Natalie Nyathi
Following the Minister of Transport Infrastructural Development Felix Mhona’s announcement that Zimbabwe will have vernacular provisional driver’s license examinations starting in February, citizens have expressed mixed feelings over the issue.
Previously, the exam was written only in English.
Mhona revealed at the Road Safety Indaba held at Cresta Lodge(Harare) that starting in February, the provisional license exam will also be written in Shona and Ndebele, while plans are in place for it to spread across all local languages.
Zim GBC News failed to get a comment from the Vehicle Inspectorate Department( VID) authorities on the drive behind introducing the Vernacular Provisional Exam.
“Am very much excited about the provisional exam being in vernacular, maybe l can get a chance to pass after countless times of trying”, said Chelsea Sibanda to this reporter.
Andile Ncube told Zim GBC News that he had never attempted to sit for the provisional license exam because he had heard from peers that it’s difficult but is now hoping to go sit for it as he’s confident that he will pass as long its in Ndebele.
“I feel like this whole thing is point less, just by changing a language won’t make an illiterate person pass because operating a computer itself needs one to be computer literate so l don’t think changing a language will make any difference”, said one resident only identified as Bukhosi.
A lady who only preferred to be called Makhumalo, expressed how happy she was with the provisional license exam being now written in vernacular a language which one understands better.
Meanwhile, the Highway Code translation is being done with the help of Midlands State University(MSU) and the process will be extended to all local languages so that every person will choose what they are comfortable with.