Indigenous Languages News

June 16 is a public holiday in South Africa that reminds us of the uprising of black high school children against the imposition of Afrikaans as a language of instruction at schools by the apartheid government. Language served as a key trigger of their struggle. Today, South Africans can be proud about their 12 official…

Open letter to the British High Commissioner in SA re Ryanair Afrikaans and Immigration

Friday, 3 June 2022 ATTENTION: The British High Commissioner to South Africa Dear Mr Phillipson, Our citizens travelling to the UK from European destinations must fill in a general knowledge questionnaire in Afrikaans to demonstrate that they are South African. These allegations were confirmed in various social media posts and by numerous news platforms.  …

ILAF Invites You to a Discussion with Filmmakers in Celebration of Mother Tongue Month

  Please join us as we celebrate International Mother Tongue Month with South African filmmakers who use indigenous languages in their storytelling. Siki Dlanga (ILAF) in conversation with Sobantu Nqayi (Actor & multilingual comedian), Deidre Jantjies (First Nama language filmmaker), Lukhanyo Calata (Journalist & Documentary filmmaker), Zandi Kula (Documentary filmmaker in isiXhosa), Oratile Gabaphethe (Scriptwriter…

ILAF vice-chairperson awarded the most outstanding emerging researcher

The vice-chairperson for ILAF, Dr Zakeera Docrat has recently been awarded the most outstanding emerging researcher award in Southern Africa at the African Languages Association of Southern Africa’s annual conference last week.    The recognition was for active contribution to research around the role of African languages in the legal system, which includes her handbook…

Ukuthanda ulwimi lwakhe lwenkobe kumzisele iwonga

Igalelo athe walenza kulwimi lesiXhosa yinto engenakuphikiswa, kungoku nje iRhodes University eMakhanda imwongile ngomsebenzi wakhe.    UGqirhalwazi Noxolo Grootboom uthweswe isidanga esiyiHonorary Doctorate yeDoctor of Letters (D. Litt) yiYunivesithi iRhodes, eMakhanda. Esi sidanga sale yunivesithi yindlela yokumbulela ngomsebenzi omkhulu athe wawenza ukuphuhlisa ilwimi lesiXhosa kumabonakude.    Isekela-ngqonyela lale yunivesithi u Gqr. Sizwe Mabizela uthe isizwe…