PanSALB TO COMMEMORATE INTERNATIONAL MOTHER LANGUAGE DAY
The Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) in conjunction with Msunduzi Municipality will, on Tuesday, 24 February 2026, commemorate International Mother Language Day at the Pietermaritzburg Hall, Chief Albert Luthuli Street in KwaZulu-Natal. International Mother Language Day, declared by United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), is observed globally on 21 February to promote […]
PanSALB WELCOMES EC HIGH COURT RULING ON THE USE OF isiXHOSA DURING COURT PROCEEDINGS BY LEGAL PRACTITIONER AS NOT CONTEMPT OF COURT
The Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) has welcomed the ruling handed by the Eastern Cape High Court over a contempt of court charge brought against legal practitioner, Mr Melani, by a Whittlesea Magistrate for addressing the court in isiXhosa. In the matter brought before the High Court for special review, the magistrate seemed to […]
UOLA Annual Compliance Report
To: Director-Generals of the National Departments, Chief Executive Officers of the National Public Entities, and National Public Enterprises Dear Colleagues, This serves as a formal request for your institution to complete the Annual Language Report for the 2024–2025 reporting period, using either the hyperlink or QR code provided below: 🔗 Annual Language Policy Evaluation Form Please note that […]
PanSALB TO ROLL-OUT LANGUAGE ACTIVISM MONTH CAMPAIGN
The Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB), as part of its ongoing commitment to promoting the use of mother tongue languages, will roll out the Language Activism Campaign from 01 February 2026. The campaign will be conducted through a series of coordinated activities and build-up programmes implemented across all provinces throughout the month of February. […]
PanSALB CONDEMNS LANGUAGE-BASED DISCRIMINATION
The Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) strongly condemns the conduct shown in the viral video where a woman verbally attacks KwaZulu-Natal Police Spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda for not communicating with her in isiZulu. The behaviour shown in the video constitutes discrimination based on language. While PanSALB fully recognises the legitimate frustration individuals may experience […]
PanSALB CALLS ON PARLIAMENT TO SUSPEND PROCEEDINGS OF THE AD HOC COMMITTEE UNTIL INTERPRETING SERVICES ARE FULLY IMPLEMENTED
The Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) calls on Parliament to uphold its constitutional obligations by strengthening linguistic inclusivity in the proceedings by the Ad Hoc Committee investigating allegations made by Lt Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. PanSALB has observed recurring challenges related to language use in the committee’s work. The right of witnesses and Members of […]
PanSALB URGES THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION TO REINSTATE THE 5% LANGUAGE COMPENSATION FOR NON-MOTHER TONGUE USERS
The Pan South African Language Board urges the Minister of Education, Honourable Siviwe Gwarube and uMalusi, the Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training, to reinstate the 5% language compensation policy that was previously extended to learners whose home language differed from the language of teaching and learning (LoLT). This mechanism, introduced in […]
ANNOUNCEMENT OF 2025 SA WORD OF THE YEAR
G20 DECLARED SA WORD OF THE YEAR 2025 #SAWordoftheYear On 23 December 2025, the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB), in partnership with media research company Focal Points, announced the 2025 South African Word of the Year. After carefully considering a range of words, terms, and expressions, “G20” was selected as the winner, prevailing over […]
SA Word of the Year Shortlist Announced
The Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB), in association with media research company, Focal Points, hereby announces the following shortlisted words as candidates for 2025 SA Word of the Year: SA Word of the Year Social Media Word of the Year Madlanga Commission G20 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Government of National Unity (GNU) Tariffs Femicide National […]
The Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) on the Recent Shift Towards English as a Medium of Instruction in Former Model C Afrikaans Schools
The Pan South African Language Board has noted the report submitted to the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) during a committee meeting held on 2 December 2025, to review the implementation of the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act and its associated regulations. During the deliberations, the DBE […]