African languages 'under threat'

[Olùkọ́ Ọbádélé]

African languages 'under threat'

February 01 2007 at 01:14PM

South Africa is in danger of becoming an African country where its citizens cannot speak, read or write African languages, Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said on Thursday.

Speaking at the official opening of the University of South Africa's academic year, Mlambo-Ngcuka pleaded that students should be able to study in African languages.

She said while there was a need for maths and science teachers and lecturers, the need for language lecturers were also becoming dire.

"Can you imagine a French person who cannot speak or write French or an English person who cannot speak or read English? Why then should we have a Tswana child who cannot speak, read or write Tswana?"


The deputy president's speech focused largely on the skills shortage in South Africa and the need for universities to produce graduates who could contribute to the development of society.

"Issues around cutting edge research, social cohesion under intellectual leadership, and insights that higher education can offer for the improvement of quality of our input into socio-economic transformation, as well as helping define Africa's identity and role in the world today, should continue touching our collective minds all the time," Mlambo-Ngucka said. - Sapa

This is interesting for many obvious reasons. And this is happening in Yorubaland as the PDF file you posted concerning Yoruba being endangered. It is interesting that this is going on all around Afrika and I have initiated and non-initiated New Afrikan practitioners of Afrikan spirituality telling me that WE DO NOT HAVE TO PRAY TO AFRIKAN DEITIES IN AFRIKAN LANGUAGES!

[Olùkọ́ Ọbádélé]

Originally Posted by Awotunde

This is interesting for many obvious reasons. And this is happening in Yorubaland as the PDF file you posted concerning Yoruba being endangered. It is interesting that this is going on all around Afrika and I have initiated and non-initiated New Afrikan practitioners of Afrikan spirituality telling me that WE DO NOT HAVE TO PRAY TO AFRIKAN DEITIES IN AFRIKAN LANGUAGES!

Òótô ni. Nõkan t'ó máa ñ bà mí nínú jê nìyí örö yìí í «e. Kí àwæn Òrì«a gbà wá lôwô àwæn tí kò fê kí èdè wa ó parun o!

It's true. This issue is one that saddens me. May the Òrì«à help save us from those who want our language to be destroyed.

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