To bastardise a language is to corrupt or debase it thereby lowering its quality and character.  This happens every time a congratulatory message is published containing the very common, but very wrong ‘amhlope’.

Although it may seem to be a small thing, in actual fact the opposite is quite true.  To illustrate, consider an instruction manual where all references to a chock, used to prevent heavy objects from moving, have the ‘h’ omitted.  From a minor blunder, major consequences result.

It’s one thing when the misspelt word makes the occasional appearance in the press.  That can be excused and put down to a few people who are yet to know better.  However, looking at the situation as it stands, we are facing a national pandemic where the affliction is linguistic ignorance.

Here’s the thing.  There’s a whole bunch of Chief Marketing gurus, PROs and other comms. experts who are blindly copying from each other and perpetuating this misspelling.  It’s like nobody has bothered to check how to write the word correctly, which is illogical when using a language one is not fluent in.  And as a result, I often find myself paging through some or other congratulatory supplement, cringing at every sight of the unsightly error.

Thankfully, these circumstances are nothing a little care can’t fix.  Media professionals who are careful ensure that there aren’t any spelling or other mistakes to reduce their credibility and that of their written work.  Further to this, Zimbabweans who care work towards the preservation of their heritage, which includes SiNdebele, one of our official languages. If we can be so diligent when using the Queen’s English, why not show care with our own languages?  And if we don’t care to care, who shall?

Without going into a lesson on the orthography of SiNdebele, know that the word ‘amhlophe’ is spelt correctly when it has two letter ‘hs’ in it.  The first is flamboyant and creates a distinctive sound which gives the word character.  The second ‘h’ is modest and serves to give the letter ‘p’ the ability to pack a purposeful punch!

Check out how Kubatana has been using Freedom Fone in Zimbabwe.

The 15th Highway Africa Conference, was held at the Cape Town International Conference Center from 17-19 September 2011. This event is arguably the largest gathering of media practitioners in Africa and seeks to stir debate and discussion on journalism and new media.

For 11 years, these unique awards within the profession of journalism on the continent, reward pioneering, innovative and creative use of technology in journalism and the media.

The Awards were established to recognise African innovation in the area of digital media and to highlight the role that digital technologies play in journalism and the media at large.

The conference, which follows events in the Arab region where social media has been highlighted as playing a pivotal role in the revolution, saw delegates exploring other ways in which social media and other technological tools can be used to tackle global issues such as global warming and the millennium development goals.

Freedom Fone was awarded the SABC-Telkom Highway Africa New Media Award in the Non-profit category.

We are proud our initiative has been recognized regionally and are encouraged by the global interest shown in the platform, with downloads in over 48 countries to date.

Pictured above: Tich Sigauke accepts the award for Freedom Fone.

From Flavorwire:

London photographer Miranda Hutton found the parents through support groups and bereavement websites. Some immaculately maintained the rooms as they were on the day their child died, dusting under the teddy bears, up-keeping a pristine time capsule for years. Others let the dust gather around the picture frames and shelves, sealing the untouched room in with its memories or began to let go, slowly transforming the unoccupied spaces into guest rooms, storage places — even an art studio. Shot from the doorway, because as she explained to Vice, “it felt a little less intrusive that way,” Hutton’s poignant Rooms Project documents stages of grief and the loaded significance of rooms and possessions left behind. Visit the rooms in our gallery.

The Minister of Finance, Tendai Biti, held a press conference this week announcing the dates for public consultative meetings to be held around the country by his ministry. Presentations and comments from these will inform the rationale in formulating the 2012 budget strategy.

He announced that the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning would be using a different fiscal position for the 2012 budget. Factors informing his ministry’s decision to implement a different strategy included the 2010 Global economic crisis which was entering a second round this year and the need for a budget which better served the needs of the Zimbabwe people.

During his address the minister stated that only 33% of government expenditure went towards meeting the needs of the Zimbabwean people. The remaining 67% was consumed in providing wages for the civil service, which currently numbers at 235 000 people.

The minister lamented the lack of a common vision for Zimbabwe among politicians in the inclusive government. ‘There is a Kwashiorkor of common vision,’ he said. Other issues he mentioned were the slow pace of reforms, and the slow pace of implementation of resolutions made by even the smallest governmental unit.

The 2012 budget will focus on the following:
Job creation
Macro-economic growth and stability
Maintaining inflation levels and interest rates
A planned special emphasis on the education sector

The ministry will hold public consultative meetings with all relevant stakeholders including specialised bodies and organisations from all sectors of the economy, including retailers, bankers and government and donor entities. The meetings have intentionally been scheduled to begin in Southwest Zimbabwe, a region which, historically, has been neglected by the fiscal authority.

The 2012 Budget Strategy paper will be unveiled in parliament on Tuesday 4 October.