Global spotlight on isles for 2025 Kiswahili day festivities
ZANZIBAR: ZANZIBAR is poised to take the spotlight in this year’s World Kiswahili Language Day celebrations, hosting a vibrant week-long series of cultural, academic and community events that will culminate in the official ceremony on July 7, 2025.
The main event, to be held at the Ziwani Police Hall, will be graced by President Dr Hussein Mwinyi as the guest of honour and will bring together Kiswahili stakeholders from across Tanzania and around the world.
Permanent Secretary (PS) at the Ministry of Information, Youth, Culture and Sports, Ms Fatma Hamad Rajab announced the details during a press briefing at her office in Migombani area on Wednesday.
She said that on July 5, a special forum titled “Mwanamke Hazina” will be held in the isles.
It will feature a paper titled “Women and Good Governance: The Image of the Woman Leader in Literature,” with the First Lady of Zanzibar, Mama Mariam Mwinyi, as the guest of honour.
On Monday, students and Kiswahili enthusiasts will participate in a march beginning at 6:00 am from Tumekuja Secondary School to the Ziwani Police Hall, where a session will be held on “The Importance of Reading Books.”
The event will also feature an awards ceremony for winners of the 2025 national Swahili essay competition and for the bestperforming Kiswahili students of 2024, where Zanzibar’s Minister for Education and Vocational Training, Lela Mohammed Mussa, is expected to officiate.
Another key presentation will focus on “Young Women and Tomorrow’s Leadership: Investing in the Next Generation.”
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“These celebrations will include cultural performances, academic discussions, arts exhibitions and wellness walks for families, all aimed at strengthening our community and preserving cultural heritage,” said Ms Rajab.
She added that preliminary events began on June 28 in Arusha, where participants took part in international marathons of 5km, 10km and 21km under the theme “Swahili: The Pride of Africa.”
She encouraged the public to actively participate and urged journalists to uphold the proper use of Kiswahili instead of contributing to its degradation.
The Executive Secretary of the Zanzibar Kiswahili Council (BAKIZA), Dr Mwanahija Ali Juma also highlighted the council’s initiatives to promote and expand the language, including distributing standard Kiswahili dictionaries to schools, universities and media houses.
She emphasised that both President Samia Suluhu Hassan and President Dr Hussein Mwinyi have led efforts to strengthen the teaching and learning environment for both locals and foreigners interested in Swahili.
“Evidence shows a growing global interest in learning Kiswahili, including the opening of university programmes and new radio and TV stations broadcasting in the language,” she said.
It is worth remembering that on November 23, 2021, UNESCO designated July 7 of each year as World Kiswahili Language Day, with the inaugural celebrations held in 2022.
