Department of Arts and Culture
The South African Languages Bill is not “the appropriate mechanism” for addressing concerns relating to multilingualism.
This is according to a submission made by the department of arts and culture to the parliamentary portfolio committee during public hearings on the bill.
Arts and culture minister Paul Mashatile tabled the bill in the National Assembly on 7 November 2011.
The submission document states that, in the department’s view, “some of the concerns arising from public submissions will be addressed through the promulgation of regulations provided for in section 14”.
In addition, the department intends reviewing the regulatory framework relating to the Pan South African Language Board (PANSALB) “in order to ensure the effective promotion and development of languages”.
Amendments to the bill proposed by the department are that:
• section 4(2)(a) should provide that “one of the official languages must be an indigenous language with historically diminished use and status”; and that
• the national language unit envisaged should also submit its annual report to PANSLAB in order to promote “cooperation and coordination” between the two.
The department has also proposed that section 4 of the bill be amended to provide that “a language policy must describe how a national department, national public entity and national public enterprise will communicate with the public when the language of choice is sign language”.
According to an analysis of written submissions received on the bill, general trends emerging from the process include the following, that:
• learners should be taught in their mother tongue;
• a language ombudsman should be established “for people who are aggrieved with regard to language matters”;
• the bill should provide for “the support and empowerment” of PANSALB in order to make it “more functional”; and that
• all eleven official languages should be recognised by the bill for use in public entities and government departments, and not two as prescribed by the bill.
The analysis was prepared by Parliament’s research unit and was based on submissions received from a broad spectrum of individuals, language practitioners, academics and organisations including:
• PANSALB;
• Afriforum;
• the National Institute for the Deaf;
• the FW de Klerk Foundation; and
• the House of Traditional Leaders.
In a media statement issued following the public hearings, arts and culture minister Paul Mashatile Is quoted as having “emphasised the importance of multilingualism”.
"Official languages must enjoy parity of esteem and must be treated equitably. This is what the bill hopes to achieve,” he told members of the parliamentary portfolio committee during the hearings.
Sabinet Cape Town Office
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