The Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation in partnership in partnership with Imbongi Yesizwe Trust and Metsimaholo Local Municipality will stage the inaugural Pan African Languages Awards (PALA) in Sasolburg on 12 December 2014.
The Pan African Languages Awards aim to recognise people and institutions in South Africa and Africa at large for their outstanding contribution in society through their advancement and development of African languages by making use of them in their production work by employing natural talents and acquired attributes and skills.
The Pan African Languages Awards ceremony will give be used to give recognition to people of African origin who have exhibited special qualities by producing and creating works using indigenous languages. These are individuals who have made us proud by uplifting the use and preservation of indigenous languages and thus earn us respect and highest esteem in the quest for a place of African languages in our society.
The awards take place in the context of the Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation having taken initiatives to ensure language development in the Free State.
The Free State Provincial Government adopted the Free State Language Policy on 26 March 2014 and the policy is currently being rolled out by, amongst others, assisting municipalities to develop and implement their language policies. The Free State Government departments are also being assisted to understand the implications of the language policy for the purposes of compliance.
In terms of the policy the Free State province has six (6) designated languages, namely:
1) Sesotho
2) Afrikaans
3) IsiXhosa
4) IsiZulu
5) Setswana and
6) English
Amongst other initiatives to promote languages by the Department are the following: Translation and editing services; Interpreting services and Literature development promotion.
Through the Pan African Language Awards the following aims and goals will be realised:
- Create a cross-cultural experience that will foster an improved appreciation of the diverse indigenous languages as the corner stone of Africa’s rich history.
- Build a unique, vibrant and sustainable Pan African Languages Awards structure that is focused on rewarding the excellence of African people through the use of the indigenous languages in culture, heritage, education, arts, science, entertainment and leadership.
- Provide an international platform that can provide exposure for award recipients and undiscovered African talent.
- Play a unifying role in developing and promoting African culture, heritage and indigenous knowledge systems through the mainstreaming of indigenous languages.
- Foster relationships amongst the cultural communities of South Africa and the respective African countries by creating a more unified effort to realise NEPAD’s Arts and Culture objectives and the African Renaissance at large.
- Transform the perceptions of our people about indigenous languages
- Illustrate to the world that Africans are proud of their indigenous languages
- Show our collective wisdom and unity of purpose as Africans wherever we are located
- Celebrate our achievements and salute our heroes and institutions of people’s power
The awards will be awarded in the following categories:
1. Best Indigenous Books
2. Best indigenous Authors
3. Best Newspapers
4. Best journalists
5. Best storytellers
6. Best radio programs in indigenous language
7. Best radio presenters in indigenous language
8. Best Community Radio stations
9. Best television programs
10. Best television film
11. Best television soap
12. Best television actors
13. Best music productions
14. Best music composers
15. Best indigenous singers
16. Best poetry collection
17. Best indigenous poet
18. Best public institution
19. Best private institution
20. Best Teachers
21. Best students
22. Lifetime Achievement
23. Africa’s Indigenous Language Icon
“As custodians of Language Policy in the Free State Province it is an honor to co-host these awards with Imbongi Yesizwe Trust as part of the department’s commitment in implementing the Provincial Language Policy, the promotion of multilingualism and particularly the promotion of previously marginalised languages. The Executive Council has approved a Language Policy to prioritise languages spoken by the majority of the Free State people and the department is implementing programs to make this a reality.” MEC for Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Me Mathabo Leeto stated.
The Pan African Language Awards will be hosted as follows:
Date: 12 December 2014
Time: 18h00
Venue: Harry Gwala Multi-purpose Sport Centre (Sasolburg)
Your media house is invited to the event.
Enquiries:
Tankiso Zola
Director: Communication and IT
Cell: 082 940 2392
Tel: 051 410 4742/ 4786/ 4719
E-mail: tankiso@sacr.fs.gov.za
