The Gaborone Book Festival was back for the fifth year in a row this past week running from September 15-17 at various venues.
A panel discussion was held on Friday at Maitisong where author, Professor Rose Letsholo-Tafila explained that culture and language were intertwined.
She said it was hard for people to say who they are without language. She said it was through language that people define who they are.
“It is painful to see a language die. Nowadays children speak English.
Everyone wants their children to go to English Medium Schools including the less privileged members of community. We have people in the Kalanga region teaching their children Setswana instead of their native language and if you ask why, they would say it does not have any importance in their children’s life.
If language dies, culture also dies,” she pointed out.
She further explained that writing in iKalanga language was challenging. She added that she had to learn and refer to a manual for writing iKalanga published by some Kalanga speaking people.
She pointed out that writing in iKalanga was more difficult than writing in Setswana.
She explained that she had to use little apostrophes and had to be conscious how certain words must sound. However, Letsholo-Tafila explained that the response to her book surpassed what she had expected.
She explained that people were interested in learning other languages spoken in Botswana including iKalanga because they were not taught at schools.
“There is need for a change of mindset. This can only be done in a more systematic way. We must start from the top. We need change of policies. Our languages are important like any other language. We are so unused to reading our own languages.
"Language policies are showing that our language is not good enough to create jobs. It does not show that it is good enough to make an impact in the growth of our economy,” Letsholo-Tafila ended.
For her part, Dr Naledi Letshwao, who is also the author of Ithute Setswana and Ithute Kgomo, said as a linguistic she chose to write her books in Setswana because she realised that many children did not know the Setswana language and neither did they know the Setswana culture.
The show hosted many writers and poets from Botswana and across the continent. They included Angie Chuma Mogotsi, Dr Modiri Molema, Joe Kabomo, Kgomotso Jongman, Isaac Makwala, Keikantse Phele, Dr Nankie Ramabu, Zukiswa Wanner, Mandisa Mabuthoe who recited a beautiful poem and Chuma Nwokolo.
