Language Policy, Vernacular Discourse, Empire Building

Abstract

This chapter discusses the intersections of language policy, identity formation and nation building in Zimbabwe. It argues that political aspirations for empire building by the ruling elite have come to be popularised and legitimised as language policy and nation-building initiatives in postcolonial Zimbabwe. While Zimbabwe is characterised by a high degree of linguistic and cultural diversity, it is only the Shona and Ndebele languages (mother tongues of the majority of the ruling elite) that continue to be promoted and propagated as the rallying point for the country’s perceived postcolonial nation-building project. This drive for exclusionary postcolonial nation building has led to the unprecedented constriction of educational and economic opportunities for speakers of socio-politically ‘weak’ or ‘minority’ languages. Drawing on insights from the constructivist perspective on the nation and national identity, the chapter reinterprets the politics of language and identity formation in postcolonial Zimbabwe. It does this by examining the postcolonial language policy transformations in Zimbabwe and how these have significantly influenced notions of citizenship and national identity.