Introduce Indigenous Language (s) in Malawi’s Parliament To Compliment the Use of English.

The Lost History Foundation is petitioning Members of Parliament in Malawi to:

1. Consider a law providing for the official recognition and equitable treatment of all indigenous languages spoken in Malawi as national languages.

2. Consider a law providing for the teaching of the indigenous languages in schools for the pupils/students to select among the subjects to learn.

3. Consider a law providing for the use of indigenous languages including sign language and brail in official domains.

4. In light of Chapter VI as Section 56. 5 of the Constitution of Malawi, formulate parliamentary standing orders to provide for the use of indigenous languages and sign languages in Parliament (with translation facilities) to aid the legislatures who are not sufficiently competent in English. As argued by Prof. Alfred Matiki (2003) and Prof. Alfred Mtenje (September 2002), lifting the restriction on the use of English only in Parliament will enable the sitting members of parliament (MPs) to freely and more meaningfully participate in the parliamentary deliberations using the indigenous languages in which they are more fluent than English as it happens in other African countries e.g. South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Botswana.

5. Consider a law for renaming our current national language of ChiChewa to its Original name of ChiNyanja as it had been known from time immemorial until 1968 when the Malawi Government changed the name from chiNyanja to chiChewa without consultations.

6. Consider a law providing for any other measures Honourable Members of Parliament may deem fit, to champion the celebration, preservation and use of all indigenous languages in the country.

For further details, go to this link where you can sign or endorse the Petition.