Not just storm in linguistic teacup

In Recent weeks, Metro FM radio personality Bonang Matheba, unintentionally, contributed to the language debate.

Social media was abuzz with comment on the linguistic “incident” that happened live on Metro FM, where a listener calling in to Matheba’s radio show conveyed their thoughts through the medium of an African language.

The listener was immediately rebuked by Matheba, who consequently told the listener to speak in English instead. It appears that when Matheba was asked why the listener was not permitted to speak in an African language and in English instead, she retorted that Metro FM was an “English” radio station.

The statements by Matheba reminded us of an old French cartoon we use in our classes, the caption of which states: “Speak French, you English dogs” and in doing so alerted us to the need to remind fellow citizens of the status, use and role of our African languages across society.

In doing so, we need to question whether or not our African languages are in fact competing against the dominance of English on media forums and in society more generally?

In our opinion, it concerns an important topic of linguistic awareness and whether or not statements of this nature should be accepted and the implications on the dignity of an African language speaker and their right to linguistic equality.

When we refer to linguistic equality, the constitution is our guide. The constitution, firmly protects our African languages and the use thereof. In fact, Section 6 provides for the elevation and use of African languages, to ensure practicability.

What is important for us is that the Constitution protects African language speakers’ linguistic rights, through Section 9(4), where persons may not be unfairly discriminated against on grounds of language.

The question remains then as to whether Matheba’s statements are in fact a linguistic “storm in a teacup” or whether it undermines our constitutional language rights?

In our opinion there is no simple answer to this question, unless being engaged with legally.

If we were to contextualise the comments made by Matheba within the constitutional framework, it undoubtedly undermines the status, use and development of our African languages, where we are mandated to ensure that our African languages are not marginalised as was the case during the Apartheid regime.

If this approach is being adopted, we are in fact elevating the status of English and contributing to the hegemonic growth of English at the expense of our African languages.

Undoubtedly this is the complete opposite of what the constitution envisages.

Given, however, that Matheba’s utterances were made on a media platform, it necessitates the need to engage with the policy position surrounding language, in particular with Metro FM, where we question whether we do in fact have linguistic freedom and whether this freedom is curtailed to English only.

We have no doubt that many of you will be questioning, as to whether one incident which took place on Metro FM, can contribute or have the disastrous effect of marginalising our languages.

Indeed it can, if these are the responses to all listeners attempting to convey their opinions and thoughts through their mother tongues.

Our intelligence is not measured by the level of English we are able to speak, or whether in fact we can speak English at all. Language is the medium through which our thoughts, expressions, cultures and identities are expressed.

These characteristics are the core of who we are; a unique, linguistically diverse people. Our languages and cultures, a culture on its own which needs to be respected, embraced and celebrated, as part of one which contributes to social cohesion.

Public spaces, such as national radio stations, should reflect this linguistic diversity, allowing people to convey their thoughts in a language they are comfortable in.

There was nothing prohibiting Matheba from requesting that the listener attempt to repeat their thoughts in English if this was needed, even if Matheba herself could have opted to do that was unable to do this herself.

Sensitivity is critically important where language is concerned and we expect radio personalities on national radio stations to be equipped with such sensitivities.

It is ironic that Matheba made this statement given that Metro FM is an SABC radio station which, according to their various policies, have adopted the values in the constitution and in line with the language rights provisions therein, committed themselves to the elevation of the African languages. More specifically the SABC’s language policy claims to realise “the crucial part radio plays in the lives of many South Africans, as it is often the only medium available to them in their home language, and in many ways the only medium available at all”.

Furthermore, the SABC claims to have unique responsibility programmes that promote development and national identity while supporting development of the country’s languages and cultures.

The motivation behind this can be said to be the corporation’s acknowledgement of the underdevelopment of previously disadvantaged people and their languages in South Africa, and suggests to be redressed as excellent radio services depend on these.

The SABC further commits itself to “providing comprehensive radio news, and information programmes in all the official languages (SABC’s Ed. Policies, 29)”.

In promoting multilingualism, the SABC claims it encourages production of meaningful multilingual programmes (programmes that include substantial amounts of more than one language), as means of attaining its language broadcasting objectives.

In our opinion, this in itself would necessitate the need for Matheba and other radio personalities to act in accordance with the policy objectives. On perusal of the Metro FM webpage, a primary objective of the station is to foster transformation “in a constantly changing environment”.

This can mean a number of things, however, in our opinion there is no better manner in which to contribute to transformation than through the elevation of our languages, nationally.

Metro FM has a major role to play in this regard given that their listenership comprises of six million listeners, broadcast across seven of the nine provinces.

According to the 2011 Census, only 9.6% of the population speaks English, with the majority of persons in South Africa speaking an African language as their mother tongue.

In essence, Matheba’s statements of Metro FM being an English station are displaced, in the context of the statistics in the National Census.

We need to engage and, where we assess how we view our African languages and to further assess the value of these African languages.

We need statements of this nature to be condemned, through all means possible, in illustrating how important our African languages are.

These statements raises a critical points of engagement which affects all South Africans. We need to find our collective African voice and ensure that we are able to express ourselves through our African languages, after all we have the right to do so.

We cannot run a democracy, or engage with each other, if we are not linguistically sensitive and aware, lest we exclude each other. This is what makes and defines a good citizen living in a multilingual country.

lZakeera Docrat is a masters student in African languages at Rhodes University and holds a BA degree, BA honours degree in African languages (cum laude) and an LLB degree.

Russell H Kaschula is professor of African language studies at Rhodes University and is the NRF SARChI chair in the Intellectualisation of African Languages, Multilingualism and Education.