Date: 18/03/2003
Source: Ministry of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology
Title: Ngubane: National Language Policy Framework
ADDRESS BY DR BEN NGUBANE, MINISTER OF ARTS, CULTURE, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, AT THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF THE NATIONAL LANGUAGE POLICY FRAMEWORK, 18 March 2003
Ladies and gentlemen
Chairperson of PanSALB, Mr Kumalo and the Deputy Chair, Prof Finlayson,
The CEO of PanSALB, Prof Marivate,
Members of my Advisory Panel on Language Policy,
The Acting Director-General, Dr Adam,
Staff from my Departments
Fellow South Africans
This morning signifies the beginning of a new era for the indigenous languages of South Africa as we move to entrench their place in society. The National Language Policy Framework gives us an opportunity to concentrate all our efforts to bring about development and prosperity to all our people through their languages. I am particularly excited that we have made this stride as the Department charged with managing the linguistic resources of our country. For many it has been a very long road, yet it is only the beginning, as we must move with an even faster pace towards giving concrete effect to the Policy Statement. The Constitution and the Language Policy merely reflect our aspirations, which we must still put into practice.
There is need to acknowledge and accept our similarities and dissimilarities in a democratic dispensation. This is critical if we are to ensure that our democracy becomes durable. We must therefore adapt to our traditions and cultures, and adjust to the constant evolution of the world around us. We also need to look at our rich linguistic diversity as part of our renewal as Africans. It is through one's language that one can own the institutions of critical thought so that none other than ourselves can represent who and what we are. It is therefore a critical challenge for us to ensure that we bring an African tradition and perspective to our structures and processes. Our languages are integral mechanisms to do that. Our languages must therefore keep abreast or at least keep pace with the globalising and technologically evolving world, if we do not want to see them diminishing into obscurity.
My Department is in the process of finalising an implementation plan regarding how the Policy should be translated into practice. Nevertheless the Department of Arts and Culture has been working on practical measures with a view to taking some concrete steps for the operationalisation of that which we envisage in the Policy Framework. These steps were taken as a mechanism to ensure that the use of language is stimulated to broaden the horizons of our people and to making basic services and the work of government accessible to all. To this end, we initiated a number of projects. It is not within the scope of my address to you today to go into the details of these projects, as I would also like to leave a fair amount of time for you to explore issues related to the Language Policy and Plan.
We have of course been working in close collaboration with our partner in this area, the Pan South African Language Board. I am very encouraged by the positive contribution of the Board's representatives in my Advisory Panel who, over many years, were instrumental in the process of consultation regarding the Language Policy. The Board and its structures will naturally play a pivotal role in implementing and monitoring the Language Policy and we look forward to a constructive partnership in this regard.
It is envisaged that the National Language Policy Framework will further situate our service delivery and the development of government policies and programmes within the vision enshrined in our Constitution. In practice it is envisaged that the Language Policy Framework will involve all levels of government, as well as government-funded institutions and structures exercising a public power or performing a public function. This policy framework will provide guidelines and define the course of action for future decisions as regards language and information dissemination issues for these structures.
While a national vision for our people and the use of our languages has been forged, provincial governments should model their policies for promoting multilingualism within the National Language Policy Framework, taking into account regional circumstances and the needs and preferences of local communities.
Local governments will have to be responsive to the particular needs and usages in their areas within the context of enabling provincial language policies. The onus is then on them to, in broad consultation with their communities, develops, publicise and implement multilingual policies.
The National Language Policy Framework has been formulated to ensure that a range of official languages, necessary for meeting the needs of the population of the specific region, will be used in all legislative activities. This includes multilingual Hansard publications, which, in the case of provincial legislatures, will use languages as determined by regional circumstances.
To complement the effect and application of the Language Policy Framework and its usefulness for South African people, Government will encourage, and where necessary support, private enterprises to develop and implement their own language policies in consonance with the national framework.
Government structures will have time to plan their budgets and operations with a gradual increase in the allocation of funding for language-related activities in line with the policy over the MTEF period. I have no doubt that implementing this policy is feasible and sustainable provided that government structures set manageable targets.
It is important to note that the implementation of the Language Policy Framework will increase the demand for translation and editing work and interpreting services, especially in the African languages. The core of translation expertise in these languages will have to be expanded in government departments and structures. More broadly, the number of skilled freelance language practitioners such as translators, editors and interpreters, will need to be increased. The growing need for the services of professional language practitioners will create a demand for further training and educational resources. Ladies and Gentlemen, while this will go a long way towards creating job opportunities for people who are linguistically skilled, it will also be a challenge to these professionals.
In collaboration with PanSALB, the Department of Arts and Culture will, as far as possible, monitor progress with regards to language development and the implementation of the Language Policy Framework through various assessment mechanisms and report at intervals to all relevant bodies. Policy reviews will also be conducted and recommendations made for amendments where necessary.
Government's responsibility regarding the national language policy will focus on supporting the development of human resources required for successful implementation of multilingualism.
In conclusion I should like to appeal to all stakeholders to view planning for multilingualism as an integral part of all other planning activities. I believe that if we wish to successfully implement a multilingual policy we will have to effect changes in the way we prioritise language matters in government structures and elsewhere, in particular the way in which we introduce the active use of the indigenous languages. I therefore invite all stakeholders and role players to join hands with my Department in our quest to give the indigenous languages of this country their rightful place. Today is the first step in an exciting process, the fruits of which the next generations will no doubt reap when they use these languages in all spheres of societal life.
I thank you.
Issued by Ministry of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology
18 March 2003
Source: Ministry of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology
Title: Ngubane: National Language Policy Framework
ADDRESS BY DR BEN NGUBANE, MINISTER OF ARTS, CULTURE, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, AT THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF THE NATIONAL LANGUAGE POLICY FRAMEWORK, 18 March 2003
Ladies and gentlemen
Chairperson of PanSALB, Mr Kumalo and the Deputy Chair, Prof Finlayson,
The CEO of PanSALB, Prof Marivate,
Members of my Advisory Panel on Language Policy,
The Acting Director-General, Dr Adam,
Staff from my Departments
Fellow South Africans
This morning signifies the beginning of a new era for the indigenous languages of South Africa as we move to entrench their place in society. The National Language Policy Framework gives us an opportunity to concentrate all our efforts to bring about development and prosperity to all our people through their languages. I am particularly excited that we have made this stride as the Department charged with managing the linguistic resources of our country. For many it has been a very long road, yet it is only the beginning, as we must move with an even faster pace towards giving concrete effect to the Policy Statement. The Constitution and the Language Policy merely reflect our aspirations, which we must still put into practice.
There is need to acknowledge and accept our similarities and dissimilarities in a democratic dispensation. This is critical if we are to ensure that our democracy becomes durable. We must therefore adapt to our traditions and cultures, and adjust to the constant evolution of the world around us. We also need to look at our rich linguistic diversity as part of our renewal as Africans. It is through one's language that one can own the institutions of critical thought so that none other than ourselves can represent who and what we are. It is therefore a critical challenge for us to ensure that we bring an African tradition and perspective to our structures and processes. Our languages are integral mechanisms to do that. Our languages must therefore keep abreast or at least keep pace with the globalising and technologically evolving world, if we do not want to see them diminishing into obscurity.
My Department is in the process of finalising an implementation plan regarding how the Policy should be translated into practice. Nevertheless the Department of Arts and Culture has been working on practical measures with a view to taking some concrete steps for the operationalisation of that which we envisage in the Policy Framework. These steps were taken as a mechanism to ensure that the use of language is stimulated to broaden the horizons of our people and to making basic services and the work of government accessible to all. To this end, we initiated a number of projects. It is not within the scope of my address to you today to go into the details of these projects, as I would also like to leave a fair amount of time for you to explore issues related to the Language Policy and Plan.
We have of course been working in close collaboration with our partner in this area, the Pan South African Language Board. I am very encouraged by the positive contribution of the Board's representatives in my Advisory Panel who, over many years, were instrumental in the process of consultation regarding the Language Policy. The Board and its structures will naturally play a pivotal role in implementing and monitoring the Language Policy and we look forward to a constructive partnership in this regard.
It is envisaged that the National Language Policy Framework will further situate our service delivery and the development of government policies and programmes within the vision enshrined in our Constitution. In practice it is envisaged that the Language Policy Framework will involve all levels of government, as well as government-funded institutions and structures exercising a public power or performing a public function. This policy framework will provide guidelines and define the course of action for future decisions as regards language and information dissemination issues for these structures.
While a national vision for our people and the use of our languages has been forged, provincial governments should model their policies for promoting multilingualism within the National Language Policy Framework, taking into account regional circumstances and the needs and preferences of local communities.
Local governments will have to be responsive to the particular needs and usages in their areas within the context of enabling provincial language policies. The onus is then on them to, in broad consultation with their communities, develops, publicise and implement multilingual policies.
The National Language Policy Framework has been formulated to ensure that a range of official languages, necessary for meeting the needs of the population of the specific region, will be used in all legislative activities. This includes multilingual Hansard publications, which, in the case of provincial legislatures, will use languages as determined by regional circumstances.
To complement the effect and application of the Language Policy Framework and its usefulness for South African people, Government will encourage, and where necessary support, private enterprises to develop and implement their own language policies in consonance with the national framework.
Government structures will have time to plan their budgets and operations with a gradual increase in the allocation of funding for language-related activities in line with the policy over the MTEF period. I have no doubt that implementing this policy is feasible and sustainable provided that government structures set manageable targets.
It is important to note that the implementation of the Language Policy Framework will increase the demand for translation and editing work and interpreting services, especially in the African languages. The core of translation expertise in these languages will have to be expanded in government departments and structures. More broadly, the number of skilled freelance language practitioners such as translators, editors and interpreters, will need to be increased. The growing need for the services of professional language practitioners will create a demand for further training and educational resources. Ladies and Gentlemen, while this will go a long way towards creating job opportunities for people who are linguistically skilled, it will also be a challenge to these professionals.
In collaboration with PanSALB, the Department of Arts and Culture will, as far as possible, monitor progress with regards to language development and the implementation of the Language Policy Framework through various assessment mechanisms and report at intervals to all relevant bodies. Policy reviews will also be conducted and recommendations made for amendments where necessary.
Government's responsibility regarding the national language policy will focus on supporting the development of human resources required for successful implementation of multilingualism.
In conclusion I should like to appeal to all stakeholders to view planning for multilingualism as an integral part of all other planning activities. I believe that if we wish to successfully implement a multilingual policy we will have to effect changes in the way we prioritise language matters in government structures and elsewhere, in particular the way in which we introduce the active use of the indigenous languages. I therefore invite all stakeholders and role players to join hands with my Department in our quest to give the indigenous languages of this country their rightful place. Today is the first step in an exciting process, the fruits of which the next generations will no doubt reap when they use these languages in all spheres of societal life.
I thank you.
Issued by Ministry of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology
18 March 2003
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