Locals Championing Foreign Interests at Home: The Impact of Neo-colonialism on Indigenous Languages as Manifested by Language Usage Pattern in the Mass Media in Zimbabwe

When one reads any popular newspaper or tunes-in to the most popular radio station or television in Zimbabwe, they can be forgiven for thinking that they are in the United Kingdom. The mass media in Zimbabwe reflect an interesting if not saddening language usage pattern. Local languages are at the periphery. It can be argued that this scenario is a result of the unavailability of a language policy. This article examines the impact of the obtaining scenario on local languages. It hinges on the argument that a language grows and develops due to use, if it is not used it undergoes attrition. The article advocates the use of indigenous languages in state media. Indigenous languages will develop and build ‘granaries’ of their words for science, technology, administration, trade and commerce if used in the media rather than for them to be neglected in preference of the already developed English language.