Deal Done: Ramaphosa, Magufuli Agree on Kiswahili Teachers From Tanzania

Robin Mandla, Pretoria, S.A, 27th May, 2019

President Ramaphosa is cheerful after receiving Kiswahili books

SEVERAL weeks after some Kenyan officials and their South African counterparts signed an initial memorandum for the former to supply Kiswahili teaching experts to South Africa, Tanzania now seems to have won the heart and soul of the newly installed President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Tanzania with its mixed population combining Arab descendants and coastal original Swahili speakers, is understood to be the source of pure and most authentic Kiswahili accent and has provided many experts to other countries for years now.

Kiswahili, a heavily Bantu and Arabic worded language, is one of the most spoken languages of African origin in the continent. It has claimed the status of official languages of the African Union (AU) and the East African Community (EAC) and plans are underway to have its entry in SADC.

At the end the two leaders briefed the media on their meeting

“We have agreed to use Tanzanian Kiswahili experts to come to teach in South African schools as our country implements some renaissance projects to teach our kids about their African origin,” said President Ramaphosa after meeting Tanzanian President John Magufuli soon after his swearing in ceremony.

Later on, seemingly he had personally caught the attraction of the Kiswahili language, President Ramaphosa who is set to name his much awaited Cabinet anytime from now, tweeted to announce his curiosity to learn Kiswahili.

A section of South Africans, especially those who migrated to Tanzania during the anti-apartheid struggle speak Kiswahili and have strong social ties with Tanzania. By then, Tanzania had granted parts of its territory to accommodated ANC freedom fighters in Mtwara, Morogoro, and a place called Kongwa in central Tanzania.

In the occasion, President Magufuli gave President Ramaphosa some Kiswahili books for him to develop his interest on the language. “I have supplied him with some Kiswahili learning books authored by Tanzanian experts from the University of Dar es Salaam. I have invited the President to Dar es Salaam so that we can finalize the Kiswahili experts deal,” said President Magufuli speaking in Kiswahili besides his counterpart.

President Ramaphosa is expected to visit Tanzania either before or during the August SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government to be hosted by Tanzania in Dar es Salaam. The final deal will be reached in Tanzania, casting doubts if there will be any meaningful progress on the Kenyan prospects.

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