Chiefs in Dedza have called on Parliament to seriously consider using local languages in its deliberations.
Speaking at Dedza Stadium where Parliament held its inaugural sitting outside the Parliament Building as one way of taking it to the people, Senior Chief Chauma, representing other chiefs in the district, said citizens would follow proceedings better if the deliberations were in local languages.
Said the chief: “We are making an appeal that deliberations should also be done in Chichewa so that we are able to follow what MPs [members of Parliament] say in Parliament.
“Of course, the laws state that English should be used, but you should also use Chichewa and we also have other tribes in the country whose languages can be used as well. There is need to use languages that people can actually understand and follow proceedings.”
The senior chief commended Parliament for holding the outdoor sitting, saying it will help people understand its roles and how the august House operates.
He asked Parliament to extend the sittings to other districts, saying the arrangement has the potential to motivate children to work hard in school.
Responding to the call, Leader of the House Richard Chimwendo Banda said adopting the use of local languages in Parliament would not only ensure that MPs easily understand each other, but also enable most Malawians to follow proceedings.
He said most African countries already use local languages in Parliament, citing South Africa, Lesotho and Botswana.
Chimwendo Banda, who is also Minister of Local Government, Unity and Culture, said: “It is the wish of many Malawians to see Parliament business being conducted in local languages. Like other countries have done, Malawi can do the same to allow more people follow proceedings but also members to communicate properly.
“As MPs, we need to take part in addressing this. We need to change the law so that we can deliberate in our local language whether Yao, Tumbuka, or Ngonde.”
In an interview, Leader of Opposition in Parliament George Chaponda said the idea of using local languages is good, but there are challenges associated with it.
He said: “I know countries that use local languages, but the challenge they have had is that their English went down and when they attend international level meetings, they find that it was difficult for them to converse. As we know, nowadays the world is becoming smaller every day and you don’t confine yourself to this country. In other countries you converse in English.”
On her part, Speaker of the National Assembly Catherine Gotani Hara commended Dedza chiefs for asking Parliament to adopt the use of local languages, saying such feedback is what Parliament needs.
However, she could not say if Parliament will adopt local languages, saying it will have to be tabled in Parliament.
“When the matter comes to Parliament, MPs will have to debate it. If I speak now, it means I have taken a side but as the Speaker, I am not supposed to do that,” said Hara.
She also called on people to actively follow parliamentary proceedings to be part of the democratic process.
According to the Speaker, the Parliament Week will be an annual event during which Parliament will be holding outdoor sittings in various districts to bring the House closer to people.
Meanwhile, political analyst Henry Chingaipe said the calls for use of local languages in Parliament are not new.
In an interview, he said there is need to adopt local languages to help improve levels of participation for parliamentarians and for the public to follow deliberations.
But Chingaipe said the country needs to rise above politics as the debate on language has been defeated before on the basis of which language to be used.
Governance expert Moses Mkandawire said there is need to adopt some local languages as official languages.
Parliament holds its deliberations in English and it is a requirement for a aspiring parliamentarian to have a good command of the English language.
