The Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) extends its heartfelt condolences to the amaNdebele nation following the death of His Majesty King Enock Makhosoke Mabhena II. PanSALB Chief Executive Officer, Dr Keaobaka Seshoka, expressed the Board’s sympathies at the loss of the distinguished traditional leader and champion of indigenous languages.
“As the Board, we wish to extend our deepest condolences to the amaNdebele nation and the royal family. The passing of His Majesty, Makhosonke Mabhena, is a profound loss not only to the amaNdebele nation but to the nation as a whole. We remain deeply grateful for his unwavering contribution toward the preservation and promotion of isiNdebele. His support for the advancement of the isiNdebele language and culture will remain an enduring legacy, helping to ensure that isiNdebele thrives for generations to come,” said PanSALB CEO, Dr Keaobaka Seshoka.
“As we bid farewell to this esteemed custodian of the isiNdebele language and culture, we do so with profound respect and gratitude. We honour his legacy by reaffirming our commitment to champion the promotion and protection of all our indigenous languages in the country,” she added.
Among his many contributions, His Majesty Makhosonke Mabhena was instrumental in the launch of isiNdebele on the Wikipedia platform to increase its digital presence, a project spearheaded by the SWiP Project (SADiLaR, Wikipedia and PanSALB). An early success of the project was the integration of isiNdebele into Wikipedia. Initially represented by only 11 articles in the Wikipedia Incubator, the language saw rapid growth to over 140 articles within a year, marking its transition to Wikipedia’s main platform.
PanSALB joins the amaNdebele nation, the royal family and all South Africans in mourning the loss of a revered leader and custodian of our language, culture and heritage.
ABOUT PanSALB
The Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) is a constitutional body mandated to create conditions for the recognition, implementation and furtherance of multilingualism in the Republic of South Africa, and the development of previously marginalized languages.
