Adjunkspeaker, Adjunkpresident en lede van die Nasionale Vergadering, die koms nou van die Wetsontwerp op die Raad vir Suid-Afrikaanse Taalpraktisyns is 'n belangrike oomblik vir die bevordering van taal in ons land, byges, natuurlik, as die Taalpraktisynsraad gegun word om tot volle wasdom te ontwikkel. Die wetsontwerp gaan dui op die herontwaking van taalstudie in skole en verskillende vlakke van tersire studie.
Ek was 'n BA-student aan die Potchefstroomse Universiteit vir Christelike Hor Onderwys. Daar het ek 'n Baccalareus Artium met Afrikaans en Nederlands, Spraakleer en Vertolkingskunde in die drama departement gedoen, en baie mense het gevra: Wat gaan jy doen met 'n BA-graad? Daar is mos nie werk om in 'n taal te kan doen nie. Wat gaan jy daarmee doen? Dit was veral die BSc-studiemense wat half smalend neergesien het op ons mense wat 'n BA- graad in tale gedoen het. Ek het vir hulle ges ek gaan die gebruik om 'n toekoms te bou, en ek het my brood tot nou toe met taal verdien; met my spraakorgane en 'n bietjie entoesiasme en ywer. Ek was 'n onderwyser, 'n radio-omroeper en nou 'n LP.
Daar is so baie mense wat so lief is vir hulle taal - isiZulu, isiXhosa, Sesotho, en so kan ons al ons land se tale opnoem, tale wat leef op die tonge van taal-indoenas. Die belangstelling in die taal en lettere het ongelukkig getaan as gevolg van beperkte beroepsmoontlikhede, en ek lees vandag in Die Burger dat die Afrikaanse Taaldepartement by die Universiteit van KwaZulu-Natal dalk gaan sluit. Dit is altyd 'n jammerte as enige taaldepartement by enige universiteit sluit. Dit moet nooit gebeur nie. Alle tale is so belangrik. Ek is so bly oor hierdie wetsontwerp, want dit ontsluit die moontlikhede vir mense wat, soos ek en baie van julle, ongelooflik lief is vir hul taal. Ek is lief vir Afrikaans, en ek weet elkeen van u het 'n moedertaal waarvoor u baie lief is.
Jongmense wat taalmense is, kan nou met vrymoedigheid Baccalareus Artium gaan studeer, en ek glo daar gaan baie geleenthede wees om jou taal te timmer, om soos N P van Wyk Louw die beitel in te span om die aarde oop te kloof. Dit is wat taal doen. Dit breek wrelde om ons oop; dit bring ons nader aan mekaar; dit breek skanse af wat rondom ons is. Op di wyse verstaan ons mekaar. Daar gaan ruim geleentheid wees vir mense met nie- formele taalvaardighede of kwalifikasies om hul brood met taalvermo te verwerf. Dit is ook wat die agb Sunduza ges het. Iemand wat dalk glad nie studeer het of 'n graad behaal het in isiXhosa of watter taal ookal nie kan nou ingespan word. Vanwe die wonderlike kommunikasievaardighede van sulke individue kan mense nou iewers op die platteland help om, byvoorbeeld, wanneer iemand dokter toe gaan vir die dokter te verduidelik wat verkeerd is met die persoon, want daardie mens kan in die idioom van daardie persoon praat.
Ek wil ook dit vir u noem. Ek wil hulde bring. Ek weet nie waar sit die vertalers hier in die Parlement nie. Baie dankie vir wat julle doen. Nou kan julle ook aansoek doen om te behoort tot hierdie Taalpraktisynsraad. Daar is so baie ander mense. Ek wil vir u s dat u seker dikwels in u eie taal luister na, byvoorbeeld, 'n advertensie oor die radio of 'n storie wat vertaal word, en dan is dit swak vertaal. As jy 'n Zulusprekende persoon is en daardie isiZulu is swak vertaal, is dit soos 'n dolk wat in jou hart gesteek word, maar nou, as daar mense is wat verantwoordelik is en wat deel is van hierdie Taalpraktisynsraad, kan hulle sorg dat u taal nooit afgeskeep gaan word nie, sodat daar gepraat kan word in die idioom wat graag gehoor wil word. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Mr N J VAN DEN BERG: Deputy Speaker, Deputy President and members of the National Assembly, the arrival now of the South African Language Practitioners' Council Bill is an important moment for the promotion of language in our country, added to which, of course, is whether the Language Practitioners' Council is allowed to develop to full maturity. The Bill will indicate the reawakening of the study of language in schools and at various levels of tertiary study.
I was a BA student at the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education. There I studied towards a Bachelor of Arts, with Afrikaans and Nederlands, Speech and Interpretation in the drama department, and many people asked me: What are you going to do with a BA degree? There is, after all, no work you can do using a language. What are you going to do with that? It is especially the BSc students who dismissively looked down on people who were studying towards a BA degree in languages.
I told them that I was going to use it to build a future, and until now I have earned my living using language, employing my speech organs and a little enthusiasm and dedication. I have been a teacher and radio announcer and now I am an MP.
There are so many people who love their language so much - isiZulu, isiXhosa, Sesotho, and so we could list all the languages of our country, languages that live on the tongues of language indunas. Interest in the language and literature has unfortunately waned as a result of limited career opportunities, and only today I read in Die Burger that the Department of Afrikaans language at the University of KwaZulu-Natal is possibly closing down. It is always a pity when any language department at any university is closed down. That should never happen. All languages are so important. I am happy about this Bill, since it opens the possibilities for people who, like me and many of you, have an incredible love of their language. I love Afrikaans, and I know each of you has a mother tongue that you love.
Young people who are language people can now confidently study towards a Bachelor of Arts, and I believe there will be many opportunities to knock your language into shape, to use it like N P van Wyk Louw's chisel to split open the earth. That is what language does - it breaks open worlds around us, it brings down the bastions that hem us in. In this way we are able to understand each other. There will be ample opportunity for people with non- formal language abilities or with qualifications to earn their living using their language ability. That is also what the hon Sunduza said. Someone who possibly did not study at all or who did not obtain a degree in isiXhosa or whatever language can now be put to work. Thanks to the wonderful communication abilities of such individuals, people somewhere in the rural areas are now able to lend a hand, for example when someone goes to the doctor, to explain to the doctor what is wrong with that person, because he or she is able to use the idiom of that person.
I also want to mention this to you. I want to express praise. I do not know where the translators sit here in Parliament. Many thanks for what you do. Now you can also apply to belong to this Language Practitioners' Council. There are so many other people. I want to remind you that you probably often listen in your own language to, for example, an advertisement on the radio or to a story that has been translated, and then it has been poorly translated. If you are a isiZulu-speaking person and that isiZulu has been poorly translated, it feels like a dagger entering your heart, but now, if there are people who are responsible and who are part of this Language Practitioners' Council, they can ensure that your language will never be neglected, so that it is possible to speak of the idiom that it is desirable to hear.]
South Africa's efforts at building a unified nation are relatively new. We have emerged from our political transition in 1994 as groups divided by history, but united by the vision that we have for the country. This is a vision of a country that will heal the division of the past and establish a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights; and also a vision of a people that will honour their past while taking positive steps to build a shared future.
Viva, taal in Suid-Afrika! Mag dit goed gaan met al die tale in ons land, en wees lief vir jou taal, asseblief. Viva, die tale! Baie dankie. [Applous.] [Viva, language in South Africa! May all the languages in our country flourish, and please love your language. Viva, the languages! Thank you very much. [Applause.]]