By Charmaine Ndlela
Language advocates will on Friday gather in Soweto for an International Mother Language Summit aimed at boosting the use and protection of indigenous languages.
Under the theme “Save Mother Tongue Now”, the Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Rights Commission (CRL), Ilifa Lethu Institution and the June & Andrew Mlangeni Foundation will host the high-level summit at the historic Uncle Tom’s Hall in Orlando West.
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Held in recognition of International Mother Language Day, the meeting will bring together language advocates, academics and policymakers to strategise on the preservation, promotion and growth of indigenous languages.
International Mother Language Day, commemorated annually on 21 February, originated in Bangladesh, where protesting students were killed in 1952 while demanding recognition of their mother tongue, Bengali. The day was proclaimed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1999 and has been observed worldwide since 2000.
The annual celebration serves as a platform to consolidate development plans and ensure that South Africa’s linguistic heritage remains a functional asset for future generations.
“South Africa now recognises 12 official languages, including South African Sign Language. However, indigenous languages continue to face marginalisation in education, commerce, technology and public discourse,” the CRL said.
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The summit also forms part of efforts to implement milestones of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages 2022–2032, which was launched in October 2022.
The Department of Basic Education has been advancing its Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education programme, including extending mother tongue instruction beyond Grade 3 into Grade 4 in 2025.
