BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Hwange East legislator Joseph Bonda has called on the government to address what he describes as the marginalisation of the Nambya language in schools, arguing that current teacher deployment policies are undermining early learning in Matabeleland North.

According to the National Assembly’s official record of 7 April 2026, Bonda formally asked the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to explain why trained Nambya-speaking teachers are not being employed in Hwange District while non-speakers are posted to the area.

He said the practice was “depriving children of receiving instruction in their mother tongue at the early education stage”, which he described as critical to both educational outcomes and cultural development.

Under Zimbabwe’s language policy framework, learners are expected to be taught in their mother language in the early grades. Critics say failure to align teacher deployment with local languages weakens that principle in practice.

Despite the concerns raised, the matter remains unresolved in Parliament. The inquiry was deferred on 18 March and, at the latest sitting, the ministry had yet to provide a formal response.

Parents in the district say the issue has direct consequences for children’s performance.

“Our children are disadvantaged from the start,” said Ester Ncube, a parent in Jambezi under Chief Shana. “If a child cannot understand the teacher in Grade One, it affects everything that follows.”

Community leaders argue that the debate goes beyond classroom instruction and touches on identity.

“Language is part of who we are,” said local elder Eliziya Vashe Shoko. “If schools do not teach in Nambya, we are slowly losing our identity. Government must take this seriously.”

Young professionals in the province say the challenge is not a shortage of qualified personnel but gaps in recruitment and deployment.

“There are trained teachers who speak Nambya, Lozvi, Chidombe and other local languages, but they are not being deployed here,” said Lindiwe Sibanda, a recent graduate.

“At the same time, teachers from outside are brought in. It does not make sense. These languages should be prioritised so that communities feel a sense of belonging and respect.”

The language dispute forms part of a wider push for regional equity in Matabeleland North. Bonda has also raised concerns over local employment quotas in the wildlife sector and what he describes as the exclusion of Hwange from national weather forecasts. He argues that these issues reflect a broader mismatch between national policy and local needs.

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

Hwange East legislator, Joseph Bonda, has taken the fight for local employment in wildlife conservation to Parliament, questioning why communities living alongside dangerous animals are being sidelined in job opportunities.

In a question directed to the Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, Bonda pressed for clarity on what measures are in place to ensure that residents of Hwange District are prioritised for employment by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority. He argued that locals, who bear the brunt of human-wildlife conflict, should be first in line for jobs in the sector.

The matter, however, did not receive an immediate response in the National Assembly and was deferred on 18 March 2026, leaving the concerns unresolved for now. 

Bonda’s intervention has resonated strongly with communities in Hwange, where wildlife is both a resource and a risk.

“We live with these animals every day”

In Mabale, local villager Sibangani Ndlovu said it is unfair that outsiders benefit from jobs linked to wildlife while locals face constant danger.

“We live with these animals every day. Elephants destroy our crops, sometimes people are injured or killed. But when jobs come, they go to people from far away. That is not right,” he said.

“Employment should be compensation too”

Another r, Memory Moyo from Dete, said employment in parks and safari operations should be viewed as part of community compensation.

“If we are expected to conserve wildlife, then we must also benefit. Jobs are one of the biggest benefits. Otherwise, people will start to see animals as a burden, not a resource.”

Youth feel locked out

Young people in the district say lack of access to jobs in the wildlife sector is worsening unemployment.

Talent Ncube, a youth from Hwange, said many qualified locals are overlooked.

“We have people trained in tourism and conservation here, but they are not getting opportunities. It discourages us as young people because we feel excluded from our own resources.”

Growing pressure on government

Bonda’s question adds to mounting pressure on government to align conservation efforts with community benefits, especially in areas like Hwange where human-wildlife conflict is frequent.

With the issue now formally raised in Parliament, residents say they are waiting to see whether authorities will respond with concrete policy changes—or whether, like many rural concerns, it will remain unresolved.

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

A Hwange court has sentenced a 31-year-old man to 18 years in prison for the rape of his 12-year-old niece following a New Year’s Eve assault, the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) said.

The Hwange Regional Magistrates’ Court handed down the sentence after hearing how the man lured the child to his residence in Dingani Village, Dete, on the 31st of December, last year.

The court heard that at approximately 12:00 hours, the offender used a false pretext to get the victim into his room, instructing her to bring her mother’s mobile phone to help him with a WhatsApp application. Once inside, he forcibly pushed the girl onto a bed and raped her.

Following the assault, the man ordered the child into silence, but the crime was discovered immediately when the girl returned home in tears and narrated the ordeal to her mother. The victim’s family confronted the man and reported the matter to the police, leading to his arrest.

In a statement regarding the conviction, the NPAZ described the case as a profound betrayal of trust within a family unit.

The authority noted that the 18-year term was intended to send a clear message that the law would serve as a shield for our children, particularly against those responsible for their protection [1]. Prosecutors also commended the family for their swift action in reporting the crime to authorities.