Work does not yield FRUITS; what it does is yield FRUIT

I have stated it in this space several times in the past. Yes, that idiomatic expressions are fixed linguistic entities and none of us users carries the license to change them, no matter how tempting doing that might be. That is why I have an issue with what a scribbling colleague says in his story appearing on Page 3 of the tabloid whose boss signs my paycheck.

In the story with the headline, ‘No results at tyre making firm even after NSSF invests $10m’, the scribbler writes in Para 1:

“A $10 million investment into the Arusha-based General Tyre Company Limited by the NSSF has failed to yield FRUITS, Parliament heard yesterday.”

In another paragraph, the scribbler, as if to show he knows what he is talking about, he writes: “Mr Bashe admitted that the disbursed fund has not yielded FRUITS”.

To give forth or supply is what it means by “yield fruit”. This is an idiomatic expression and we don’t have the right to modify it. Another expression which means the same thing is “BEAR fruit”. Never say “bear fruits”.

In the Saturday, May 1 edition of Bongo’s senior-most broadsheet, there is a story that runs from Page 1 to 3, entitled, ‘Strong leadership, discipline keep Chama Cha Mapinduzi ON helm’. There is a problem right from here—on the headline. Yes, because we do not say someone is on (the) helm. Instead, we need to say “…AT the helm” which is the same thing a s saying “AT the top.”

The story is about how the ruling party—which has been in power since independence—has managed to transfer power from one leadership to another. Purporting to quote a University of Dar es Salaam don who explained why CCM has managed to maintain a stranglehold of power for years on end, the scribbler writes:

“Some of the opposition parties have been under the chairmanship of a single person for a long time. In political parties, there must be a RECESSION plan.”

As if to demonstrate he knows what he is saying when he talks about “recession”, the scribbler writes on in another paragraph: “…in CCM, there is respect for the constitution…” he noted, adding that political parties need to have a RECESSION plan that would allow smooth transfer of power.”

Recession plan? This cannot be! Why, “recession” means a period of temporary economic decline during which trade and industrial activity are reduced.

I am certain the scribbler had in mind SUCCESSION plan, which means a process for identifying and developing new leaders who can replace old ones when they leave, retire or die.

On Page 5 of the same edition, there is a photograph whose caption reads:

“VARIOUS Chama Cha Mapinduzi members from VARIOUS regions cheer UP President Samia Suluhu Hassan after she was declared to have been unanimously elected AS the first CCM woman national chairperson.”

I consider unnecessary the adjective “various” at the opening of the caption. And the reason is, if the party members are from various regions as the caption informs us, then obviously, the regions are “various”—and you don’t need to tell your intelligent readers that!

And then, when somebody scores a victory like President Samia Suluhu Hassan did—to be elected CCM topmost leader—you don’t cheer her up. You simply cheer her—that is, you express jubilation over her achievement.

You cheer up someone you care for when she/he is downcast, disheartened, sick or unhappy. We say kumchangamsha in Kiswahili.

What is more: Ms Hassan was not elected AS chairperson; she was ELECTED CHAIRPERSON (drop the preposition “as”).

Ah, this treacherous language called English!

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