Afrikaans Language under threat in new Bill
The status of Afrikaans as an official language in the state department is at risk, if the latest iteration of the South African languages bill is passed. Even in the provinces where Afrikaans is spoken by the majority of citizens, such as the Western Cape and Northern Cape, national state departments will be obligated to use 3 languages.
The new bill stipulates that 2 of these 3 languages will have to be previously disadvantaged African languages. Put simply, the state department will have to choose between Afrikaans and English to use alongside 2 other African languages.
The bill has yet to be finalised. Currently, it is still being debated by parliament. “I am convinced that it will not pass the constitutional test. No language may be excluded,” DA MP Dr Annelie Lotriet told News 24.
Lotriet added that this clause could see Afrikaans being left out of the language policy. “The language spoken by most residents in a province could be excluded if departments choose English as the default language. It is worrying.”
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