South Africa: Minister Zizi Kodwa On South African Sign Language Being Recognised As an Official South African Language

WycliffeSA/Flickr
Sign language used in class at Mary Kohn School in Observatory, Cape Town (file photo).
19 July 2023
Government of South Africa (Pretoria)
press release

Minister Zizi Kodwa on South African sign language being recognised as an official South African language

On Wednesday, 19 July 2023, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law the Sign Language Bill. This means that South African Sign Language (SASL) is now recognised as an official language in South Africa.

This is a significant milestone for democratic South Africa. The recognition of South African Sign Language will change the lives of many people.

As the custodian of the Republic of South Africa's National Language Policy, this day brings us closer to the vision of President Nelson Mandela, of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.

Language is not just a tool to communicate. It is also an important tool for social inclusion and participation. These are some of the values of our democracy. The recognition of South African Sign Language as an official South African language promotes wider inclusion and deepens participation in our democracy.

I therefore call on all sectors under the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture to to lead by example and promote these values of social inclusion and participation by embracing and incorporating South African Sign Language. This will enable the recognition of South African Sign Language to not just be in rhetoric, but in actions which show the realisation of the vision of inclusion in South Africa's democracy.

Read the original article on Govt of SA.

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