South Africa just got its 12th official language…and it’s sign language!
On Wednesday 18 July at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, President Ramaphosa signed off on the South African Sign Language Bill, making South African Sign Language (SASL) an official language in SA.
SA joined Kenya, Zimbabwe and Uganda in promoting the rights of persons who are deaf and hard of hearing by becoming the fourth African country in declaring sign an official language in Africa. The nation also made history as one of 41 countries globally to recognise sign as an official language.
In a watershed historical moment, South African members of the deaf community and students from local schools for the deaf all gathered at the Union Buildings on Wednesday for the ceremony.
The deaf and hard of hearing community in SA have been campaigning for the passing of the bill for 25 years before the National Assembly approved section 6 of the Constitution to be amended to include SASL as an official language of the rainbow nation, in May earlier this year.
SASL is a minority language used by more than 600 000 people in South Africa, according to reports by SABC News.
At the ceremony, the Presidency stated that South African Sign Language is an indigenous language that has its own distinct grammatical structures and lexicon and is independent of any other language.
This recognition of South African Sign Language as the 12th official language is a crucial step towards the realisation and inclusivity of the rights of persons who are deaf or hard of hearing, but it isn’t the final step.
At the ceremony hosted at the Union Buildings, Ramaphosa said:
“South African Sign Language has served as an essential communication tool for our citizens living with disabilities and this step will further empower that community,”
Adding:
“This is just the beginning. Much more work still needs to be done to support the language. ”
The new legislation seeks to advance the cultural acceptance of the 12 official SA language, ensure the realisation of the rights of people who are deaf and hard of hearing, and promote equality and prevent unfair discrimination on the grounds of disability.
As quoted by News24, the South African National Deaf Association’s Thoriso Mndawe says:
“We are very happy and excited about this decision by President Ramaphosa for finally signing [the Language Bill] into law. It is long overdue. Deaf people will be recognised in the community and sign language users will be included and accommodated.”
ALSO SEE:
Unaddressed mental health conditions cost SA a staggering R161bn a year
Feature Image: Instagram / @stellenboschuni
