South African Language Rights Monitor 2002

138 pages

English

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South African Language Rights Monitor 2002 , livre ebook

UJ Press - Chris Wiegand , Elbie Truter , Theo du Plessis , Johan Lubbe

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138 pages

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Description

The South African Language Rights Monitor (SALRM) Project surveys the mainstream newspapers of South Africa with a view to compile annual reports on the developments on the language front in the country. While the main focus is on language rights and language (rights) activism, the yearly Monitor also covers other language-related problems, including name changes and aspects of language promotion.

Sujets

Littérature Sud-Africaine

Littérature sud-africaine

Name change

Linguistic rights

Informations

Publié par	UJ Press
Date de parution	01 novembre 2011
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781920382056
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	4 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,1000€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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SOUTH AFRICANNGUAGE RIGHTS MONITOR 2002

First reporton the South AfricanLanguage Rights Monitor Project 1 January 2002 - 31 December 2002

Johan Lubbe, Theo du PlessisElbie Truter and Chris Wiegand

SOUTH AFRICAN LANGUAGE RIGHTS MONITOR 2002 First report on the South African Language Rights Monitor Project1 January 2002 – 31 December 2002

Compiled for PanSALB by Proff. Johan Lubbe, Theo du Plessis, Dr Elbie Truter and Chriss Wiegand

South African Language Rights Monitor 2002

First report on the South African Language Rights Monitor Project

Published by Sun Media Bloemfontein (Pty) Ltd

Imprint: SunBonani Scholar

The author and the publisher have made every effort to obtain permission for and acknowledge the use of copyrighted material. Refer all inquiries to the publisher.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic, photographic or mechanical means, including photocopying and recording on record, tape or laser disk, on microfilm, via the Internet, by e-mail, or by any other information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission by the publisher.

Views reLected in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher.

First edition 2011

ISBN: 978-1-920383-29-9 (Print) ISBN: 978-1-920382-05-6 (e-book) DOI: https://doi.org/10.18820/9781920382056

Set in Constantia 11/14 pt Cover design, typesetting and production by Sun Media Bloemfontein

Research, academic and reference works are published under this imprint in print and electronic format.

This printed copy can be ordered directly from: media@sunbonani.co.za The e-book is available at the following link: https://doi.org/10.18820/9781920382056

Contents

Acknowledgements ............................................................................................

1. Introduction ................................................................................................ 1.1. Background ..............................................................................................................

1.2. Methodology ............................................................................................................ 1.3. Outline .....................................................................................................................

2. Linguistic rights: theoretical considerations ............................................. 2.1. Introduction .............................................................................................................

2.2. Linguistic rights and basic human rights ............................................................... 2.3. The concept of a minority language ....................................................................... 2.4. Implementation of linguistic rights ....................................................................... 2.5. Attitude towards language rights – a few concrete instances ............................... 2.6. Conclusion ...............................................................................................................

1 1 2 6

7 7 8 15 16 17 22

3. Media coverage: Language-related matters in general ............................. 22 3.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 22 3.2. Analysis of media coverage ..................................................................................... 24

4. An analysis of language rights complaints ................................................. 32 4.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 32 4.2. Methodology ............................................................................................................ 33 4.3. Analysis of language rights complaints in the printed media .............................. 37 4.4. An analysis of language rights complaints lodged with PanSALB ......................... 51

5. An analysis of other instruments of language rights activism as reported in the printed media .................................................................... 68 5.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 68 5.2. Language rights complaints versus language rights activism ............................... 69 5.3. Analysis of language rights activism as reported in the printed media ............... 77 5.4. Analysis and interpretation .................................................................................... 84

6. Linguistic rights litigation ...................................................................... 86 6.1. Introduction ....................................................................................................... 86 6.2. Importance of litigation .................................................................................... 87 6.3. Language rights litigation as an instrument of change ................................... 89 6.4. Linguistic rights litigation 1994 – 2001 ............................................................. 94 6.5. Linguistic rights litigation 2002 ........................................................................ 99 6.6. Role of PanSALB to initiate litigation ............................................................... 104 6.7. Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 105

7. Research on linguistic rights in South Africa ........................................ 106 7.1. Introduction ....................................................................................................... 106

7.3. Research before 2002 ......................................................................................... 7.4. Research in 2002 ................................................................................................ 7.5. Analysis and interpretation ...............................................................................

7.6. Conclusion ..........................................................................................................

8. Conclusions and recommendations ...................................................... 8.1. Conclusions ........................................................................................................

8.2. Recommendations .............................................................................................

106 110 113 115

115 115 119

Bibliography ............................................................................................ 122

Acknowledgements The South African Language Rights Monitor (SALRM) Project was initiated in 2003, with the aim of reporting to the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) on the developments on the language front in South Africa, as reﬂected in the country’s mainstream newspapers. It is with sincere gratitude that we acknowledge the Board’s generousﬁnancial assistance.

Thisﬁrst SALRM report covers the period from 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2002. The content covers information on language rights complaints covered by the media and lodged with PanSALB, as well as an analysis thereof.

Without the input of SA Media, and then particularly Hester van den Berg and Helena Prinsloo, this report would not have been possible. The research assistants of the Unit for Language Management also provided invaluable assistance.

The views expressed in this report, and the conclusions reached, are those of the compilers, and must therefore not necessarily be regarded as a reﬂection of the views of the Unit for Language Management, the University of the Free State or PanSALB.

L.T. du Plessis 2003

Introduction

1.1. Background Since the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) “wishes all linguistic groups to be made aware of their language rights” (Annual Report, 2001: 27), the dissemination in South Africa of information on language rights is of vital importance. Such information can help to raise awareness of language rights and language rights issues. An increased consciousness of language rights could help to cultivate a proactive language rights culture in South Africa. This in turn could contribute quite signiﬁcantly towards the transformation of our society and thus help to combat linguistic discrimination eﬀectively. The democratisation of our society would be an outcome, along with increased participation in public life.

Comprehensive information on the situation regarding language rights is, however, currently not readily available in South Africa. For instance, to keep track of language litigation, a vital aspect of the enforcement of language rights, one needs to explore publications on law reports and several other sources. A researcher can obviously obtain such information, but the public seldom obtain access to it. Furthermore,ﬁndings on the violation of language rights are published in theGovernment Gazetteand in the PanSALB annual reports – publications that are not really read by the public. Reporting on language lobbying, community mobilisation and other forms of language rights activism, important instruments in raising language awareness, is done primarily in the Afrikaans press and is not necessarily accessible to the larger audience.

A need thus clearly exists to collate all the above and any relevant additional information and to make it readily available to a larger audience in a single resource on language rights. In order to attain this goal the Unit for Language Facilitation and Empowerment (ULFE) at the University of the Free State (UFS) was commissioned by PanSALB to assist with the establishment of theSouth African Language Rights Monitor(SALRM).

The objective of the SALRM is to make available an annual comprehensive report on the language rights situation in South Africa. This report will cover areas that are considered important for the cultivation of a language rights culture. According to Martel (1999: 78-79), language activism and litigation, two such areas, play a central role in the transformation of society; they are “forever unﬁnished agendas” since “they do not solve all problems”. However, language activism and litigation are essential elements in the cultivation of a language rights culture, especially

SOUTH AFRICAN LANGUAGE RIGHTS MONITOR 2002

since language rights “are fragile” and require a constant struggle (cf. Tollefson, 1991: 167, 191). Martel (1999: 47) identiﬁes six instruments of language activism, i.e. litigation, lobbying, research, community mobilisation, media coverage and even violence, to which Du Plessis (2004: 170) has proposed an additional instrument related to litigation, i.e. language rights complaining. Our report departs from this premise and provides an overview of language rights issues in South Africa based on the followingﬁve areas: (i)Media coverage on language issues (in general) (ii)Language rights complaints: a.as reported in the media, and b.lodged with PanSALB (iii)Language rights activism (as reported in the printed media) (iv)Language rights litigation (v)Research on language rights The Canadian model has inspired this language rights monitoring project. It is relevant not only because of Canada’s policy of institutionalised bilingualism and its track record in respect of language rights issues, but also because the example set by the Commissioner of Oﬃcial Languages in publishing an annual report on language rights issues (Annual Report, 2002, 2003) is worth following. This investigation can also serve the government as a direction indicator in order to forestall language friction on a timely basis. If a government does not delay in taking cognisance of language attitudes and critical dispositions of speakers concerning language rights or suspected disregard of “minority” languages, countermeasures can be put in place on a timely basis in order to defuse possible tension, or to prevent friction related to language issues. Therefore a tolerant language milieu, in which dialogue can take place and in which respect for diﬀerent linguistic groups canﬂourish, is essential (PanSALB,2002: 37). A report of this nature can contribute signiﬁcantly towards such dialogue.

1.2. Methodology For the purposes of this report, data were collected in the areas listed above for the period 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2003, and an analysis was made thereof, as applicable.

Because the status of the respective languages in South Africa has become an important point of discussion, particularly after 1994, the issue has necessarily received publicity in the media. As will be shown in Chapter Three, the media

SOUTH AFRICAN LANGUAGE RIGHTS MONITOR 2002

play an important role in raising awareness regarding language rights. Hence, most of the data for this report were collected from the printed media. These data were obtained from excerpts/ cuttings of SA Media (previously the Institute for Contemporary History) at the University of the Free State (UFS). The media excerpting services of the University of Stellenbosch (US), the Rand Afrikaans University (RAU) and the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS) are linked up to those of the UFS and do not function independently. SA Media provides access to records from the following mainstream newspapers, journals and magazines (the abbreviations that are used follow the titles):

Africa Insight African Armed Forces Afrikaner Beeld Boerant Die Burger Business Day Cape Argus Cape Times Citizen City Press Communitas Constitutional Talk Daily Dispatch Democracy in Action DiamondFields Advertiser Eastern Province Herald Enterprise Financial Mail Finansies & Tegniek Frontnuus Impak Independent on Saturday Infospec Insig Journal for Contemporary History Kerkbode Landbouweekblad Leader LeadershipSA Lig/Kollig Mayibuye Millennium/Leadership NALN Nuusbrief Natal Witness