EDITORIAL: The language of freedom
Affirmative Repositioning (AR) leader Job Amupanda’s decision to pose parliamentary questions in Oshindonga yesterday may appear to some as mere political gymnastics, but in truth it carries profound significance for Namibia’s democratic and cultural journey. It is a declaration that our indigenous languages belong at the heart of national life, not at its margins.
Language is never neutral. The dominance of English in our public institutions is a colonial inheritance, one that has often been defended as a tool of national unity. Yet unity should not be mistaken for uniformity. If democracy is about representation, then the voices of citizens – expressed in the languages they dream, argue and pray in – deserve to be heard in the very institutions that shape their futures.
Namibia has long prided itself on its diversity. From Oshiwambo to Damara-Nama, from Otjiherero to Rukwangali, our linguistic landscape is rich and textured. To confine these languages to private spaces while elevating only English in public discourse is to perpetuate a hierarchy of tongues – a quiet echo of colonial silencing.
Neighbouring South Africa has already taken bolder strides in embracing linguistic plurality in parliament, challenging the assumption that governance must unfold in a single tongue. Namibia can, and must, do the same. This requires more than just tolerance; it demands institutional preparedness. Translation services, resource allocation and cultural sensitivity must be prioritised.
Our decolonisation is incomplete until our languages – our first carriers of identity and worldview – stand side by side with English in shaping national discourse. Safeguarding African languages is not a nostalgic indulgence but a necessity for the survival of our cultural heritage.
The task before us is to ensure linguistic freedom and coexistence, where English and indigenous languages enrich, rather than undermine, each other.
Language is never neutral. The dominance of English in our public institutions is a colonial inheritance, one that has often been defended as a tool of national unity. Yet unity should not be mistaken for uniformity. If democracy is about representation, then the voices of citizens – expressed in the languages they dream, argue and pray in – deserve to be heard in the very institutions that shape their futures.
Namibia has long prided itself on its diversity. From Oshiwambo to Damara-Nama, from Otjiherero to Rukwangali, our linguistic landscape is rich and textured. To confine these languages to private spaces while elevating only English in public discourse is to perpetuate a hierarchy of tongues – a quiet echo of colonial silencing.
Neighbouring South Africa has already taken bolder strides in embracing linguistic plurality in parliament, challenging the assumption that governance must unfold in a single tongue. Namibia can, and must, do the same. This requires more than just tolerance; it demands institutional preparedness. Translation services, resource allocation and cultural sensitivity must be prioritised.
Our decolonisation is incomplete until our languages – our first carriers of identity and worldview – stand side by side with English in shaping national discourse. Safeguarding African languages is not a nostalgic indulgence but a necessity for the survival of our cultural heritage.
The task before us is to ensure linguistic freedom and coexistence, where English and indigenous languages enrich, rather than undermine, each other.
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Namibian Sun
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