Ambe Kha NATION IN DIALOGUE Ri September | 2013 Language culture & Sport The soprano’s ag rit e real music er H intelligence g in Liv ur L e o te a r b ee l l e e C C www.dac.gov.za whats from the inside... desk eptember is a month in which we mark The widely held perception that English is our nation’s rich heritage and diverse superior to indigenous languages holds no culture. WeEditorial are a country blessed with more truth than that notion the earth is flat. Good to great ......................................3 S a proud history and diverse traditions that Regrettably, many of us who are the victims inform our natural, artistic and creative of this perception have imparted it to the Heritage celebration ............................4 points of view, and our beliefs and value current generation. This is evident in, for systems. All of these make South Africa example, the dearth of young people who Technical Workshop on Official unique. We have an amazing story to use indigenous languages in our institutions share with the world. As we celebrate when they converse and interact with one Language Act ......................................4 Heritage Day, however, a question another. Putting aside all the ‘push’ factors needs to be asked about whether our such as multi-culturalism, multi-racialism DAC Data used in international heritage in its totality is fully preserved or globalisation, the fact is that in our competition ........................................5 or some parts of it are losing their workplaces and institutions we are witness value. to a shrinking generation of young people who proudly speak their mother tongue. Casual Day ...........................................5 The issue of indigenous language preservation is, in my view, of Young people are struggling to construct The soprano’s real musical foremost concern. It is a matter a clear, undiluted spoken sentence in their we broach in this edition with mother tongue. As notion takes root that intelligence .........................................6 some of our colleagues when English is of greater social and economic we ask them why it appears so value (even though this is shown to be Women Chain two historic many more young people prefer groundless), so efforts to persuade young monuments ........................................6 speaking English. Language is people to use their mother tongue are less part of our heritage, and it is likely to succeed. This is especially alarming part of our history. Significantly, when we consider the prospects for the The first Provincial Cohesion Summit ....7 indigenous languages seem to survival of indigenous languages over be slowly losing their worth the next few decades. Without sounding Mandela Sport and Culture Day ............8 and appeal to the younger dramatic, it is possible that if our current generation. Government’s interventions do not succeed, ours and DAC officials donate soccer kit ...............9 best efforts to protect the the next generation will oversee, if not demise of indigenous the disappearance, then the collapse of Deputy Minister Imbizo ......................10 languages through Language indigenous language use. Bill and other measures will BASA Awards .....................................11 not succeed without the It is a reality that in many formal settings, active participation of all especially in education, at work, at stakeholders. governmental and international level, the Geographical Names ..........................12 Queen’s language is given preference. But Granted, indigenous this insistence on English unfortunately Perspectives on Heritage ....................14 languages are legally official sidelines other languages. But how far languages and are being should speakers of other languages go in Re-imaging the DAC ...........................16 taught at schools. However, accommodating the dominance of English? are we all, as the custodians Should we, as some have demanded, be My South Africa, my Heritage .............17 of these languages, making resisting its further intrusion? the effort to help maintain our proud heritage? Parents There is still hope. In many rural areas Browsing books with Sibongile ...........18 in particular have to be for example, people still speak the same catalysts of language use, language and that helps preserve our Labour Relations Corner .....................19 since language begins indigenous language. But, as in many other at home when a child is facets of life, a language’s use in an urban Healthy food that costs you less ..........20 born and raised. Whatever context exerts a powerful influence over language a child hears or the direction that its development will take Bafana’s sloppy show put on scale .......21 is communicated to in, she and how (or whether) it will be used in the adapts and makes part of future: its idioms, proverbs, its new words. New Appointments ............................22 her life. This heritage month it is worth reflecting on Most parents seem to think this most vital of aspect of our culture that Photo gallery ....................................23 that teaching children previous generations have taken for granted their home language will and which may well be changing irrevocably render them un-intelligent even as we speak it, read it, listen and reason and will make them look in it: the language we first uttered. EDITORIAL TEAM uneducated. The truth But enough of the heavy stuff: In this issue Managing Editor: James Mathibeng is that speaking in an too we look at Heritage Month projects and indigenous language the recently held Provincial Social Cohesion WRITER & PhotographY: James Mathibeng | Madimetja Moleba does not mean one is Summit and Moral Regeneration in North illiterate, primitive, or West. We include a sporting opinion as part | Josias Pila uncivilized at all. On of the recent historic Nelson Mandela Sport E DITING, DESIGN, LAYOUT AND PRINTING – Shereno Printers the contrary, speaking and Culture Day. Talking about Madiba, one’s mother tongue we also report on a good gesture shown ONLINE LINK: http://www.dac.gov.za/newsletter.html in addition to other by some of our very own colleagues that languages, especially signals their commitment to continuous INFormation DESK: 012 441 3639/3000 from an early age, is a community service. | KRA badge of distinction. ADVISORY BOARD It is widely recognised Enjoy the read! Lisa Combrinck | Teresa Magidela | Premi Appalraju that learning a language rapidly advances a child’s God bless you, CONTRIBUTORS mental acuity and ability to reason, conceptualise James Mathibeng Ulrike Janke | Dunisani Chabalala | Dorcus Nhlapo and articulate. Good Great My column to to my colleagues Sibusiso Xaba | Director-General the theme of the social cohesion summit was “creating a proud and caring nation” Dear colleagues irstly, let me wish our women colleagues a belated best for causes us to be haughty and look down on there’s, then it is wrong. women’s month. Due to work pressures I was unable to write However pride is also necessary for us to do the best that we can. Fthis column during the August issue - my apologies for that. I We need to take pride on who we are and what we do. We need to trust that you had the most wonderful women’s month. take pride in our work, cause our work speaks for us. This month I would like to write about something that is normally I come across man things that are done and just by looking at it viewed in a very negative light, especially in African culture - pride. you realize that the person who wrote is has no pride whatsoever While thinking about this, recalled a discussion that ensued in what they do - they are just doing a job. Our pride in our work between some of the social advocates during last year’s social ensures that we do our best in whatever we do. Our pride brings cohesion summit. You may recall that the theme of the social out the best in us, it accelerates us towards excellence. cohesion summit was “creating a proud and caring nation”. Well, the debate ensued when one of the advocates questioned why As we do our work, let’s now be prideful, however let our pride in would we want to build a proud as opposed to humble nation. I what we do be our signature. Let our pride speak for us. will spare you the rest of the discussion. Till next time, keep smiling and shining. This highlighted the attitude that sometimes we have towards pride. I fully endorse the need for humility. However like most Sbu things, pride has both positive and negative aspects to it. If it KHA RI AMBE | SEPTEMBER 2013 3 Heritage Month Celebrations he 2013 Heritage Day Celebrations will take place at unearthing stories and identifying liberation heritage sites dotted Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane, Buffalo City Metro throughout our country. Municipality, Eastern Cape Province. The event which will start T Heritage Month will thus have close links with the National at 08h00 until 16h00 is expected to attract about 15 000 people. Liberation Heritage Route project initiated by the National Heritage The theme for this year’s celebration is ‘Reclaiming, Restoring and Council. Identifying, linking and preserving sites of heritage Celebrating our Living Heritage’. The theme for Heritage Day 2013 importance in South Africa has already commenced. These sites aims to encouraging the youth to realise that no major civilisation are related to the liberation struggle icons, events and collective or development has happened outside a cultural and heritage memories of communities, groups and individuals. context. President Jacob Zuma will deliver a keynote address during Living Heritage is the foundation of most communities and an the official programme at the main event on 24 September essential source of identity and continuity in South Africa. In every 2013. The programme will include messages of support from community there are Living Human Treasures who possess a high political parties represented in parliament. Besides the national degree of knowledge and skills pertaining to different aspects department, other provinces are expected to host provincial of South African diverse living heritage.