All parties had their say during a sitting in a debate on the proposed Language Bill that was tabled last year and then had to go through a public participation process. 

The DA and the FF Plus voted against the adoption of the bill and asked that it should be referred back. The EFF, however, said it will support the bill. 

The bill aims to give Free State residents the right to demand government communication in their mother tongue. DA MPL Roy Jankielsohn said although his party supports the bill in principle, it does not address the promotion of multilingualism in the province. He said the bill should also include the process to be followed when complaints about the violation of language rights are registered. 

Freedom Front+ MPL Wouter Wessels requested that his party’s objections be noted. He said the bill as it reads at the moment is contrary to what it should seek. Sport, Arts and Culture MEC, Mmathabo Leetho, defended the bill saying it will not stop anyone to speak their mother tongue language. She said it is, however, important that the government prioritise widely spoken languages in the province. 

Leeto said to criticism that the official languages are not listed in the bill and the exclusion of Xhosa, that her department made the decision after doing research in the province. The majority of members in the Legislature voted for the adoption of the Bill.

OFM News