Ek is seker dat dit nie nodig vir my is om vir die agb Minister en sy departement te verduidelik watter belangrike mandaat sy departement het nie. In wese, behoort die Departement van Kuns en Kultuur en Sport en Rekreasie as een van die belangrikste departemente beskou te word, aangesien sy feitlik uitsluitlike doen die van nasiebou deur die kweek van wedersydse respek deur die bevordering van taal en kyltuur is.
Suid-Afrika is 'n tapeserie van gemeenskappe met verskeie pragtige tale en kulture wat almal gerespekteer, waardeer en bevorder behoort te word. Wedersydse respek is dus van kardinale belang.
Die Verenigde Nasies het 2019 as die internasionale jaar van inheemse tale verklaar. Dit het ten doel om bewustheid van die belangrikheid van inheemse tale te skep, nie net onder sprekers van inheemse tale nie, maar ook om ander bewus te maak van en waardering te kweek vir die belangrike bydrae wat hierdie tale tot die ryk kultuurerfenis lewer in die wreld waarin ons leef.
Die belangrikheid van inheemse tale is ook in ons Grondwet verskans en moet ten alle koste beskerm en bevorder word. Die VF Plus beskou elke taal as oneindig meer as 'n blote kommunikasiemiddel.'n Taal is
soos 'n tuiste. Elkeen wat van sy of haar moedertaal ontneem word, word as't ware tuisteloos gelaat.
Die verwatering van ons amptelike tale, buiten die van Engels, se owerheidsfunksies benadeel rasseverhoudings en oortree die Grondwet.
English:
When the hon Mokwele of the EFF called Afrikaans a despicable language during the debate on Public Works last week, I took it as a personal affront. It was disrespectful and insulting and the statement had no place in a House of debate where mutual respect is supposed to be the starting point for all conversations.
The FF Plus advocates for the recognition of all South African indigenous languages, hon Van Dyk - yours, mine, hon Mokwele's and the rest of them. It is a myth that a language will survive as long as it is spoken. The reality is that there are languages that disappear on a daily basis because they do not have the power and means to hold their own in the face of more dominant languages.
The conservation and development of the higher functions of South Africa's 11 official languages must be prioritised, Minister. Thus, the mediums of education should be expanded to include more
languages instead of being reduced and anglicised. Since the department's constitutional mandate includes education to a certain extent as well as the promotion of all languages of South Africa, this should be granted special attention.
The FF Plus condemns the creeping imperialism of Anglophiles who want to replace indigenous languages with English in the name of global trade in not only the field of education, but also in public institutions and state departments. No language is better than another and all languages are equally important - my hon colleagues in red, because they make us who we are. [Laughter.] Let us work together to promote all our languages in accordance with the spirit, scope and goals of the Constitution. [Interjections.]
UNIDENTIFIED MEMBER: [Inaudible.]