The PanSALB Multilingualism Awards were established in 2002 and are held annually. In the past years, the awards ceremony has grown in standard, stature and impact. The awards attracts high profile government officials, non-governmental officials, academics, partners and sponsors.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The PanSALB Multilingualism Awards seek to:

• promote and recognise exceptional work in the promotion of all official and other South African languages;

• broadcast the importance of multilingualism in South Africa;

• enhance the use of all official languages;

• raise awareness on the role of languages in general as a uniting agent to the people of the Republic of South Africa

• publicise the role of PanSALB in fostering the climate of equitable language practice.

The Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) is a statutory body established in terms of Act 59 of 1995 and the Constitution for, inter alia, the creation of conditions for the development and for the promotion of the equal use and enjoyment of all the official South African languages.

The Preamble to the PanSALB Act advocates that provision be made for measures designed to achieve respect, adequate protection and furtherance of the official South African languages and for the advancement of those official languages which in the past did not enjoy full recognition, as well as respect for the other South African languages used for communication and religious purposes.

In addition, one of the functions of the Board is to actively promote an awareness of multilingualism as a national resource.