Recent events showing Tanzanian Members of Parliament (MPs) struggling to express themselves in English while seeking to represent the country in international parliamentary bodies suggest that campaigning for wider use of Swahili in international institutions must now reach beyond Swahili speakers. These MPs exposed a structural problem in how we select international representatives. Rather than waste time struggling with foreign languages, we are better off campaigning for increased official recognition of Swahili where Tanzania is represented.
Languages survive and gain influence only through active promotion, even though resistance exists. When I once suggested to an Arusha-based Swahili-language podcaster that he avoid English words and phrases, he replied that this was unavoidable in Arusha. I disagree. Failure to defend one’s language and culture leaves space to be dominated by others’ interests.
Despite setbacks, progress is being made in promoting Swahili internationally. Swahili is already an official language of the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum and the African Union. In addition, a formal proposal exists to include it in the Pan-African Parliament. These developments show that institutional adoption of Swahili is both realistic and workable.
Countries across East, Central, and Southern Africa use Swahili to varying degrees, making it one of Africa’s most widely shared and recognised languages. Given this reach, its exclusion from continental and international organs is unjustifiable. There is no logical reason why a language spoken across multiple African nations and increasingly around the world should not receive international status.
Critics will argue that a Tanzanian representative who speaks only Swahili may struggle to communicate informally with non-Swahili-speaking counterparts. This argument is overstated. Global influence does not depend on linguistic reach, though it can help. Billions do not speak Chinese, yet China’s standing in international relations remains undiminished. Acting together, Swahili-speaking nations can elevate both their language and their collective global influence on the world stage.
If we accept that English proficiency is important for our representatives, then preselection committees should enforce it consistently, rather than expose some parliamentarians to ridicule for their inability to communicate in English. Where representatives lack foreign-language proficiency, Parliament should fund interpreters and translators. Language limitations should never weaken Tanzania’s voice on the international stage.
While promoting the importance of Tanzania’s representatives communicating in our national language, might we be ignoring the elephant in the room? Is it overdue to raise the minimum educational bar for parliamentary candidates beyond primary education and basic literacy? Are existing standards sufficient for effective representation on complex economic, social, cultural, security and regional agendas? Strong representation requires serious preparation. This may be an opportunity to reflect on whether higher standards are necessary.
