The south African Department of Justice Correctional Services has presented a sign language bill to the country’s president Cyril Ramaphosa for approval.
This development is coming after the National Assembly gave its approval to make sign language South Africa’s 12th language. The National Council of Provinces has approved the bill but however awaits the President’s approval.
The sign language introduction would be used for two purposes which are; for the purpose of Government administration and the public.
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In a statement, the Justice minister, Theodorus Du Plessis stressed that the South African sign language would be a voice for people with hearing impairment or loss often refereed to as deaf and dumb.
The minister further stated that the language would also help the deaf and dumb community realize and exercise their right and human dignity, in addition that sign language would help eliminate unfair discrimination of rights on the grounds of disability.
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“Other than the symbolic meaning, there’s really not much in it. The fact is that our language rights as South Africans are protected in the constitution but in relation to any official language. The only rights we have in terms of official language are the rights linked to schooling. And this right was already given to person’s with hearing loss in 1996 so sign language was already and official language in schools but other than that, we do not have actual language rights linked to our languages being official since only one language is used by the state ” the minister said.
