Language and culture

The language tragedy: By Michael Chipato
Many sociolinguists have emphasized on how language inevitably carries the core values of any given culture. In other words when one chooses a language they also inevitably choose a culture. I wish to stir some turbulent waters in the language debate and at the same time rekindle the love for vernacular languages amongst Zimbabweans both at home and in the Diasporas.

For me to use the English language in this article appears to be the first contradiction as I will be encouraging both the young and old to embrace their first languages as they are part and parcel of an individual’s identity. Ngugi Wa’Thiongo argues that within the context of the colonial experience, ‘Speaking and writing in the language of the colonizers will naturally be different than in the language one speaks while at play or with one's family. In addition, the language of the colonizer is often a truly foreign one: segments of society understand it badly, if at all, and so certain audiences can not be reached by works in these imposed languages’. The essence of language is communication and the moment a child from Zimbabwe fails to communicate with Grandmother when he /she goes kumusha, becomes tragic.
A lot has been written in literature and for theatre about the loss of culture as individuals half digestedly embrace foreign languages and their respective cultures. There is nothing wrong with the use of English and the respective culture, but there is a sad tragedy in the way things are today where a 10 year old boy who arrived in the UK six months back miraculously loses his native language to the point where it becomes extinct even in the home. The problem appears to be the parents who are often heard saying ‘Tee haachagoni Shona uyo…’ (Tee can’t speak Shona anymore)
A domestic social context that embraces the excessive use of other people’s languages at the expense of one’s own is essentially destructive. Language has the potential to take us further from ourselves to other selves, from our world to other worlds. This is the tragedy of the migrant communities across the globe. What communities lack is the ability to hold on to that which defines them.
Speaking during a telephone interview Mbuya Zvabva said that she was nauseated by the extent of irresponsible cultural neglect in parents who do not make an effort to teach their children their mother languages at home, let alone use them for everyday commmunication. ‘Pavanotofonera handivanwzisisi, pavakauya kumusha handina kumbomunzwa ini, aingotaura chingezi chete. Baba vake vakati haachagoni Shona. Zvakandirwadza kutadza kutaura nemuzukuru wangu nepamusana pekusagona Shona kwake , iye ari MuShona’. This social lamentation by Mbuya is just the tip of the iceberg; there are endless examples that are likely ringing bells in your mind as you read this.
Even in the wake of diffusionism and acculturation as inevitable in the context of the world we live in as a global village, it remains imperative for all generations to hold onto the core values of a people, their language, identity and this inevitably builds dignity and respect in the communities we live in. The danger with half- digested consumption of foreign culture, language, value systems and other anthropological concepts is that when you make a mistake it exposes and ridicules you more. Alfred Masayire from Luton said that, ‘The best thing to recognize you as somebody from somewhere is your language, how would you identify yourself as Ndebele outside the linguistic framework?’
Sandra Brown from Birmingham blasted Africans who have no pride in their identity and language saying that ‘I am angered by Africans who promote cultural loss by not promoting the use of vernacular languages in the home’. There is no doubt that English and other languages are key in business and commerce, but English is not a value asset for cultural sustenance.
Those who have disconnected themselves and family from VanaMbuya ekhaya, they become fixed in the no-mans zone and both ends of the cultural battlefield may fail to call you their own.

Disaster management failures in tanker explosion

Disaster management failures in tanker explosion
02/07/2011 00:00:00
by Michael Chipato

THE recent fuel tanker accident, spillage and explosion in Harare presents a gargantuan challenge on the country’s chemical incident management systems at a time when risk and safety management are compromised by economic and developmental hurdles.

With the death toll of 11 people in this one tragedy, there are lessons that must be learnt by the government, disaster management stakeholders and members of the public.

After a similar Kenyan blast and explosion incident, transferable lessons remain valid within national, continental and global contexts. Similar blasts are not a rarity in Nigeria, where people tap gas pipelines to pilfer fuel for cooking or for resale on the booming black market.

In another tragic accident in 2006, a gasoline blast killed 200 people in Nigeria. In all these cases, poor government regulation, inadequate licensing and inspection enforcement and control of hazardous materials were to blame.

The fire and rescue service, police, hospitals and other incident management responders have a collective responsibility to protect the public in situations like these. The effective support from these stakeholders calls for candid public participation, cooperation, commitment and engagement. Each one of these stakeholders must execute their roles in a well-coordinated, efficient and effective manner.

Efficiency can technically be achieved through application of systematic guidelines and operational parameters, by which actions should follow for an intended safety outcome. Existing guidelines available to government departments must be followed through and through in incident management situations, if effectiveness and efficiency are to be attainable.

What guidelines were available for the driver of the fuel tanker to follow at the time of the accident? Did the driver follow them? Did the public respond accordingly to the directives made by emergency personnel? Similar to the Kenyan scenario, scores of residents rushed to the tanker with containers to collect the fuel. Risk perception, hazard awareness and safety consciousness totally lacked and the consequences were tragic, 11 lives lost and many injuries.

The response times to incidences must be rigidly set within timelines. Arriving at a petrol fuel tanker accident scene after forty or so minutes raises response time concerns.The Fire and Rescue Service's response times are important in disaster management and the City of Harare’s Fire Brigade arrived at the scene within an hour of the explosion, and still struggled to put off the fire.

Chemical incident management involves more of seclusion of the public from the area of exposure to the hazard. The incident area police cordon is an imperative. Incident scene management is central and the presence of professional personnel to manage the incident is crucial.

Incidences must be ranked hierarchically in order to necessitate a response action that meets the situational needs. There must be command structures set up to variably deal with different types of incidences, Zimbabwe needs these to be clearly in place in order to have appropriate intervention systems.

Some countries the like the UK have Bronze, Silver, Gold command structures set to respond in different disaster magnitudes and incident category. For terrorism related incidences, the state takes charge.

From the media accounts on the tanker explosion, it’s not clear if there was an incident commander to coordinate the emergency services. The taxpayer’s entitlement to safe environments and protection must be guaranteed by the police service and this needs to be reflected in the strategic monitoring of hazardous materials transportation.

The presence of legislation in the form of the Environmental Management Act Chapter 20:7 breathes life to hopeless situations as it ensures regulation and monitoring of the discharge or emission of any pollutant or hazardous substance into the environment.

The public relations manager of the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), Steady Kangata’s reaffirmation that his organisation would intensify educational awareness on environmental issues and dangerous substances must transcend the rhetoric. The broad knowledge base development for communities and workers in industries needs to be intensified. Hazardous material spillage containment, clean-ups and on-site mediation require proper planning and training for emergency responders.

Public hazard perception coupled with safety management systems for such disasters must be synchronised well and coordinated within a systematic approach which in this case was clearly absent during the blast. Health and safety enforcement is a core element in chemical incident auditing and management. Transporters of hazardous materials must have trained drivers and vehicle safety specifications must be complied with.

Public awareness through media campaigns is another imperative and collective responsible conscientisation must be perceived as a national responsibility necessary for public safety. Media houses and media stakeholders must maintain the appropriate levels of sensitivity and portray disasters with professional sensitivity and responsibility.

Takura Zhangazha, the executive director of the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe issued a statement to express concern regarding some of the images that were published by various newspapers, who appeared to give little regard to the bereaved families. Again, responsibility at all levels must be evident as steered by Section 14 of the VMCZ Media Code of Conduct (MCC).

Some members of the public undoubtedly played responsible roles to save life, yet some acted in ways that are of concern by putting themselves in the line of danger.

Perhaps the crudest lesson learnt is that it is never safe loot goods from a chemical incident scene. It’s an important question: would there have been so many deaths if the fuel siphoning rush had not happened?

The incident must awaken the government to engage in community awareness campaigns against the culture of looting at scenes of accidents through intense outreach enforcement initiatives against non-compliance. Lack of public commitment to safety and precautionary attitudes need to be reinforced by legal enforcement procedures which legislators have a responsibility to shape more rigorously.

The control of substances hazardous to health must be integrated into the curriculum in a stance to ensure an educated society. Occupational Health, Safety and Environment professionals are needed to complement the existing Environmental personnel.

In a reactive response, EMA launched a blitz against haulage truck drivers who carry dangerous substances without permits; this is a good start which must not end if human life is to be protected. EMA fines transporters of hazardous and toxic substances like petrol, diesel and acids at least US$2,000. The challenge is ‘enforcement’.

Firemen's basic agent for fire extinguishing is water, but it is not the best method all the time. Sadly, the Harare Fire Brigade did not carry the basic fire extinguishing water and discovered that the fire hydrants near the scene of the accident were vandalised. The fire service should have Material Data Sheets (MDS) with all the relevant data about appropriate extinguishing methods like carbon dioxide, dry powder or foam. Emergency preparedness and routine fire fighting drills should pick up and deal with such logistical flaws. This is unacceptable, period!

The fire and rescue services fleet of vehicles were last upgraded in 1991 and that technological gap must be addressed through lobbying for government’s budgetary commitment in risk and safety management requirements. Local authorities must continuously train firemen and the police force must always be prepared for emergencies. It is shocking for such safety agencies to openly express lack of preparedness for petrol tanker explosions.

The lessons to be learnt by stakeholders, especially in the handling of hazardous substances, is that the country must steer the risk and safety management strategies that collectively engage members of the public.

As the lessons sink deeper into the Zimbabwean citizenry, sincere condolences to all who lost their loved ones!

Michael Chipato works in the field of cccupational health, safety and the environment