OUR KIND OF ENGLISH : NEC creates new ELECTION constituencies
What you need to know:
In its coverage of the outcome of the CCM nomination task at the White House in Dodoma, Bongo’s senior-most tabloid of Monday, July 14, had four stories dwelling on this important exercise. Said the scribbler who penned the biggest story on the page, entitled, “CCM picks Magufuli”.
Bongo’s one and only independence party, the CCM (evolving from Tanu and ASP) has finished the task of nominating a presidential candidate—it has Dr Magufuli in place—and we expect other parties are currently busy getting theirs who’ll give the science teacher-turned politician a run for his money.
In its coverage of the outcome of the CCM nomination task at the White House in Dodoma, Bongo’s senior-most tabloid of Monday, July 14, had four stories dwelling on this important exercise. Said the scribbler who penned the biggest story on the page, entitled, “CCM picks Magufuli”.
“CCM union presidential candidate John Pombe Magufuli was yesterday introduced to Dodoma residents, immediately sounding a warning against irresponsible and corrupt should he clinch the top post the land in the general ELECTIONS.”
Two others, mostly likely penned by the same scribble, also bear the words “GENERAL ELECTIONS in October”. A smaller story at the upper corner of the huge page –“earpiece” in newsroom lingo—speaks of October general elections!
Of course—if we’re to remind our colleagues for the millionth time—in October, we shall have “a general ELECTION (not elections, for goodness sake!). The adjective “general” underlines the fact that the October 25 affair will entail several elections: presidential (for Zenj and Union), parliamentary, polls to get House of Reps members and civic polls.
And on Monday, July 13, there was this story on the front page of Bongo’s huge and colourful broadsheet, entitled “Odinga elated, congratulates Dr Magufuli,” in which the scribbler says:
“Kenya’s Opposition leader Raila Odinga has congratulated CCM’s presidential NOMINATION Dr John Magufuli whom he said is up FOR the task…”
Our reader, HM of Segerea, who is one of this column’s consistent critic and contributor, remarks that Dr Magufuli is a presidential “nomination”; he’s a presidential NOMINEE. We agree.
HM further notes that when you believe someone is suitable for a job, like the way Mr Odinga feels about our Work’s minister, then you say he is “up TO (not “for”) the task”.
On the next day, the huge broadsheet had another story, entitled, “NEC announces new ELECTION constituencies”, in which the scribbler writes:
“The NEC yesterday announced 26 new election constituencies thus making a total of 265 ELECTION constituencies countrywide.”
Our colleague and her gatekeeper (who is also the headline writer) are certainly casualties of Kiswahili-English direct translation syndrome. Why, it’s okay in our good old national language to say “jimbo la uchaguzi” in which case our colleague takes “jimbo” to be Kiswahili for “constituency”. However, that’s not the case, for the word “constituency” in itself means “jimbo la uchaguzi”. Take note of how our Advanced Learners Dictionary defines CONSTITUENCY:
“…the group of voters belonging to any of the official areas of a country that elects someone to represent them nationally.”
Additionally, the people who occupy the constituency are called “constituents”; however, we prefer to refer to them in a less pompous word—voters.
On Page 1 of the same edition, the biggest story had the headline, “Gunmen shoot dead seven in Dar” and the scribbler had this to say in Para 2:
“The gangsters GUNNED DOWN TO DEATH seven people including four policemen and INJURING four others.”
Ah; the sentence doesn’t sound right, we say. Why, when you gun down someone, you have cause him death, which is to say the words “to death” as a qualifier of “gunned down” are unnecessary. And, for “injuring” the word should be “injured”.
Finally, a few gems from Page 2 of the Sunday tabloid that’s sister to the huge and colourful broadsheet (July 12 edition), courtesy of the story headlined, “Expert warns of rebounding power rationing”. Says the scribbler in Para:
“Reliable source preferring ANONYMOUS told this paper … Tanesco is experiencing increased operational costs due to continued CRUMBLE of the shilling.”
Oops! We say “… preferring ANONYMITY…” or “who preferred to REMAIN anonymous” Furthermore, our hapless Bongo shilling is not crumbling; it is TUMBLING.
Later on in his story, our colleague says: “Asked for comment, Tanesco managing director Felchesm Mramba said power rationing schemes would be CUT OFF next month when the gas pipeline project from Mtwara comes to effect.”
Cut off power rationing schemes? Well, how about, saying, simply: power rationing will end?
