Hon Speaker, hon guests and members, thank you very much.
Ndicela kuthi kuni, irholeni. Niyaphila bo? Ekhethu siyaphila. Akhe simamelane. [I would like to say to you: How are you? We are fine. Let us listen to each other.]
I have just spoken isiHlubi, which is the language that I speak at home, and unfortunately I can see that hon members cannot understand what I have just said.
I would like to quote Nelson Mandela, who once said:
If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.
The national conference of the ANC at Polokwane took a decision that indigenous languages be promoted at all schools, with the aim of learners being taught in their mother tongue. We link the development of indigenous languages with the liberation of our country from the legacy of apartheid.
The concept of indigenous languages refers to Sesotho, Setswana, Siswati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, Afrikaans, English, IsiHlubi, IsiZulu and many other languages. I mention Afrikaans because we must take cognisance of the fact that Afrikaans is also an indigenous language. There are other indigenous languages that are called dialects by those who are learned, for example IsiMpondo, IsiBhaca, Khelobedu, Nama and Xirikwa.
My focus, inter alia, is on the promotion of indigenous languages and multilingualism in schools and tertiary institutions in our country. The reality of the situation in our country is that English is promoted at virtually all levels of society, at the expense of this country's indigenous languages. This causes problems particularly for students who do not speak English as their first language. It also promotes the perception that citizens and students who are not English-speaking are inferior and not entitled to equal treatment.
Even at places of work, some companies force African employees to speak English. Recently, employees who were speaking Xitsonga were fired. Teachers also contribute to this, because they tell children that they must first understand English, and that English must be spoken, even at home. If you go into African homes today, you will find that the culture is in decline. The children cannot speak any African language. They only speak English.
The Constitution recognises all 11 official languages of South Africa. These were all provided for by the Ready to Govern document of the ANC in 1992. Both the Ready to Govern document and the Constitution recognise the historically diminished use and status of the indigenous languages of our people.
Increasing pressure is being brought to bear on speakers of indigenous languages in order for them to receive instruction in our schools and universities in only one South African language that is not an indigenous language. Research shows that the African continent is the only continent where the majority of children start their schooling in a foreign language. Surely this must result in poor education and the marginalisation of our continent. You can express yourself better in your own home language. In government interviews, our own African people perform poorly because they are forced to speak English. It does not mean that the person does not know the job; the person fails the interview because they are forced to speak English. It is not that you are stupid, but the moment you speak English, people think you are clever. It is just a language!
Children from Afrikaans-speaking homes go to school, speak English at school, and when they return home they speak Afrikaans. I do not see why it is a challenge for our own Africans to do the same.
The perception that instruction in English is essential in order to be internationally competitive is considerably smaller outside developing countries. It is clear that most universities and schools in developed countries emphasise mother-tongue instruction. The schools and tertiary institutions that offer their instruction in English are those in the USA, the United Kingdom, Australia and so on. There, instruction takes place in English because English is the students' first language - it is their mother tongue. In countries such as Japan, Germany, France and Holland, instruction is offered in those students' mother tongues.
Where it is possible, regional co-operation should be encouraged. The Southern African Development Community, SADC, framework provides the most readily available structure for this. In the dissemination of human rights literature, special attention should be directed towards those whose voices have been silenced.
If you want to overthrow a country, you start by diminishing the language. You wipe out the language. That's what the apartheid policies did. They sought to eradicate our own languages, so that the people would not be united. Language also brings unity. It is part of culture and heritage. Some languages were marginalised to such an extent that we as Africans also say that other languages, like Tshivenda, Xitsonga and the Khoi and San languages, are inferior. Last weekend the President met with the Khoi, Nama and San people because they also want to revive their own languages.
Language loss separates people from the richness of their culture and heritage. It prevents them from living their full cultural identity. It weakens cultural traditions and leads to fragmentation and the loss of community. The dominant culture is subsequently deprived of such people's cultural diversity.
Language is one of the main tools that are used to express ideas, emotions, knowledge, memories and values. Language is also the main vehicle for the cultural expression that is essential for individual and collective identity. Language is very important in any culture. A language does far more than just allowing people to communicate with each other.
We are aware that there are costs involved in promoting indigenous languages at all levels of education. We are aware of the fact that the financial costs of multilingualism at schools and tertiary institutions are naturally higher than those at monolingual institutions. However, in our view of the diversity of South African society and the constitutional right to equality with regard to mother-tongue education, our government is obliged to make active policy decisions in favour of multilingualism. There are strong social and political reasons why funding is required for multilingual education.
English-only schools promote the loss of indigenous languages. If there is no financial support, then the goal of a multilingual, cohesive society is not going to be achieved. In addition, indigenous languages cannot be implemented effectively. It is therefore important to mention that the promotion of indigenous languages and multilingualism will also make schools and tertiary education more accessible for students of all language groups. This would mean an enormous boost for quality education and the economy. It is time for us as African students to write dissertations, reports and assignments in our own languages. Imagine if I wrote my reports in isiXhosa - I would pass all my dissertations as a Master's student!
No, you won't.
Ag, shut up! [Laughter.] We commend recent initiatives launched by both the Ministries of Higher Education and Training and of Basic Education with regard to the use of African languages as languages of education. We believe that a formula has to be developed to use as a basis for managing the principles and practices of the revitalisation of indigenous languages.
Furthermore, the state is enjoined to take the necessary corrective steps to elevate and equalise the formerly oppressed languages. It is with the latter view in mind that the founding provision in the Constitution was made that the Pan African Language Board, known as PanSALB, be established by national legislation, in order to promote all official languages, including the language of the Khoi and San, as well as sign language. We must ensure that we respect all languages commonly used by communities in South Africa.
The PanSALB body was established in order for there to be equal opportunity and enjoyment of all official languages. There are bodies like the Public Protector, the Human Rights Commission, the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities and the Commission for Gender Equality that regulate and act against discrimination.
In this Women's Month, most of the people who are oppressed on the basis of language are women. Women have to go to Home Affairs or to Social Development and present all the required documents in order to receive grants. However, the biggest challenge that they face is that of language, because most of them were greatly oppressed. They never received the necessary education. But, if government departments provide services and documents in all our own languages, then we will also tackle the issue of language.
There must be an awareness campaign on the revitalisation of languages, and the focus should be at schools, institutions of higher education and in families. The government cannot do it alone without the families, the community and society in general. All social institutions are critical for both economic prosperity and social cohesion. Elsewhere, in some societies, the promotion of indigenous languages has led to drastic improvements in nation-building projects. Our critics always say that the performance of our matriculants is bad because of the teachers only, but if teachers were teaching in their own languages and students also ... [Interjections.]
Ek sal jou slaan! [I will beat you!] [Laughter.]]
That is their critique. Why not take into consideration the issue of languages? At Afrikaans and English-medium schools, scholars pass with flying colours, because they are taught in their mother tongues, while our African children are forced to speak this foreign language in our homes. [Interjections.] Okay, I will face this side.
As I said, the blame for the loss of multilingualism cannot be placed on government only. There are departments of language services, South African heritage services and parents who must also assist in this process.
In conclusion ... hon Ellis, you are not even listening to me now. You said I must face this side. [Interjections.] In conclusion, we need to encourage our people, particularly parents, children and the youth, to develop an interest and pride in their language and to promote this in society as a whole.
Our children - once I have mine - must be encouraged to know their language rights and what grievance procedures to follow when their rights are violated, because people do not know their rights. They are violated and taken advantage of.
We need to ensure that we revitalise indigenous languages and make an effort to learn other languages. Hon Ellis, you have been here in Parliament for a long time and you cannot even speak isiXhosa. You must learn other languages as well. Our research bodies and individual scholars must be encouraged to conduct research and, as I said, write reports, dissertations and assignments in their own languages, in accordance with the Bill of Rights. Thank you for listening, even those opposition members who did. [Interjections.] [Applause.]
Before I call the next person, I would like to appeal to you to take your places and keep your voices down. There are private conversations going on all the time. This is actually a very important topic. I do not think that we are paying sufficient attention to this issue, which affects our people. So, I appeal, once again, for us to be quiet. If you need to say something, say it quietly, but refrain from having conversations.
I would also like to appeal to the Deputy Minister of Tourism - I am addressing you, Madam. I would appreciate it if you could refrain from conducting conversations while speakers are trying to be heard. [Applause.]
Voorsitter, ek wil graag begin deur my waardering uit te spreek dat ons wel vandag 'n debat oor hierdie belangrike kwessie voer. Vir te lank is dit 'n onderwerp wat gegnoreer is of waarvan weggeskram is. Die tragedie is egter dat dit hoegenaamd nodig is om in 2011, 17 jaar in ons nuwe bedeling in, debat te voer oor die hervitalisering van ons inheemse tale.
Dit is inderdaad 'n ernstige aanklag teen die regering van die dag dat ten spyte van ons Grondwet, waarin daar besliste bepalings is oor die beskerming en bevordering van alle amptelike tale in ons land, daar nou nog nie gevolg gegee is aan die bevordering en beskerming van ons inheemse tale nie. Soveel so dat dit 'n hofbevel gekos het om die regering so ver te kry om taalwetgewing te implementeer. Ek verwys hier spesifiek na die Suid- Afrikaanse Talewetsontwerp, wat nog ter tafel gel moet word.
Die vraag is dus: Hoe ernstig is die regering werklik oor die bevordering en dus dan ook die hervitalisering van die tale van Suid-Afrika en, in besonder, die inheemse tale? Hoekom word daar na redes gekyk waarom tale nie beskerm en bevorder moet word nie, eerder as waarom dit moet gebeur? Indien ons werklik ernstig is oor die hervitalisering van ons inheemse tale, moet ons deeglike introspeksie doen oor ons eie ingesteldheid jeens die tale van ons land. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Dr A LOTRIET: Chairperson, I would like to start by expressing my appreciation for the fact that we are indeed debating this very important issue today. For too long now this has been a matter that has been ignored or avoided. The tragedy, however, is that it is still necessary to debate the issue of the revitalisation of our indigenous languages in 2011, 17 years into our new dispensation.
It is indeed a serious indictment of the government of the day that in spite of our Constitution, which contains definitive provisions for the protection and advancement of all official languages in our country, adherence to the advancement and protection of our indigenous languages has still not been followed through on. So much so that it required a court order to get the government to implement legislation in respect of language. Here I am specifically referring to the South African Languages Bill that must still be tabled.
The question is therefore: How serious is the government really about the advancement and therefore, as a consequence, the revitalisation of the languages of South Africa, and the indigenous languages in particular? Why are we searching for reasons why languages should not be protected and advanced, rather than why it should happen? If we are really serious about the revitalisation of our indigenous languages, we should do thorough introspection regarding our own predisposition towards the languages of our country.]
The reality is that, despite the wonderful provisions in our Constitution, a crisis is looming in South Africa regarding the promotion and preservation of our indigenous languages. Unfortunately, we are faced with the situation where our university students are turning their back on studying African languages. Departments of African languages are closing down because there has been a drastic decline in student numbers. Why is this happening?
There are a number of reasons, such as parents and the community at large, for equating education with competency in English and, in the process, the value of our indigenous languages is diminished. The fact is that these languages are not regarded as adequate for higher-order functions. In other words, indigenous languages are not seen as being capable of being languages of business and the academic world. These languages are deemed not to be of economic value. The reason for this is that it is claimed that indigenous languages do not possess the requisite registers for science and scholarship or other high-order functions.
We therefore relegate these languages to the periphery as having value only in our social communication at home or with friends and not as an important facet of education and personal development. We believe that our languages will survive in this kind of environment and we tend to view language as nothing more than a means of communication.
In truth, language is much more than that. Language is who we are, our culture, our beliefs, our history. It is the footprint of where we come from and where we are going. It is part of our social, psychological and cultural make-up. It gives us a sense of social identity, self-confidence and emotional security.
Language, therefore, is much more than purely something of economic value. When we disrespect a person's language, we disrespect much more than only a means of communication. When we talk of the revitalisation of indigenous languages, we have to be serious and cognisant of the integral part language plays in how we view and experience ourselves. When we talk about revitalisation, it has to be a holistic approach. A few token gestures will not ensure the survival of these languages. We have to start right at the beginning, with education, right through to the workplace, making indigenous languages an economic option.
Let us look at what we are doing at present with our current educational dispensation. What is the message that we send to a child when he goes to school and we tell him or her that, unfortunately, his language is not considered good enough for him to be taught in? We are saying to the child: "You, your culture and your history are inferior". What kind of person will we produce when this is the message we are giving our children? We are creating generations of children who have to deal with the underlying message that who they are and where they come from are inferior and has no economic value.
If we want to talk about revitalising our indigenous languages, we have to start by looking at our own attitudes, our own preconceived ideas of the role of language and what constitutes value. The language sector is most probably one of the most undervalued sectors in the economy. We focus on maths and science, while we have a treasure trove of linguistically gifted people. Whole industries can be created in the field of language, such as those translators, interpreters, editors, writers, document designers, language technologists, and not only teachers, as we have always thought. The potential for job creation in the language field has not even begun to be considered and it is enormous.
The inconvenient truth is, however, that if we do not commit wholeheartedly to the revitalisation and true empowerment of our indigenous languages, the outcome is bleak and sad. What we have to remember is that, according to projections, 95% of the currently spoken speech forms in the world will be extinct in the next 100 years. This does not refer to languages such as English, French or Chinese, but languages such as our own indigenous languages. This happens when there is no support and interventions to protect and, importantly, to promote these languages. The tragedy is that the moment our indigenous African languages become extinct, culturally, as Africans, we cease to exist. We vanish into history. Culturally we become part of the world whose languages we have adopted. The question is: What are we, then?
We have to realise that for true nation-building and social cohesion to prevail in our country, we need a genuinely multilingual citizenry. This can only be achieved if we promote and protect the languages of our country. [Applause.]
Hon Speaker ... nabo bonke abakule Ndlu, ingakumbi abo bakwaDlangamandla naseMazizini, ndiyanibulisa ngegama leNkosi.
Okokuqala, manditsho ukuba akukho nto ibuhlungu njengokuba abantwana abasesikolweni bekhuthazwa ukuba bathethe iilwimi ezingezizo ezakumawabo ngamaxesha onke. Okona kuhlupha kakhulu kukuba umntwana wam ubuya esikolweni andixelele ukuba kufunwa into edla imali engamawaka amabini, kube kufunwa loo mawaka mabini ke. Xa ndibuza ukuba yintoni na le ifunwayo, impendulo ithi yi-"horizombotech". Kunakaloku nje ndisafuna ootishala ukuze bandichazele ukuba yintoni na loo nto.
Andikhange ndichaze ukuba andiyazi loo nto kwaye andazi nokuba niyayazi na nina. Ndiwakhuphile amawaka amabini kodwa ndisakhangela ukuba yintoni na i- "horizombotech". Noxa kunjalo, ndiyaqonda ukuba le "horizombotech" yinto enxulumene nobuxhakaxhaka bale mihla, andibazi ke obu buxhakaxhaka bale mihla.
Ingqeqesho iqala ekhaya. Kuba buhlungu xa usiva abantwana bethu bethetha isiNgesi xa bencokola koololiwe naseziteksini. Kuloo meko uye uzibuze ukuba ingaba aba bantwana bayalwazi okanye abalwazi kusini na ulwimi lwabo. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)
[... and everyone in this House, especially those who belong to Dlangamandla and aMazizi clans, I greet you in the name of the Lord.
Firstly, I must say that there is nothing as painful as having children being encouraged at school to speak languages that are not their vernacular all the time. What worries me most is that my child comes back telling me that at school they need something that costs R2 000 and that R2 000 must be paid. When I ask what the name of that thing is, the answer was "horizombotech". I still need teachers to tell me what that is.
I did not mention that I am clueless and I don't know whether you know about it. I have paid the R2 000 but I still need information on this "horizombotech". However, I am certain that this "horizombotech" has something to do with today's technology, and I have no idea about today's technology.
Charity begins at home. It is very sad to listen to our children having a conversation in English in the trains and taxis. In those cases you end up wondering whether these children know their mother tongue or not.] Because Cope supports the eli gama ndingazi kulibiza kakuhle, ndingalichaniyo words that I cannot pronounce correctly, and which I do not know] of our indigenous languages, the only problem we foresee is how this will be achieved. We all know that the devil is in the details. How do we bring our languages back into prominence when political leadership - especially the ruling party - communicates with children in English after the elections ... [Interjections.] ... when instruments of public communication like the South African Broadcasting Corporation, SABC, use slang language like "fo sho" [for sure] and spell uMzantsi incorrectly, and when the Chapter 1 institution, the Pan South African Language Board, PanSALB, is still bogged down in legal action instead of pursuing its constitutional mandate of actively promoting the development of previously marginalised languages, among other things?
I read somewhere that it is easier for a six-year-old to learn to speak a new language fluently - ndilibize kakuhle andithi eli gama? [I have pronounced this word correctly, haven't I?] [Interjections.] - than it is for a 16- or 26-year-old. I therefore disagree and Training with the Minister of Higher Education and Training on his call to force university students to study at least one African language as a condition to graduate.
Umthi ugotywa uselula. [Bend the tree while it is still young.]
I also disagree with the - eliny' igama endingalichani kakuhle [another word that I don't really know ] - PanSALB chief executive officer's call that government must make it a policy that if you want a government job, you have to know an African language. He made this statement in support of the Minister of Higher Education and Training's call.
I do not think that he really believes in what he said, taking into consideration what he wrote in his personal capacity on Facebook about 16 June, where he was accusing a number of people, including the President, parents and state institutions of violating language rights ... [Time expired.]
Ukufa kusembizeni. Enkosi. [Kwaqhwatywa.] [The enemy is within. Thank you. [Applause.]]
uSolwazi C T MSIMANG: Mhlonishwa Sihlalo, okokuqala ngizohalalisela umhlonishwa uSunduza, ngokuqhamuka ngesihloko esibaluleke kangaka ukuba kuxoxwe ngaso kule Ndlu. Sengimhalalisele bese ngiba nokudabuka ukuthi silinde kwaze kwaphela iminyaka eyi-17 ukuba sixoxe ngalesi sihloko.
Kuleyo minyaka eyi-17 besibona ukusetshenziswa kwezilimi zesintu kuya ngokuya kuncipha, kanti ukusetshenziswa kwesiNgisi kuya ngokuya kukhula. Namhlanje ngisho abavakashi abavela phesheya nxa behla esikhumulweni sezindiza, into yokuqala abayibonayo ukuthi izwe abafike kulo ngelamaNgisi.Zonke izazisi ezichaza ngokwenzekayo nokuthi indawo ethile ikuphi, zibhalwe ngesiNgisi.
Namhlanje uthi nxa ufika ezinkantolo noma ezinkundleni zamacala, ufice ukuthi bonke abasenkundleni ukusuka kummangali ngumuntu wase-Afrika kuye kummangalelwa kuze kuyofika kuyo imantshi, ngisho ijaji imbala.Kodwa bonke laba bantu bakhuluma ngesiNgisi, ongasazi - ikakhulukazi ummangalelwa angamane afunelwe utolika ukuze amchazele konke ngesiZulu.
Uyadabuka ukuthi izakhiwo zikahulumeni nezinhlaka zakhe ziningi kangakanani ukuthuthukisa izilimi zethu, kodwa uma usubuka ukuthi imiphumela injani, uthola ukuthi kunokuba zithuthuke ungazi zibuyela emuva. Uma kukhulunya ngokuthuthukisa kwezilimi zesintu sisuke sibheka ikakhulukazi ukuthi sezikhona yini izichazamazwi, ubheka ukuthi iyathuthuka yini imibhalo ebhalwe ngalolu limi, imibhalo yobuchwepheshe njengamanoveli.
Usuke ubheka ukuthi zitsetshenziswa kangakanani ekufundiseni izingane zesikole. Uthole ukuthi konke lokhu akwenzeki. Bese ubona ukuthi ngempela ngempela kusuka kuhulumeni wobandlululo kuya kuhulumeni wentando yabantu, iqhaza elibanjwe yizilimi zesintu liye ngokuya lincipha kunokuthi likhule. Okudabukisayo kakhulu ukuthi kwenzeke ngesikhathi sekuphethe abantu abamnyama. Ngithokoze. [Ihlombe.] (Translation of isiZulu speech follows.)
[Prof C T MSIMANG: Hon Chairperson, firstly I would like to congratulate the hon Sunduza for coming up with such an important topic to be debated in this House. After congratulating her, I am filled with sadness that we waited for 17 years to talk about this topic.
During those 17 years we saw the use of indigenous languages gradually dwindling, whereas the use of the English language kept on growing. Even today the first thing visitors from abroad see when they land is that the country they have arrived in belongs to the English people. All the signs indicating the names of different places are written in English.
Nowadays when you get to the courts you find that everybody in court - the complainant, the defendant, the magistrate, and the judge - is black. All these people speak English, and the one who is not fluent in English, especially the defendant, could be assigned an interpreter so that he or she can explain everything in isiZulu to the defendant.
You become sad when you realise how many resources and structures government has made available to develop our languages, but when you look at the results, you find that instead of developing they seem to be regressing. When we talk about the development of our indigenous languages we generally look at the availability of dictionaries and whether the literary works produced in that language are developed - the creative works such as novels.
You look at how much they are used as the medium of instruction at schools. You find that this does not happen and you realise that all this started with the apartheid government, up to this democratic government. The role played by indigenous languages keeps on dwindling instead of growing. It is pathetic that this is happening when black people are in power. Thank you. [Applause.]]
Chairperson, in 1976 schoolchildren fought over language instruction. As government, we tend to forget the seriousness and sensitivity of this topic. This is the very reason that Hector Pieterson and so many learners died. It is sad that we remember their cause only once a year. As a leader, I realise that I have not done enough to ensure that my own child attaches the same importance to indigenous languages that she does to our home language.
The historical and current context of language issues in South Africa remains fraught and continues to have an influence on relationships between language and society. Allowing the current status of our schools will result in the marginalisation of all indigenous African languages.
Therefore my question is: What have we done over the past 17 years to protect, revive and restructure the system to incorporate the 11 official languages as mediums of instruction and as a part of the curriculum to encourage communication across racial divides?
It is sad that South African families hardly communicate in their home languages. After 17 years in our democratic South Africa, black children are still not being taught in their mother tongue. This directly affects racial integration because children from different racial and cultural backgrounds come together on the playground. That is where the foundations are laid for a united future.
Greater effort should be made and financial assistance be given to accelerate the progress of the move towards gearing all South Africans to meet the practical language requirements of our country. Furthermore, it is not enough to restrict ourselves to phrases like "heita" and "hola" [hello] in the corridors of Parliament. Therefore it is important that Parliament should offer language courses for Members of Parliament in its leadership management academy.
The ID supports and encourages the introduction of national awareness through active multilingualism and the recognition of all traditional leaders in all spheres of government. [Applause.]
Hon Chairperson and hon members, it is with tremendous sadness that I stand here today to debate the menace of extinction facing indigenous languages in South Africa. This happens while English continues to enjoy unchallenged supremacy as a medium of verbal and written communication, both in business and in government.
We are all guilty of not doing enough to safeguard indigenous languages as valuable resources for our knowledge systems, cultural norms and values and national heritage. The UDM believes that we have a collective responsibility to play a more active role in the preservation and promotion of indigenous languages.
Government must take the lead in the development of more supportive policies that promote the use of our indigenous languages. Government must invest in the development of the intellectualisation of indigenous languages for them to be able to function effectively as mediums of communication, both in business and in government.
Resources should be made available to improve the capacity of university research departments on indigenous languages. Government must promote the use of indigenous languages as mediums of instruction at schools and universities. Available empirical evidence clearly demonstrates a positive correlation between the use of the mother tongue at school as a medium of instruction and improved performance in school work by pupils, particularly in maths and science. [Applause.]
Hon Chairperson, I would like to start off by congratulating the hon Sunduza for bringing this topic to Parliament. I think it is necessary that we discuss this issue, and I would like to say that I agree with approximately 98% of every word she said today. It was a good speech. The 2% difference is in terms of certain interpretations of our history, but we can debate that at another time. Well done on the 98%!
The question is: Do we really believe in and see South Africa as a multilingual country, or do we pay lip service to this ideal, while secretly moving towards an English-speaking only South Africa? That is the problem. Why is it normal and acceptable if I insist on speaking English anywhere, but if I speak one of South Africa's other indigenous languages, then suddenly there is a problem or it becomes political?
The international position of English made it possible for a number of popular misconceptions about English in South Africa to take root. These relate to the belief that most South Africans understand English, or that English is widely used as a lingua franca. Research shows that only 34% to 40% of South Africans have sufficient English language skills to make sense of news broadcasts and political debates in English. The documentation and the study have been done.
Die feit van die saak is dat moedertaal onderwys, en die hele erkenning van jou eie taal, absoluut noodsaaklik is as ons ernstig is om mense in die proses te erken. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[The fact remains that mother-tongue education, and the complete acknowledgment of one's own language, is absolutely essential if we are serious about acknowledging people in the process.]
It is not only the ANC, in terms of the Polokwane resolution, that speaks about this. One should have a look at section 6(2) of the Constitution, where it is clearly stated that:
Recognising the historically diminished use and status of the indigenous languages of our people, the state must take practical and positive measures to elevate the status and advance the use of these languages.
Feit van die saak is: as jy iemand se taal minag, minag jy daardie persoon. [The fact of the matter is that if you show contempt for someone's language, you also show contempt for that person.]
If we are serious about the recognition of all our official languages, we should do what was said today and implement the proposals that were put on the table. I congratulate the member. Let us do this now in practice and then we will see that, once we really try, we will start to succeed at nation-building as well. [Applause.]
This is what an isiXhosa-speaking young man I spoke to said to me:
I am worried that for centuries our languages have been a reflection of those cultural distinctions that have made us who we are as a people and, in a sense, have been an element of the many things that have made us strong. Though we have survived centuries of contact and conflict, today we are faced with a crisis that is perhaps more significant than any we have ever faced in our histories. It is the crisis of the loss of our languages, and this crisis has reached a point that if we are not able to effectively pass our languages on to our youth within the next 15 years, we could witness the loss of as much as 85% of the African languages that are still spoken at present.
Under the 1996 Constitution, all of South Africa's official languages "must enjoy parity of esteem and must be treated equitably". In practice, English increasingly dominates and is the medium of business, finance, science, the Internet, government, the music industry and much more.
The number of people using a newly found knowledge of different African languages is also dropping while, 17 years into this new South Africa, it should be the opposite. This is cause for concern. Experts at the School of Languages and Literatures at the University of Cape Town say that at present the vast majority of language experts and lecturers are in their 50s and they are very concerned that there are no others coming after them.
I studied isiZulu at university in KwaZulu-Natal, when I was studying law as a mature student, in the years before coming to Parliament in 1999. Despite making an enthusiastic start and achieving high marks for exams, to my disappointment and shame the isiZulu I learned never dropped successfully from my head to my tongue. In my defence, I was subsequently redeployed into provinces where isiZulu was not a priority.
Other difficulties I encountered, even at university in KwaZulu-Natal, in the rare, brave moments of wanting to practise my isiZulu, included often and unwittingly picking on a foreign student. This was very off-putting. When speaking to ordinary KwaZulu-Natal residents, I would be corrected by people who had a standard-3 education. It seemed my varsity isiZulu just did not say what it was meant to. That was equally confusing! [Time expired.]
Hon Chairperson, members, distinguished guests and our children, you will recall that one of the defining moments in our struggle, the 1976 youth uprising, was sparked by the imposition of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in black schools. We therefore know the consequences of using language as a political instrument and we are now determined to ensure that our country does not go down that road again.
Our language policy recognises that our country is a multilingual society, with a large number of indigenous languages. If language contributes to our attitudes, then language is the central feature of culture. It is in language that culture is transmitted, interpreted and configured. Language is also a register of culture.
Historically, the trajectory of a culture can be read in the language and evolution of its lexicon and morphology. Language is one of the distinctive features that distinguish us from the animal world. We are in effect talkative animals. In this respect we can extend the logic of the argument by saying that language is the key distinguishing feature between us and the rest of the animal world. Our ability to create culture and language marks us off from the animals.
Language is the most important means of human intercourse. Language and cultural rights are therefore central to all considerations of human rights, in contemporary South Africa and the world at large. Furthermore, it suggests that the revitalisation of indigenous languages is at the heart of contemporary debates about identity, social cohesion and the development of a knowledge-based economy. The aforementioned affirms respect for the diversity of indigenous languages, tolerance, dialogue and co-operation, in a climate of mutual trust and understanding.
In this regard, it is important to note that indigenous languages and literacy are crucial for societal development. For instance, we have isiNdebele and Khilobedu, which, until now, are not recognised in schools as written languages. The Balobedu children are taught in Sepedi. Maybe this is what contributes to the high failure rate, because they speak Khilobedu at home and when they get to school, they have to write in Sepedi.
Our country's reconstruction towards a national democratic society is possible when its citizens are literate in the languages of the masses. In other words, it is not possible to reach social cohesion if the language or languages of literacy and education are only within the intellectual ambit of a small powerful elite. What has PanSALB been doing since 1996, when our Constitution was adopted, to revitalise such languages? PanSALB has an obligation to develop such languages.
The language question in our country, with respect to its challenges, calls for concerted efforts to revitalise indigenous languages. We know how far we have travelled in terms of past achievements at policy and legislative levels.
Tindzimi ta hina Vantima a ti nga hlayiwi helo. A hi fana na vahlampfa etikweni ra hina. Hi hoyozela ntshunxeko lowu nga va kona hi 1994. Hi ri endzhaku ku vuyela singe hina a hi nga ha vuyeli. (Translation of Xitsonga paragraph follows.)
[Our indigenous languages were not recognised. We were like foreigners in our own country. We welcome the freedom that was achieved in 1994. We are saying backward never, and we shall never go backwards.]
I want to agree with hon Lotriet, who said that if you undermine other people's language, you actually undermine the people who speak it. That is true.
Tindzimi ta hina Vantima a ti nga vulavuriwi hi nkarhi wa apartheid [xihlawuhlawu]. Loko va tsala swilo a va tsala leswaku "and other languages". [Our indigenous languages were not used for official purposes during the apartheid era. When they wrote something, they would write "and other languages".]
Our Constitution states that:
Everyone has the right to use the language and to participate in the cultural life of their choice, but no one exercising these rights may do so in a manner inconsistent with any provision of the Bill of Rights.
In addition, the point is made that:
Persons belonging to a cultural, religious or linguistic community may not be denied the right, with other members of that community -
a) to enjoy their culture, practise their religion and use their language; and b) to form, join and maintain cultural, religious and linguistic associations and other organs of civil society.
It is further stated that these rights may not be exercised in a manner inconsistent with any provision of the Bill of Rights.
In the area that I am from, white farmers speak Xitsonga so fluently. I remember in Giyani, during the birthday celebrations of our former President, Nelson Mandela, we had a young white girl who attended a multiracial school. She was 16 or 18 years old. She requested to be allowed to stand before us in order to read a poem in Xitsonga. Unless you saw this white girl, you would think, from her pronunciation, that she was a Xitsonga-speaking child. Why can't our communities speak the languages of the people who are living in it?
The state must take practical and positive measures to elevate the status and advance the use of these languages. The letter and spirit of these words are that all are equal before the law. This is the famous call of the Freedom Charter. Up until now, multilingualism has been invisible in the Public Service, in most public discourse and in the mass media.
Consequently, and despite the fact that the Constitution provides for the cultivation of multilingualism and the revitalisation of indigenous languages, there is still an urgent need for the Departments of Arts and Culture, and Science and Technology, to revitalise the use of indigenous languages in a manner that draws from the framework of the Reconstruction and Development Programme, and to maximise the utilisation of the country's multilingual human resources.
Ironically, the Department of Arts and Culture is a department that is not given a large enough budget. If they could get enough money, I think they would promote indigenous languages, traditional music, traditional dances and traditional folklore. Indigenous languages should all be elevated to the same level by providing the necessary resources to enable and permit this direction. However, one hardly notices much reaction by the speakers of indigenous languages in our country to the increasing predominance of English. Occasionally we hear and read strident African-language-speaking voices. Generally, however, they are few and far between.
A sharply worded article entitled "Africans opt for English as the Language of 'Brainy People" which I think most people have read, was written by an African language-speaking reader. It appeared in The Star in recent months. The writer trenchantly observed that:
It is disheartening to see people actively shunning their languages. African languages are relegated to second-best, compared to English, despite the fact that the Constitution advocates equality with respect to languages. What is more disturbing is that Africans are assisting in the marginalisation of their mother tongues. The country is currently busy producing African youth who can hardly read, let alone write text in their mother tongue. These youth fail to even pronounce African names correctly, let alone spell them. In extreme cases African children can hardly construct a sentence in their parents' mother tongue.
I think the fault is with us as parents -
The poor kid's identity is lost because they are supposed, for example, to be Tswana and yet they know nothing about the Tswana culture and language.
Or a Mupedi who knows nothing about the Bapedi culture. These children look down on African cultures, just as most proponents of colonialism do, or did.
They look down on African religious practices as superstition. They are alienating themselves, with the help of their parents, from their own cultures. It is unfortunate that most parents still believe that speaking eloquent English necessarily means you are intelligent.
That is not the case.
The fallacy of this observation is the suggestion that the English in England are all intelligent because they speak English.
Some of them are not intelligent, despite the fact that they can speak English.
The interesting thing is that when parents enrol their children in township schools they insist that their children attend schools that offer their mother tongue. When these kids move to schools in town, mother tongue preference is shelved for English and Afrikaans.
Why? - Granted, the school may not be offering any African language at that stage even though it has African pupils in the majority. African parents resign themselves to the status quo more often than not.
Parents should speak up -
Our children should learn other languages in addition to their mother tongue.
We definitely agree with this -
Imagine if white, coloured and Indian children were to learn African languages as their second language at school, that would add some impetus to nation-building.
We support the call by hon Dr Blade Nzimande for indigenous languages to be included at tertiary and university levels.
I once attended a court case where the judge could not understand any of the indigenous languages, and there was an interpreter who was interpreting for the accused. Those who speak Sepedi will understand when I say, "Hlogo ya mmago". This is an insulting expression, but the interpreter rendered it, "Your mother's head." The judge asked, "What is wrong with her mother's head?" [Laughter.] It had been literally interpreted. It should have been translated in Xitsonga. Xitsonga-speaking people could have translated it. We can thus see how much we don't know when we don't have the chance to learn other languages, in particular the indigenous languages. Sometimes it is not good for all us.
It is important that we decolonise our minds and avoid giving in to the status quo. By the way, one does not need to be conversant in English to be an electrician, doctor, mechanic or professor. You can become a professor without being proficient in English. If you could have used your mother tongue, you could maybe even have passed with distinction.
The technological culture of South Africa is constructed on the cultures and in the languages of its white minority. Knowledge, its production and reproduction, is negotiated and built in the languages and culture of this cultural superpower.
Adopting a culturally exclusive approach in South Africa means that if you go to an ATM machine, for instance, the procedure you have to follow will be in English, or when using a computer, the procedure you have to follow is in English. Even the manuals for the use of ordinary cellular phones are in English. So, unless you know that language, you cannot access those technologies. There must be indigenous-centred development to provide the masses of our people with cultural and linguistic access to these processes. This will have to be done in the cultures and languages of the masses, unless we want to suggest that the indigenous languages and cultures of the masses are inherently inferior and can provide no basis for social and cultural advancement.
Hi fanele ku tsundzuka ubuntu [vumunhu]. Hi leswi mfumo wa hina wu vulaka swona. [We should remember the principle of ubuntu. This is what our government says.]
The situation we currently have is one in which the languages of the indigenous majorities are marginalised and underdeveloped. The only way in which to revitalise them is to be given more in terms of the budget, to be supported by government and, more importantly, by the parents of our children at school.
In comparison, you find so many textbooks and so much research material written in English and Afrikaans. Where will our people get this information from? There are no textbooks and research books written in our indigenous languages. It is high time that our writers embarked on that.
This condition of the relative cultural deprivation of the languages of the majorities cannot serve as a viable basis for social and economic development. The latter needs the enlistment of the cultural energies of the masses.
In conclusion, the revitalisation of indigenous languages requires active advocacy work and awareness campaigns. This should involve both state and civil society organisations. A systematic plan for this work needs to be drawn up. Co-operative linkages should be established with bodies involved in similar or related work of a cultural or linguistic kind. Publications flowing out of this work should be produced. [Applause.]
Chairperson, hon members and honoured guests, we use language to communicate but, more than that, languages are carriers of the culture of the people who speak those languages. I have listened with interest to people trying to convey a cultural concept of one community in the language of another community. You will find that the translation does not carry the full meaning and original idiom.
If a language is allowed to disappear, so does the culture of the people who speak that language. We therefore support the idea that indigenous languages have to be promoted and supported because the disappearance of a language also means that writers and authors in those languages are discouraged from writing because there would be no market for their books. Researchers and scientists have told us that one of the factors contributing to the high failure rate in our schools is the fact that many children are taught in a foreign language. Azapo therefore supports the idea of the mother tongue as the medium of instruction or language of teaching and learning. We are not calling for the scrapping of English or any other language. We could have the mother tongue as a language of teaching and learning, while studying other languages as subjects.
If we are serious and invest in the promotion and revitalisation of indigenous languages, we should find that any language can be used as a medium of instruction. By so doing, we will be promoting our cultures in our country. [Applause.]
Ke tsaya nako eno go leboga Modulasetilo, mmogo le Ditona tsa rona le maloko a a tlotlegang a Ntlo e. Motlotlegi Sunduza, kgaitsadiaka, o buile mme o re diretse phoso ka go bua ka ga tsosoloso ya diteme tsa bantsho o be o dira jalo ka sejatlhapi. Re tshwanelwa ke gore re ikitse, re ithate, re itlotle re bo re tlotle le dipuo tsa rona. (Translation of Setswana paragraph follows.)
[Mr G G BOINAMO: Let me take this opportunity to thank the Chairperson, Ministers and hon members of this House. Hon Sunduza, my dear sister, you spoke about the revival of the language of the African people; however, you have wronged us by doing so in English. We are supposed to know our identity, love ourselves, and respect our languages and ourselves.]
Let me give you a historical perspective of today's topic of debate. This is not the first time, but the second time that this topic is debated in this country. It was first debated during the period when this country was under the British regime and the sole official language was English. Afrikaans was not recognised because the Afrikaners were oppressed. There emerged a scholar by the name of C J Langenhoven, who wrote a book entitled Die Erwe van ons Vaad're. In this book he wrote a chapter titled "Afrikaans as voertaal", which means "Afrikaans as a language of instruction". He used the analogy of a donkey and said: n Donkie en sy eseltjies is dors. 'n Donkie ken die kortste pad dam toe, maar nou is al die paaie dam toe versper en is 'n donkie geforseer om die ompad dam toe te neem.
What he meant here was that the Afrikaner child was thirsty for education, but opportunities for him or her to access education were made almost impossible because the child was forced to study or learn through a foreign language, which was then English.
This is exactly what is happening in our case, the only difference is that we are no longer oppressed and the Afrikaners were oppressed then. The question is: Where is Afrikaans today? It is now a language of economists and of science and technology. Indigenous languages can also be developed to achieve the same standard.
Mmusakgotla, diteme tsa rona di meditswe ke diteme tsa dit?haba tse dingwe. Re le bantsho re dumeletse ditlhaloganyo tsa rona gore di tsenwe kgotsa di fetolwe ke bokolone. Ditlhaloganyo tsa rona di amegile thata moo e bileng re inyatsa ka borona, re itseela kwa tlase, re latlha ditso tsa rona le go latlha dipuo tsa rona. Ra tsaya dipuo tsa bokolone ra di dira tsa rona ra bo ra ithaya ra re re di tlhaloganya go phala dipuo tsa rona.
Ga gona jaaka o ka tlhaloganya seesimane go gaisa Sethosa kgotsa Sezulu e le leleme la ga mme. Fa o ithaya o re o ka itse leleme la batswakwa go gaisa leleme la gago, seo se re bontsha gore o latlhegile. Setswana sa re mooka pilo o o leodi le matute a monate, mogokong ga o ke o o ja o be o fetsa mooko wa teng. Re tshwanetse ra itse gore selo se se nang le boleng ba tlholego, se le mosola mo set?habeng, ga gona yo o ka se fedisang.
Diteme tsa bantsho di koafaditswe le go tswapolwa ke go itlhokomolodisiwa ke beng ba tsona - rona beng ba tsona. Ke matlhabisa ditlhong gore bana ba rona, e leng bana ba thari e ntsho ba bo ba palelwa ke go bua segabona ka manontlhotlho le boipelo. Fa o fitlhela thaka e tshesane e tlotla, go sena makgoa e le bona fela, ba bua Sejatlhapi. Fa o batla go itse gore tota se se dirang gore ba bue Sejatlhapi ke eng ka go sena basweu mo gare ga bona, ba re "Ga re itse Setswana, re itse Sekgoa fela". Matlhabisa ditlhong!
Se ke loso lwa dipuo tsa segarona le ditso tsa rona gonne dipuo tse di tshwere ngwao le ditso tsa rona. Tsela e rona batho ba bantsho, bana ba mmala wa sebilo re dirang ka teng, ga re sa itse puo ya rona, go raya gore ga re ikitse, ga re itlhaloganye e bile ga re na kwa re yang teng.
Tsaya dikolo tse e neng e le tsa basweu pele, diteme tsa bantsho ga di rutiwe gotlhelele kwa dikolong tseo. Ke gwetlha Ntlo e gore a diteme tsa bantsho di rutwe mo dikolong tsotlhe, tota le bona basweu re ba rute diteme tsa rona. Ba di ithute jaaka fela re ithutile Seaforikanse le Sekgoa. Bana ba rona ba tshwanetse go rutwa gore fa o sa itse segaeno o lesilo, o seelele, ga o ithate, o itlhoile.
Basweu ba a ithata ka ba rata le go tlotla dipuo tsa bone. Dikolo tsa bantsho di kile tsa bo di ne di ruta dithuto tse di latelang:-thutapuo; poko; porosa; mokwalo; diane; maele le tekatlhaloganyo. Dirutwa tse tsotlhe di na le seabe se se boitshegang mo go ageng puo ya ngwaga ka kakaratso mme dingwe tsa tsona di tsene ka lenga la seloko, di nyele phuthi boloko. Ke gwetlha Ntlo e gore a re busetseng dithuto tsa bantsho mo dikolong tsa rona. [Nako e fedile.] (Translation of Setswana paragraphs follows.)
[Chairperson, our languages are dominated by other foreign languages. We, as blacks, have allowed our minds to be influenced by colonialism. Our minds are so affected that we despise and look down on ourselves; we have stopped practising our traditions and our languages. We have adopted colonial languages and pretend that we understand them better than our languages.
There is no way in which you can understand English better than isiXhosa or isiZulu as your mother tongue. If you think you can understand a foreign language better that your own language, then it shows that you are lost. In Setswana, we say something useful and provided by nature cannot be allowed to be extinguished. We have to understand that anything that has a natural value, which is useful to the society, should not be extinguished.
African languages are weakened and are regarded as being of less value by the native speakers who undermine them. It is a disgrace that our children, being black, are unable to speak their language proudly and effectively. When you find the youths communicating, without any whites amongst them, they speak English. If you ask why they speak English when there are no whites amongst them, they say: "We do not understand Setswana." What a disgrace.
This appears to be the end of our languages and traditions because these languages hold our heritage and tradition. The way in which we black people are operating means we no longer know our language, which means we do not know our identity; we do not understand ourselves and we do not know where we are going.
For instance, look at the schools that were whites only; African languages are not offered in those schools at all. I would like to challenge this House that African languages be offered in all the schools, and also teach the whites our languages. Let them learn the same way we learnt Afrikaans and English. Our children need to be taught that if you do not know your tradition, you are an idiot, you hate and do not love yourselves.
White people respect themselves as they love and respect their languages. Black schools used to offer the following subjects: grammar; poetry; prose; writing; idioms and proverbs, and comprehension. All these subjects had a tremendous effect in building general knowledge and some of them have completely disappeared, they are dead and buried. I challenge this House to bring back the method of teaching that was previously used in our schools. [Time expired.]]
Ngiyabonga Sihlalo. [Thank you, Chairperson.]
I have just received a note stating that I introduced this topic but I'm also speaking English. My home language is isiHlubi, which is not recognised in the Constitution, and I was told that there is no interpreter for isiHlubi. That is why I'm speaking English. It is one of the indigenous languages. I am not a Xhosa, but a Hlubi woman. Yingakho uma ngibingelela ngithe, sanibonani, nathula ngoba beningazi ukuthi ithini le ntombi yakwaMazibuko. [That is why I said hello in isiZulu, while you kept quiet because you did not understand what Ms Mazibuko was saying.]
I'd like to thank you, hon members, for this debate. It must not end here.
Ngiyabonga kakhulu bab'uMsimang yingakho ngithe [Thank you very much, hon Msimang, that is why I said] I must raise this issue because it's a serious problem.
Ngombana abantu bekhethu abasakwazi ukukhuluma isikhabo kwamambala. Ukhe wabona? [It is because our people are no longer able to speak their languages properly. Have you noticed?]
The reason we are speaking about this is that there are not only the 11 languages that are recognised in the Constitution, but more beyond that.
I agree with you, Mr Ntshiqela, that 90% of what the SABC broadcasts is not even South African English but foreign content. Language also brings morality into society - morality starts with the language. I challenge the SABC to change the content. All languages should be represented. In most cases, the dominating languages are isiXhosa, isiZulu, Setswana and Sesotho. Meanwhile other languages are suppressed, even though they form part of the 11 official languages. You must clap hands now, hon members. [Interjections.] [Laughter.] [Applause.]
I agree with Mr Ntshiqela that enyanisweni uPanSALB usarhuqa nzima, ngokuba baseneengxaki mna nawe esivumelana nazo [in honest truth, PanSALB is still struggling because they still have challenges that you and I agree with.]
I think that we, as the committee as well, will just have to push PanSALB on the issue of recognising all languages.
I'd also like to encourage those of us in this House to speak in our own languages more often - and I include myself, the one who started this debate. Most of us, when we respond, do so in English.
Thank you, hon Mulder; for the first time I agree with you - even if there is 2% where you disagree with me. I want to say that many of the complaints that we receive are from Afrikaners. It is not only Africans but also people who speak Afrikaans who want to express themselves in Afrikaans, in interviews, for instance. As I said in my opening statement, Afrikaans is also one of the indigenous languages because of its historical context - I will not go there. It's not me saying this; it's history.
Dis geskiedenis. Dis nie ek wat so s nie - ek het nie die boeke geskryf nie. [Gelag.] [It's history. It's not me saying this - I did not write the books. [Laughter.]] Furthermore, African writers face a serious challenge. Most of them do not get publishers because publishers want books written in English. I think it's a challenge.
Yilapho ke lungaqhubeki ulimi lwethu. [That is why our languages do not develop.]
You will find that our own African writers are writing in English because the publishers are the challenge. This means that publishers must also start to transform their sector.
As I said, a language is a tool that we use as a vehicle for human rights and minority community development in the country. As long as we don't recognise our indigenous languages, our economy will not improve because a person who comes from the most rural or nodal areas to an urban area cannot speak English. This is because history deprived them of the opportunity to gain a high level of education. If they cannot speak that language, they won't achieve anything economically. They might be skilled but as long as language remains a barrier there will a serious problem.
Indigenous languages are under siege as we speak, not only in South Africa but internationally as well. So, it is for us here to revive those languages, especially African parents. I've heard many people, even members of this House, speak to their kids in English. The children don't even know what "papa" - that is porridge - is. They say, "Mummy, give me that white stuff." It is a challenge to all African parents to speak these languages at home. We even pray in English in our own, African, homes.
Akusathandazwa ngamaXhosa, kwaye asisamazi uyanga iNkosi ingeva umthandazo wabantwana abancinci; ngenxa kaYesu Kristu iNkosi yethu, Amen. [The amaXhosa people do not pray anymore and they do not know the prayer: May God hear the prayer of the small children; in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.]
We don't even say that anymore. I'm also challenging churches and the religious community. They preach in English because of the diversity in South Africa, but then people don't follow what is being said and don't go to church anymore. Church is one of the sectors that bring moral regeneration to society. When there is a language shift, the culture diminishes altogether.
Ngiyacela ukuthi sonke sivumelane. [I would like all of us to agree.]
I also challenge the private sector. It is not only the public sector that must take up this challenge. They must allow their documents, advertisements and everything to be written in indigenous languages. I have seen people trying to write isiXhosa - they mix English and isiXhosa, then they say they are writing the language. I think it's a serious crisis. Thank you, hon members, for supporting this beautiful hon member in this debate. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.