ONTARIO NDP PARTY INTRODUCES IN THE Ontario LEGISLATURE A BILL FOR HONOURING THE MONTH OF JULY AS SWAHILI HERITAGE MONTH
Ontario NDP MPP Kristyn Wong‑Tam has introduced a bill in the Ontario Legislature proposing that the month of July be officially recognized as Kiswahili Heritage Month. The Legislature will debate the bill after returning from the summer recess, and Sauti za Africa is hopeful that it will receive Royal Assent in the fall.
Once passed, this initiative will become an official provincial law—one of significant importance, second only to federal legislation in symbolic stature.
The Kiswahili language is spoken by more than 200 million people across the African continent. It carries a rich blend of linguistic influences, rooted in Bantu languages and shaped by centuries of interaction with Arabic, as well as Portuguese, German, and English, introduced through trade and cultural exchange along the East African coast. Kiswahili developed over a period of two to three centuries through sustained economic and social interactions between Bantu‑speaking communities and Arab, Persian, and later European traders.
The Province of Ontario and the Government of Canada continue to strengthen trade and social relationships with many African nations, including Tanzania, where Kiswahili is the national language.
Sauti za Africa is proud to support this language and is committed to ensuring that the bill successfully receives Royal Assent
Press Release on June 18, 2026
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Muswada Binafsi wa Mbunge (Bill 135) na Uungwaji Mkono wa Viongozi wa Diaspora ya Afrika
Mhariri wa Msimulizi Community News, Bw. Khalid Magram (aliyeketi kwenye picha), pamoja na Mbunge wa Toronto Centre, Mhe. Kristyn Wong‑Tam, na Yasin Mohamed, mhariri na mwanzilishi wa Sauti za Africa, walikutana kujadili maendeleo ya muswada mpya unaotambuliwa kama Bill 135 a,mbacho inatambuliwa kwa "Swahili Heritage Month Act".
Bw. Khalid Magram ndiye mwanzilishi wa muswada huu muhimu, ambao ni muswada binafsi wa mbunge (Private Member’s Bill). Muswada wa aina hii huwasilishwa na mbunge ambaye si waziri, na mara nyingi hutokana na mahitaji ya jamii na juhudi za wanaharakati wanaotaka mabadiliko ya kijamii.
Mhe. Kristyn Wong‑Tam, akiwa na mamlaka katika Bunge la Mkoa wa Ontario, alitoa ufafanuzi wa kina kuhusu madhumuni ya muswada huo, sababu za kutambuliwa rasmi bungeni, na namna unavyoweza kuleta manufaa kwa jamii pana ya diaspora ya Afrika pamoja na watu kutoka mataifa mbalimbali barani Afrika. Alisisitiza umuhimu wa muswada huu katika kuimarisha utambuzi wa historia, utamaduni, na mchango wa watu wa asili ya Afrika katika mkoa wa Ontario.
Kwa sasa, Bill 135 bado ni muswada. Bunge litakaporejea mwezi Septemba baada ya likizo, kuna matumaini makubwa kwamba muswada huu utasonga mbele na hatimaye kuwa sheria bila upinzani mkubwa. Iwapo utapitishwa, utakuwa hatua muhimu katika kutambua historia ya watu weusi, kupambana na ubaguzi wa rangi, na kuimarisha nafasi ya jamii ya diaspora ya Afrika katika maendeleo ya kijamii na kiutamaduni ndani ya Ontario.