Minority tribes lambast parliament, President Khama

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FRANCISTOWN: Four cultural organisations advocating for the teaching of 'minority' languages such as, Sekalaka, Sekgalagadi and Setswapong, have expressed disappointment at the rejection of a motion by parliament recently, which sought the introduction of mother tongue teaching.

The organisations have also expressed dismay at President Ian Khama's statement at a Kgotla meeting in Masunga that his government would not introduce mother tongue teaching.The President was answering a question from a member of the public who had wanted to know when the area language, Sekalaka, would be re-introduced in the education system. Afrikaans, Seyeyi and Sekalaka were taught before independence only to be discontinued after independence with only Setswana and English remaining in the public domain as official languages. 

Government argued even then that teaching the other languages was not only a needless financial burden to the fledgling economy but was inimical to national unity.Ironically the most zealous defenders of the status quo were members of Parliament from Tswapong and Bokalaka tribal communities.In a press release, the publicity and information secretary of the Domboshaba Cultural Trust  (DCT) Kangagwani Phatshwane, notes that, "The recent vote by Parliament, an institution at which we have representatives who ought to express our will is a monumental loss of opportunity to stop discrimination on the basis of language. 

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