<div dir="ltr"><h1 itemprop="headline" class="">DHET publishes its Draft Language Policy, Xhosa excluded</h1> <div class="">
<span class=""><span class="">By</span> <a href="http://www.politicalanalysis.co.za/author/political-analysis-south-africa/" rel="author" class=""><span class="">Political Analysis South Africa</span></a></span> Feb 15, 2016 <span class=""></span> </div>
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<p>On 12 February 2016, the Department of Higher Education and Training
published its Draft Language Policy (Gazette No.39679). Comments can be
submitted within 30 days after the publication of the notice in the
Gazette.</p>
<p>The Use of Official Languages Act (2012) requires (amongst other things)</p>
<ul><li>the regulation and monitoring of the use of official languages by National Government;</li><li>the adoption of a language policy;</li><li>the establishment of a national language unit by the Department.</li></ul>
<p>The Regulations to the Act came into effect on 5 February 2014 and
the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) developed this
Language Policy in order to fulfil the requirements of the Act and the
Constitution. Section 29 of the Constitution guarantees equal access to
education including the rights to receive education in the official
language or languages of choice and to establish and maintain
independent educational institutions. The rights to equal access to
information are guaranteed in sections 9 and 32 respectively of the
Constitution.</p>
<p>The purpose of the Language Policy is to outline how the DHET will
use official languages to meet its communication needs and deliver
information to citizens as well as articulate articulate policy and
services.</p>
<p>Objectives</p>
<ol><li>to adopt, implement a language policy and monitor its application by
its entities in the use of official languages for government purposes</li><li>to promote equal respect and treatment of official languages</li><li>to facilitate equitable access to services and information of DHET; and</li></ol>
<p>Principles</p>
<p>The principles of this policy derive from the Constitution and the Act; and involve:</p>
<ol><li>the recognition and promotion of the use of all eleven official languages to ensure language equity.</li><li>the elevation of the status and use of indigenous languages</li><li>equal respect and treatment of official languages</li><li>good language management by the DHET to ensure efficient public
service administration that meets public needs and equitable access to
services and information of the DHET;</li><li>preventing the use of languages for domination and discrimination</li><li>supporting special redress programmes for previously marginalized official indigenous languages</li><li>the learning and teaching of all the official languages.</li></ol>
<p><strong>Factors taken into account</strong></p>
<p>This policy takes into account the language needs at national and
provicial level.The following factors have been taken into consideration
when choosing the official languages that the DHET will use in each
context/situation:</p>
<ul><li>Usage;</li><li>Practicability;</li><li>Expense;</li><li>Regional circumstances; and</li><li>The balance of the needs and preferences of the public it serves</li></ul>
<p>The national DHET will use for official government business, the following languages:</p>
<ul><li><strong>English</strong></li><li><strong>Sepedi </strong></li><li><strong>isiZulu </strong></li></ul>
<p>Provinces can adopt at least three or more official languages and will adopt an additional, reserve or alternative language:</p>
<p>Gauteng: English, Setswana and isiZulu</p>
<p>Mpumalanga: English, Sepedi, Xitsonga, isiNdebele and siSwati</p>
<p>Free State: English, Sesotho and Afrikaans</p>
<p>Northern Cape: English, Sesotho and Afrikaans</p>
<p>Eastern Cape: English, isiXhosa and Afrikaans</p>
<p>Western Cape: English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa</p>
<p>North West: English, Setswana and Afrikaans</p>
<p>Limpopo: English, Sepedi, Xitsonga, Tshivenda</p>
<p>KwaZulu-Natal: English and isiZulu</p>
<ul><li>In addition to the above languages, the DHET will also use other official languages as and when required.</li><li>The chosen languages may not apply to electronic communication platforms such as the DHET website content</li></ul>
<p><strong>Diversity Priority</strong></p>
<p>As the second most spoken language in South Africa (spoken by 16% of
South Africans) the DHET should have included isiXhosa in the list of
languages used for national official government business, considering
that Sepedi (Sesotho sa Leboa or Northern Sotho) is only the fourth most
common language in South Africa.</p>
<p><strong>Vanessa Freerks</strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="mailto:v.freerks@politicalanalysis.co.za">v.freerks@politicalanalysis.co.za</a></strong></p><p><strong><a href="http://www.politicalanalysis.co.za/2016/02/15/dhet-publishes-draft-language-policy-xhosa-excluded/">http://www.politicalanalysis.co.za/2016/02/15/dhet-publishes-draft-language-policy-xhosa-excluded/</a><br></strong></p>
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