KALOMO MALE NURSE TONGA JIBE: THE UNASKED QUESTIONS.

By Namakando Nalikando-Sinyama

For the record,may it be known that, I have never been one to condone or allow Tribal Dominance where ever it raises its ugly head or in which ever fashion it is packaged or promoted either as a subtle official policy or otherwise as a mere protectionist posture of Ethnic Groups to prevent themselves from being culturally overrun by another as an excuse.

Perhaps,more importantly, this is why we do not,in the least, appreciate or believe it is right that the life of an innocent infant was unprofessionally and needlessly put on the line in order to state a political stance on a burning issue by a Public servant no matter how justified he may have felt, is permissible at all. That action by the Medic could well have constituted reckless endangerment of a Life which totally goes against any known medical ethics or Hippocratic Oath which would send Lady Florence Nightingale reeling in repugnant disgust at his conduct. He should thus be reprimanded accordingly and be helped to see the folly of his chosen course of action.

However, people need to be courageous enough to address a matter that may be dangerously simmering underfoot seeking release in perhaps the most destructive ways possible if left unaddressed.Enter Dr. Austin Mbozi's Language Debate.

So,why are people rather conviniently not asking why that Lady did not speak a more neutral and less polarising Nationally accepted Official language that English is since she clearly knew how to, but instead sought to impose her indigenous language on another person? Is it acceptable social etiquette for you, as a guest in other people's land to impose your language on them? Is it not generally accepted universal show of courtesy,politeness and congeniality to first make a genuine effort at learning the mode of communication of your hosts instead of rudely seeking to dominate them by forcing them to use your language? Do please,also consider, if you may,whether it would be logical or justified if one was to go and speak Luchazi at some hospital facility in Osaka, Japan while seeking medical attention there? If this is too far-fetched an example,something a little closer to home might be in order. Do you feel it would be advisable for me to go and insist on speaking and imposing my Kwangwa to the local medical personnel in Lundazi or Chadiza when I could simply use English? This scenario would have been totally different if that lady did not know a word of spoken English but as the video shows, she was more than perfectly conversant.

These are clearly very emotive issues which should be allowed to be freely discussed so that there is a boisterous exchange of views from the citizenry if you are to foster that ever elusive environment of genuine National Unity and not the usual empty parroted slogan of fictitious cohesion which, in the end ,is but a mere expression of a naive wish whose burning aspects surrounding its realisation or actualisation are ignored. The unfortunate observation on the ground is that ,if the issue of language is not adequately addressed to bring about lasting Tribal unity, the repetitive mantra regurgitated at us which was muted by your founding father of One Zambia One Nation may only be in people's heads and will be seen by most as one meant to tranquilize and subdue the ethnically unassertive lot whenever they attempt to promote their cultural identity and Pride as a people. It will be considered a vehicle for suppression when it should actually be a rallying point for lasting unity and Co-existence of the people of that country. We have always stated how language is nothing but merely a different way of flickering ones tongue in the buccal cavity to produce varying sounds that are in turn used as an Ethnic identifier of groups that share the resulting mode of expression or coordinated sound we call language. This should never be used as a tool to divide Humanity at all.This would be as irrational and senseless as using Skin Hue to be a basis for segregation against another being within the species as practiced in Racism. Now, we have even observed the emergence of Intra-Racial Racism among Afrikans where certain cliques of ignorant Black Afrikans of a much lighter shade of skin deem themselves better looking and more superior than those spotting proud Chocolate Nubian features of unadulterated negrescence. It is this very psychological handicap and twisted thought process that has been the cornerstone or basis for a multi-Billion Dollar Skin Bleaching and Fake Hair industry to thrive on the Continent.

It should be noted that,the European Rennnaisance and the attendant levels of massive industrial and technological or generally developmental strides there were achieved largely after they had long since conquered or overcome certain retrogressive isms fueled by things like Tribe that can potentially fragrament the efforts of a people after a common beneficial Goal. Our counterparts have long since graduated from these primitive divides as they no longer have Gauls,Saxons,Picts Vikings or Angles but simply Europeans with identifying National Languages merely for ease of communication. Africa clearly does still have a multiplicity of divisive and backward practices that she grapples with which effectively hinder her progress like the issue of Tribe and Language ,which,sadly sometimes,even selfish politicians have sought to capitalise on to further their own ends. I do remember how on a public bus there was a near rapturous rancor from a section on the bus which protested the playing of a video of some local production which featured a Bi-lingual dialogue of English and one of the local languages which they claimed was unacceptable as they claimed, rather shockingly that,despite countless years of their coexistence with that Group,they still could not hear a word of that language but instead preferred and insisted that a Nigerian production ,from Thousands of Kilometers away ,in West Africa,replete with a fudged mix of Creole and pidgin English and unpredictable defeaning sound variations was better. There is need for concerted efforts at raising the national consciousness and confronting these pressing matters in a more open manner instead of shying away from them while you witness the steady creation and degeneration into a dangerously balkanized National landscape.