An Exploration of the Marginalisation of Tshwao Through Postcolonial Policy

This qualitative study examined how Zimbabwe’s language policies marginalised Tshwao between 1980 and 2013 despite constitutional recognition. Using document analysis (DA) informed by critical discourse analysis (CDA) and ethnolinguistic vitality theory (EVT), the study analysed policy and legislative texts alongside relevant scholarly literature. The findings indicate that English, Shona, and Ndebele retained privileged institutional status in education, administration, and the media, while Tshwao remained largely excluded from formal policy implementation. Although postcolonial policy discourse increasingly embraced multilingualism, support for minority languages remained limited and inadequately institutionalised. The study concludes that policy frameworks reproduced historical linguistic inequalities, contributing to the continued endangerment of Tshwao and highlighting the need for more inclusive language planning in multilingual states.