LINGUISTIC RIGHTS IN AFRICA: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE SURVIVABILITY OF INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES OF NAMIBIA A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN LAW (PUBLIC LAW AND JURISPRUDENCE) OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NAMIBIA By CHRISTIAN HARRIS 200403338 APRIL 2021 SUPERVISOR: PROFESSOR JOHN BALORO (UNAM) CO-SUPERVISOR: DR. NDATEGA ASHEELA-SHIKALEPO (UNAM) i TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................................................................... XII ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................................................ XIII DEDICATION ................................................................................................................................................ XIV SUPERVISOR’S CERTIFICATE .......................................................................................................................... XV DECLARATION .............................................................................................................................................. XVI LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS/ACRONYMS ......................................................................................................... XVII CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY ................................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction.............................................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Orientation of the Study .......................................................................................................................... 4 1.3 Statement of the Problem ....................................................................................................................... 5 1.4 Objectives of the study/Research questions ............................................................................................ 5 1.5 Significance of the Study .......................................................................................................................... 6 1.6 Limitations of the study............................................................................................................................ 7 1.7 Delimitation of the study ......................................................................................................................... 8 1.8 Literature Review ..................................................................................................................................... 8 1.9 Theoretical framework for language rights .......................................................................................... 27 1.9.1 Linguistic human rights theory ......................................................................................................................... 27 1.9.2 Language policy theory..................................................................................................................................... 29 1.10 Research Methodology ........................................................................................................................ 31 1.10.1 Desktop research or secondary data .............................................................................................................. 31 1.10.2 Case study approach ...................................................................................................................................... 32 1.10.3 Socio-legal method ......................................................................................................................................... 32 1.11 Research Design ................................................................................................................................... 33 1.12 Population of this study ....................................................................................................................... 34 1.13 Sampling method ................................................................................................................................. 34 1.14. Methods of data collection ................................................................................................................. 35 ii 1.14. 1 Interviews ...................................................................................................................................................... 35 1.15 Procedures ........................................................................................................................................... 35 1.16. Ethical issues ....................................................................................................................................... 36 1.17. STRUCTURE OF THE DISSERTATION .................................................................................................... 36 Chapter 1: Introduction and background of the study ....................................................................................... 36 Chapter 2: The nature and evolution of language: the importance of language to humanity and its relationship with nationalism ........................................................................................................................................................ 37 CHAPTER 3: Language situation in Africa: an assessment of legal, policy and mechanisms pertaining to the promotion of indigenous languages on the continent .............................................................................................. 37 Chapter 4: Language rights under International Law .......................................................................................... 37 Chapter 5: The language situation in Namibia: legal and policy framework ....................................................... 37 Chapter 6. The role of language in socio-economic development of a country. A Namibian and African perspective 38 Chapter 7: Language policy and planning ........................................................................................................... 38 Chapter 8: Mechanisms to preserve and promote indigenous African languages: A case study of Khoisan languages of Namibia. ............................................................................................................................................... 38 Chapter 9: Conclusions and recommendations .................................................................................................. 39 CHAPTER 2: THE NATURE AND EVOLUTION OF LANGUAGE: THE IMPORTANCE OF LANGUAGE TO HUMANITY AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH NATIONHOOD. .......................................................................... 40 2. 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 40 2.2 Defining language ........................................................................................................................... 40 2.3 Functions of language ............................................................................................................................ 41 2.4 The importance of language to humanity.............................................................................................. 42 2.5 Language and Nationalism .................................................................................................................... 45 2.6 Defining the nation ................................................................................................................................ 46 2.7 Defining Nationalism ............................................................................................................................. 46 2.8 Language and nation state formation .................................................................................................. 50 2.9 Language, Identity and Nationalism: A Case study of Quebec and Catalonia ....................................... 53 2.9.1 Quebec ............................................................................................................................................................. 53 2.9.2 Catalonia........................................................................................................................................................... 55 iii 2.9.3 The impact of the 1978 Spanish Constitution .................................................................................................. 56 2.9.4 The Catalan language and the quest for independence. .................................................................................. 56 2.9.5 Catalonia’s independence bid 2017 ................................................................................................................. 57 2.10. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................... 59 CHAPTER 3: LANGUAGE SITUATION IN AFRICA: AN ASSESSMENT OF LEGAL, POLICY AND MECHANISMS PERTAINING TO THE PROMOTION OF INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES ON THE CONTINENT ............................... 61 3.1 Introduction............................................................................................................................................ 61 3.2 The history of language in Africa: from colonial