Black languages need to be promoted
2002-07-30 22:19
Pretoria - Black languages need to be promoted vigorously to compete with Afrikaans as the language of science, education deputy minister Mosibudi Mangena said on Tuesday.
"Afrikaans had time under the previous dispensation to develop
itself into a language of science, law and commerce but other
languages were suppressed," he told students at the University of
Pretoria.
"Indigenous languages have to be promoted in a more aggressive
way than it has happened in the past. They should be equally
recognised and have the same prestige."
Mangena was referring to Education Minister Kader Asmal's
statement over the weekend that Afrikaans universities should offer lectures in English so that quality education could be accessible
to other language groups.
Mangena said: "Our intentions are not to anglicise Afrikaans
academic institutions or discriminate in whatever form against the medium. The core of this exercise is to address the issue of
accessibility.
"It is everyone's responsibility, especially Afrikaans speakers to ensure their language survives and change does not erode it away."
The deputy minister was at the university to brief students
about the merger of tertiary institutions, the resultant curriculum
content and financial implications for the process.
The university is to be merged with Mamelodi Vista University.
Mangena said the government subsidy would increase once the
merger had been finalised.
"The two universities will meet and talk about their plans and
what they will mean in financial terms. Surely the government will
have to make a financial contribution."
Earlier in his address, Mangena had to stop while a group of
students insisted he speak in Afrikaans.
"We don't want to be spoken to in English, we don't understand
that language," shouted one student.
The students were eventually led out of the hall by security
guards as they started hauling and chanting Afrikaans slogans while
Mangena was on the podium.
- SAPA