Investing in Vernacular writers a must
Writers writing in Vernacular languages are finding it increasingly difficult to earn a decent living due to the inability of vernacular language speakers to read, or gain access to books in their mother tongues.
I will submit parliamentary questions to the Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport in the Western Cape, Anroux Marais, to inquire what the Department is doing to support writers writing in vernacular languages, as well as what measure are in place to encourage the youth to read, and more importantly to read books written in their mother tongues.
National government is failing our youth as they are investing in Mandarin instead of using available resources to assist writers and publishing houses to write and publish books in the official languages of South Africa. National government also fails to encourage learners to study their mother-tongues in school and gain the ability to speak, read and write in a vernacular language.
We encourage the use of all official languages and believe that no language should take priority over another. For African languages to gain value and gain speakers, we need to invest in the way they are taught and ensure we support vernacular writers. Furthermore, we also encourage our youth of all races to take African languages seriously and learn to read and write in these languages.
It is important to note that we not only use language as an instrument to communicate with others, but we also use it as an instrument to think, analyse and relate to other people. With this in mind, it is clear to see the importance of multilingualism.
The DA is committed to the development of a diverse and multilingual society.
Democratic Alliance Western Cape Spokesperson on cultural Affairs and Sport
Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Cultural Affairs and Sport in the Western Cape Provincial Parliament
