The Kinyarwanda language did not change- Th. Musabyeyezu tells journalists

This scholar from the Rwandan language and culture academy told journalists from the Isango star that the recently published corrections of the Kinyarwanda writing system were intended to change the essence the Kinyarwanda language rather to re-adjust how people were accustomed to write it.

After the publication  of these corrections in the national gazette, many critics arose about it, some saying that these ‘corrections’ negatively affected the nature of Kinyarwanda while others chose to remain patient so that the scholars might prove that correctness  of their tasks.

Musabyeyezu alongside the journalist Ntwali Williams debated about the ups and downs of these corrections.

Asked about what are the steps to make so that these criticisms might reduce, Musabyeyezu said that nothing can be done as nothing harmful has happened to the Kinyarwanda language.

For him, the criticisms result from the misunderstandings about these roots, procedures and results that motivated the scholars to undertake these tasks.

He said that before starting our task, we consulted different scholars from different backgrounds, civil society umbrellas, religious organizations, and media houses to learn from them about which adequate procedures to use throughout the whole task.

At the other side, Ntwali said that the people consulted were not as many as to make an effective representative sample of all Rwandans whose the changes have affected.

Musabyemana said that these changes are not to be worried about as the corrections will start to be put into the national curriculum books in 2016.

People’s names and identity cards will remain as they are today but all individuals and state based organizations including ministries will write officials documents using the newly corrected Kinyarwanda.

Listeners who intervened asked why these pre steps were not communicated to Rwandans earlier before any further steps.

To this, the invited guest said that sampled representatives were many and matures enough to provide the needed information to correct the national language.

This weekly show aims at increasing the public awareness about the key issues that characterized national and international headlines through debate.

It is chaired by Institut Panos- Europe and the ARJ (Association Rwandaise de journalists).

The sponsors are the Netherlands’ Embassy and the European Union.

UM– USEKE.RW