Recreation, N Mtsweni, at the National Language Awareness Day, Kameel Rivier
B
11 November 2006
The Chairperson,
Honourable Mayors,
Ingwenyama U Mabhena,
Ngwenyama Umabhoko III,
Ubukhosi bendawo,
The councillors,
Our guests,
All the government officials,
It is my pleasure that we have gathered here today because we are
celebrating National Language Awareness Day. When we talk of language awareness
it might raise quite a number of questions to many, such as; which languages
are we referring to? We all know that as South Africans we have eleven official
languages that we should be proud of.
I would like to emphasise this message to all mothers and fathers that they
should teach their children their home languages and make them to be proud of
whom they are, where they come from. Their language is their culture, and is
their future as it is their heritage. Let us allow our children to speak
IsiNdebele, Siswati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga or Isipulane, and to be proud, without
any fear of being labelled as inferiors.
What I have realised is that the whites have taken a keen interest to know
our languages and our culture, whereas some of my sisters and brothers are
losing interest in their own languages. Kuleminyaka ezayo ngibona izingane
zabelunga sezifundisa izingane zethu ngesiNdebele or kanye isiSwati or any of
our indigenous languages.
Angazi ukuthi ngabe abanye benu bayazi ukuthi these Western countries do not
compromise their languages, that is why nibona kunama interpreters or otoliki
because some of them are unable to speak the English language that some of us
happen to be so crazy about, to such an extent that our so called model C
children are unable to speak their own mother tongue languages and that is a
crime; let us not deprive our children their heritage, their sense of
belonging, because no one will ever be able to reverse that.
Languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our
tangible and intangible heritage. Ngakho ke masitigchabheni ngamalimi ethu
singabi namahloni okukhulum isiNdebele, iSipedi, isiSwati okanye isiZulu
njengoba besengishilo. Yingako lana e-South Africa umthetho wethu ugunyaza
ukuthi zonke izilimi eziwu 11 zibesemthethweni.
Angazi ukuthi ngabe niyazi yini ukuthi umhlaba uwonke has about 7 000
languages, wonke lawo malimi ayathokozelwa namhlanje nanoma amanye awo angahle
afe angasaziwa emhlabeni. Yingako umyango wami uugqugquzela ababhali ukuthi
mababhale izincwadi ngezilimi zabo zomdabu.
Ngithanda ukuhalisela inhlangano yalana ekhaya ezisungulele iphepha ndaba
ngamafuphi elibizwa.
"Lihlohohloho news" elibhalwa ngesiNdebele with minimal resources we should
be proud of them and let us support them. Okunye esingaziqhenya ngako umama u
Esther Mahlangu ongazange abe namahloni ngesiko lakhe namhlange usezenzele
igama umhlaba woke jikelele ngikhula nani nje she is the winner of the Arts and
Culture Trust's Life time Achievement Award for 2006 sponsored by Vodacom, are
you not proud of her?
Ngithi masiqhubekeleni phambili ngokwazisa izilimi namasiko ethu.
Ngiyathokoza.
Issued by: Mpumalanga Provincial Government
11 November 2006
