The Eastern Cape government wants all state documents to be translated into isiXhosa and Afrikaans and maths and physics to be taught in pupils’ mother tongues.
MPLs spoke of how mother tongue usage would translate into uplifted communities at the two-day terminology verification workshop at the provincial legislature yesterday.
Deputy speaker Mlibo Qoboshiyane said when a nation was free, it uplifted its traditions, including language. He said lifting language in turn meant pride, dignity and consciousness.
“The government will be able to communicate officially with people in their own mother tongue.
“We must promote multilingualism. We urge departments to produce documents in all languages, including Afrikaans and isiXhosa,” he said.
Qoboshiyane said language was a key driver of social life and there was a huge need to interpret policy into languages people understood.
The event also launched a provincial language forum. Its focus will be on establishing and affirming an official maths and science lexicon for teaching and learning in mother tongues.
Among those present were education MEC Mandla Makupula, sport, recreation, arts and culture (Dsrac) MEC Bulelwa Tunyiswa and Contralesa provincial chairman Chief Mwelo Nonkonyane. Dsrac committee chairman Vuyani Limba said apartheid had reduced the citizenship of the black people. “We had to speak the language of our colonisers. We appeal to all departments to support the language board. “Dsrac has failed to proclaim the implementation date of the language policy. As a result no department, except education, has a language unit.”
Tunyiswa said through the forum they would put language in government at the centre.
“We must take practical measures to advance the development of language. There must be language units in government departments. There must be cooperation in language matters. We will monitor language in government departments,” she said.
— zolilem@tisoblackstar.co.za
Bhisho opens arms to mother tongues
MPLs spoke of how mother tongue usage would translate into uplifted communities at the two-day terminology verification workshop at the provincial legislature yesterday.
Deputy speaker Mlibo Qoboshiyane said when a nation was free, it uplifted its traditions, including language. He said lifting language in turn meant pride, dignity and consciousness.
“The government will be able to communicate officially with people in their own mother tongue.
“We must promote multilingualism. We urge departments to produce documents in all languages, including Afrikaans and isiXhosa,” he said.
Qoboshiyane said language was a key driver of social life and there was a huge need to interpret policy into languages people understood.
The event also launched a provincial language forum. Its focus will be on establishing and affirming an official maths and science lexicon for teaching and learning in mother tongues.
Among those present were education MEC Mandla Makupula, sport, recreation, arts and culture (Dsrac) MEC Bulelwa Tunyiswa and Contralesa provincial chairman Chief Mwelo Nonkonyane. Dsrac committee chairman Vuyani Limba said apartheid had reduced the citizenship of the black people. “We had to speak the language of our colonisers. We appeal to all departments to support the language board. “Dsrac has failed to proclaim the implementation date of the language policy. As a result no department, except education, has a language unit.”
Tunyiswa said through the forum they would put language in government at the centre.
“We must take practical measures to advance the development of language. There must be language units in government departments. There must be cooperation in language matters. We will monitor language in government departments,” she said.
— zolilem@tisoblackstar.co.za
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