[lg policy] South Africa: Not just storm in linguistic teacup

Wed Nov 16 16:03:38 UTC 2016

By Staff Reporters <http://www.dispatchlive.co.za/author/staff-reporters/>
-
November 15, 2016

<http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dispatchlive.co.za%2Fopinion%2F2016%2F11%2F15%2Fnot-just-storm-linguistic-teacup%2F>

In Recent weeks, Metro FM radio personality Bonang Matheba,
unintentionally, contributed to the language debate.
[image: Talk show host Bonang Matheba]
<http://i2.wp.com/www.dispatchlive.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/BonangMatheba.jpg>Talk
show host Bonang Matheba

Social media was abuzz with comment on the linguistic “incident” that
happened live on Metro FM, where a listener calling in to Matheba’s radio
show conveyed their thoughts through the medium of an African language.

The listener was immediately rebuked by Matheba, who consequently told the
listener to speak in English instead. It appears that when Matheba was
asked why the listener was not permitted to speak in an African language
and in English instead, she retorted that Metro FM was an “English” radio
station.

The statements by Matheba reminded us of an old French cartoon we use in
our classes, the caption of which states: “Speak French, you English dogs”
and in doing so alerted us to the need to remind fellow citizens of the
status, use and role of our African languages across society.

In doing so, we need to question whether or not our African languages are
in fact competing against the dominance of English on media forums and in
society more generally?

In our opinion, it concerns an important topic of linguistic awareness and
whether or not statements of this nature should be accepted and the
implications on the dignity of an African language speaker and their right
to linguistic equality.

When we refer to linguistic equality, the constitution is our guide. The
constitution, firmly protects our African languages and the use thereof. In
fact, Section 6 provides for the elevation and use of African languages, to
ensure practicability.

What is important for us is that the Constitution protects African language
speakers’ linguistic rights, through Section 9(4), where persons may not be
unfairly discriminated against on grounds of language.

The question remains then as to whether Matheba’s statements are in fact a
linguistic “storm in a teacup” or whether it undermines our constitutional
language rights?

In our opinion there is no simple answer to this question, unless being
engaged with legally.

If we were to contextualise the comments made by Matheba within the
constitutional framework, it undoubtedly undermines the status, use and
development of our African languages, where we are mandated to ensure that
our African languages are not marginalised as was the case during the
Apartheid regime.

If this approach is being adopted, we are in fact elevating the status of
English and contributing to the hegemonic growth of English at the expense
of our African languages.

Undoubtedly this is the complete opposite of what the constitution
envisages.

Given, however, that Matheba’s utterances were made on a media platform, it
necessitates the need to engage with the policy position surrounding
language, in particular with Metro FM, where we question whether we do in
fact have linguistic freedom and whether this freedom is curtailed to
English only.

We have no doubt that many of you will be questioning, as to whether one
incident which took place on Metro FM, can contribute or have the
disastrous effect of marginalising our languages.

Indeed it can, if these are the responses to all listeners attempting to
convey their opinions and thoughts through their mother tongues.

Our intelligence is not measured by the level of English we are able to
speak, or whether in fact we can speak English at all. Language is the
medium through which our thoughts, expressions, cultures and identities are
expressed.

These characteristics are the core of who we are; a unique, linguistically
diverse people. Our languages and cultures, a culture on its own which
needs to be respected, embraced and celebrated, as part of one which
contributes to social cohesion.

Public spaces, such as national radio stations, should reflect this
linguistic diversity, allowing people to convey their thoughts in a
language they are comfortable in.

There was nothing prohibiting Matheba from requesting that the listener
attempt to repeat their thoughts in English if this was needed, even if
Matheba herself could have opted to do that was unable to do this herself.

Sensitivity is critically important where language is concerned and we
expect radio personalities on national radio stations to be equipped with
such sensitivities.

It is ironic that Matheba made this statement given that Metro FM is an
SABC radio station which, according to their various policies, have adopted
the values in the constitution and in line with the language rights
provisions therein, committed themselves to the elevation of the African
languages. More specifically the SABC’s language policy claims to realise
“the crucial part radio plays in the lives of many South Africans, as it is
often the only medium available to them in their home language, and in many
ways the only medium available at all”.

Furthermore, the SABC claims to have unique responsibility programmes that
promote development and national identity while supporting development of
the country’s languages and cultures.

The motivation behind this can be said to be the corporation’s
acknowledgement of the underdevelopment of previously disadvantaged people
and their languages in South Africa, and suggests to be redressed as
excellent radio services depend on these.

The SABC further commits itself to “providing comprehensive radio news, and
information programmes in all the official languages (SABC’s Ed. Policies,
29)”.

In promoting multilingualism, the SABC claims it encourages production of
meaningful multilingual programmes (programmes that include substantial
amounts of more than one language), as means of attaining its language
broadcasting objectives.

In our opinion, this in itself would necessitate the need for Matheba and
other radio personalities to act in accordance with the policy objectives.
On perusal of the Metro FM webpage, a primary objective of the station is
to foster transformation “in a constantly changing environment”.

This can mean a number of things, however, in our opinion there is no
better manner in which to contribute to transformation than through the
elevation of our languages, nationally.

Metro FM has a major role to play in this regard given that their
listenership comprises of six million listeners, broadcast across seven of
the nine provinces.

According to the 2011 Census, only 9.6% of the population speaks English,
with the majority of persons in South Africa speaking an African language
as their mother tongue.

In essence, Matheba’s statements of Metro FM being an English station are
displaced, in the context of the statistics in the National Census.

We need to engage and, where we assess how we view our African languages
and to further assess the value of these African languages.

We need statements of this nature to be condemned, through all means
possible, in illustrating how important our African languages are.

These statements raises a critical points of engagement which affects all
South Africans. We need to find our collective African voice and ensure
that we are able to express ourselves through our African languages, after
all we have the right to do so.

We cannot run a democracy, or engage with each other, if we are not
linguistically sensitive and aware, lest we exclude each other. This is
what makes and defines a good citizen living in a multilingual country.

lZakeera Docrat is a masters student in African languages at Rhodes
University and holds a BA degree, BA honours degree in African languages
(cum laude) and an LLB degree.

Russell H Kaschula is professor of African language studies at Rhodes
University and is the NRF SARChI chair in the Intellectualisation of
African Languages, Multilingualism and Education.

http://www.dispatchlive.co.za/opinion/2016/11/15/not-just-storm-linguistic-teacup/

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