South Africa: officials agree that police can use Afrikaans

[Harold F. Schiffman]

FW, Rasool agree police can use Afrikaans

By Karen Breytenbach

Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool and FW de Klerk have agreed at a
"constructive meeting" to uphold the language rights of
non-English-speaking members of the police service in the province. The FW
de Klerk Foundation's Centre for Constitutional Rights had warned that it
might take court action over the English-only policy adopted recently by
the provincial police force. The centre intervened on behalf of
Afrikaans-speaking police officers opposed to the exclusive use of English
in internal police communications, including those on radio, in written
records and in meetings.

The centre wrote to senior police officials in September, but only a
confirmation of receipt was received. A series of "unfruitful" meetings
between it and police management followed last month. The centre then sent
the police an ultimatum, saying it wished to receive a response by early
February. The date was then moved to Thursday. Community Safety MEC
Leonard Ramatlakane, provincial police Commissioner Mzwandile Petros,
Rasool's chief of staff Lionel Louw, foundation director Dave Steward, and
centre director Paul Hoffman, SC, were also present at the meeting.

In a joint statement, De Klerk and Rasool said they "agreed on the
importance of recognising the multicultural nature of South Africa and the
Western Cape as a home for all". They said they had agreed on the
importance of ensuring that all police policies "comply with the
constitution and the ideal of unity in diversity". They had also agreed
that English had to be used in certain "operational circumstances".

The parties arranged for most of the offending instructions and orders
about the exclusive use of English - issued not by Petros, but by a former
area commissioner - to be revoked by Monday. The instructions that
remained would be done away with when a comprehensive national police
language policy was implemented, they said. Members of the public would
retain the right to be served in the language of their choice. Deputy
provincial commissioner Ganief Daniels said he had issued the English-only
order, "in the interests of good policing", while he was Boland area
commissioner four years ago.

http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=15&art_id=vn20070223024827853C559101

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