UNGQONGQOSHE wezamaCiko namaSiko kuzwelonke uNathi Mthethwa, namhlanje wethule inkulumo yosuku emcimbini wokwethulwa kwesichazamazwi neminyaka eyishumi yolimi lwesiNluu (ezinye zezilimu esezishabalala), eDitsong National Museum of Cultural History, eTshwane.
UMthethwa onameke kwiTwitter ingxenye yenkulumo yosuku, uveze ukuthi abantu bakuleli kumele bakwazi futhi bavumeleke ukukhuluma izilimi zabo ngokukhululeka. Usho kanje namhlanje lapho bekuhlangene khona ongoti bezilimi ezahlukene okubalwa nabe Nluu. “Siyaziqhenya kakhulu ngokwethula isichazamazwi ngolimi lwesiNluu kumama u-Ouma Katrina Esau. Wenze isiqiniseko sokuthi uyasivikela nesithunzi sosiko lwakhe nabanye abantu,” kusho uMthethwa.
Eqhuba uMthethwa uthe u-Ouma ubezikhandla ngokucobelelana ngolwazi nabacwaningi ababhale isichazamazwi. “Ngaphandle kwakhe ngabe akuzange kube yimpumelelo ukuhlanganiswa kwalesi sichazamazwi. Ubezinikele ngesikhathi esabalalisa ulimi lwakhe nakwabanye abantu,” kusho uMthethwa.
Uthe, ngokwe Unesco ukubaluleka kwaleminyaka eyishumi ukuqinisekisa ukuthi avikelekile amalungelo abantu bomdabu, kuqhakanjiswe nezilimi zabo.
Wathi umbhali ohlonishwayo uNgugi Thiong’o (1986) uqaphele ukuthi:
“Ulimi akulona elokuxhumana kuphela kodwa luphethe namasiko ngakho kubalulekile ukuthi sizigqaje ngezilimi zethu ekukhululeni imiphakathi yethu. Kumele sivume kumbe sikwamukele ukuthi izilimi zethu yizona eziphethe usiko mpilo, azigcini nje kuphela ngokusixhumanisa.”
UMthethwa uthe akukho ukungabaza lukuthli izwekazi i-Afrika, beyikhona indlela ehleliwe yokubukela phansi izilimu zethu. Bekuthathwa ezabamhlophe zenziwe into enhle okumele ibekwe ezingeni eliphezulu. Umcimbi bewuhanjelwe ababhali, inhlangano zamaciko, ibhodi lezilimi nabanye abaningi.