins between Kalakamati and Vukwi villages in the North-East on Saturday, Justice Mosojane described mother tongue in education as vital and more advantageous for pupils.
Justice Mosojane said the need to teach students using their mother tongues could not be over-emphasised as research had shown that great benefits could be reaped from such.
Justice Mosojane said apart from helping learners to make a transition from the home to the school environment, mother tongue, if used in schools, would enable one to participate in the learning process.
He said cultural experiences were incorporated in the learning process, adding mother tongue allowed parents to take part in their children’s attainment of education by facilitating their progress at school, hence need to start teaching such languages in either levels of education.
“When children are taught in a language that is different from their tribal language, the parents distance themselves to the learning process of their children,” he said.
Justice Mosojane underscored the need for continued strategies at community level to explore gatherings for workshops and debates on the need for tribes to know the outcome of mother languages to be taught in schools.
Chairperson of the trust, General Moetedi noted that the event had not only grown in terms of attracting an spectators from Botswana and Zimbabwe, but the audience got more exposure to the Ikalanga culture.
He noted that the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development sponsored and promoted the event since it had a strategic input in the diversification efforts through events and destination awareness of the tourism offering.
Mr Moetedi also commended private radio station Duma FM and Brand Botswana, who were sponsors of the 2016 event.
On a guided tour to Domboshaba Ruins, Moetedi said the event was held near Domboshaba Ruins, a unique stone masonry architectural signature of the Banyayi- Bakalanga Empire and civilisation that stretches from Khami Ruins near Bulawayo in Zimbabwe.
“The event was meant to celebrate Bakalanga culture, religion, food, language, music and dance among others”, he said.
This year they invited the Sepero dance troupe from Kasane as well as Polka dance from Kanye in recognition and to take pride in their culture.
This year’s cultural festival theme was: Teaching of Mother Tongue, a Critical Approach to Sustainable Development. ENDS