Can the Nambya speak? Media inclusion, identity and the politics of belonging among ethnic minorities in Zimbabwe: A case study of the Nambya ethnic group

Abstract

Zimbabwe is a multicultural nation, with diverse ethno linguistic groups. The country’s minority language groups, however, are under threat of significant decline or even disappearance. This alarming situation can, to some extent, be attributed to the extent to which they are used in the media. Like in most African countries, the Zimbabwean media ecology is characterised by either total media exclusion or underrepresentation of minority linguistic groups in terms of, both presence and content. The Nambya people, an ethnic group of about 100 000 people, based in Hwange (north-west of Zimbabwe), are one of the country’s minority ethnic groups, that has lamented persistent media exclusion. This study focuses on the extent to which the Nambya are included in the mainstream Zimbabwean media. It also focuses on the implications of the media inclusion matrix, on their identity and sense of belonging. The study was conducted in Hwange and gathered data using questionnaires and qualitative interviews. Drawing on the subaltern theory, the findings of this study revealed that the Nambya largely suffer from media exclusion. The findings were used to categorise Zimbabwean minority language speakers as subordinated and voiceless “subaltern” groups, who have the potential to lose both their language and culture, if the current media exclusion persists. This study established that the media exclusion of the Nambya, has 
triggered the erosion of their cultural identity. This loss of identity and the exclusionary construction of the concept of belonging has forced them to assimilate into dominant ethnic groups. The paper proposes the establishment of community radio stations for minority ethnic groups, so that they find alternative spaces of self- expression.