The Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) has noted the regrettable incident wherein a member of parliament asked where a Member of Parliament addressed Lt Gen Mkhwanazi in isiZulu, to which he appropriately responded in the same language. The Chairperson of the Ad Hoc Committee subsequently urged members to use English in order to “include” all South Africans, while acknowledging that members are, in fact, permitted to use their mother tongue. The Chairperson further noted the absence of translation services for the committee proceedings.
This incident underscores how multilingualism continues to be treated as an afterthought in national platforms, resulting in the infringement of citizens’ language rights. PanSALB calls on Parliament and the Madlanga Commission to make provisions for interpreters and to engage with broadcasters in order to promote access to information. Both the Madlanga Commission and the Ad hoc committee are critical national structures tasked with addressing serious matters of public concern, particularly issues that directly affect ordinary citizens, many of whom are not proficient in English.
It is unfortunate that, after 31 years of democracy, English remains the dominant language used for parliamentary debate and proceedings while excluding the the majority of the South African population. South Africa is a multilingual nation with 12 official languages that are all held in equal esteem. The assumption that English, (a language only spoken by only 8% of the population), is “inclusive”, is a misconception that perpetuates exclusion and linguistic inequality that continues to exclude millions of South Africans from critical national conversations. The shortage or unavailability of interpreting services during significant matters such as the Madlanga commission is a serious indictment on the nation as it further perpetuates the hegemony of English and robs South African citizens of access to information in their preferred language.
PanSALB reiterates that the right to participate in public life in one’s preferred language is enshrined in the Constitution and must be respected and upheld, regardless of social standing or position.
