KEYNOTE SPEECH DELIVERED BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF BASIC EDUCATION, MRS ANGIE MOTSHEKGA, MP AT THE EVENT DEDICATED FOR INTERNATIONAL MOTHER-TONGUE LANGUAGE DAY (IMLD) AT THE EAST LONDON ICC

International Mother Language Day 2024, with the theme – “Multilingualism: A Pillar of Intergenerational Learning” 

“Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come” (Victor Hugo)

Honourable members of the Eastern Cape legislature led by Deputy Speaker Hon. Qoboshiyane

Representatives of the Office of the Premier

MEC Gade, uSosuthu osile umqombothi namhlanje

Mme MEC Kontsiwe, and your team from the DSRAC (Department of Sports, Arts and Culture)  

The Pan South African Language Board (PanSLAB) Team, Chairperson, CEO and executives present here today

Political leadership of the province and support structures from all corners of the Eastern Cape

Officials of the DBE from the national office, and also from all Provincial Education Departments

Esteemed guests invited from various organisations; NGOs and NPOs

Academics from various institutions and civil society those who are physically present and those who are online

Our funding partners and role players in education including stakeholders and the Advisory council

Indlu yeeNkosi, nama thandazwe onke, kea dumelisa bohle and South Africa at large

Today, the whole world converges on various platforms like this one, acknowledging the value of mother-tongue languages.  As you probably know, when UNESCO declared this day in 1999; it was recognised as the International Mother Language Day (IMLD), chosen because of the tragic – yet catalysing events that transpired on that day in 1952, in Bangladesh.

In the same way, that this day is engraved in the hearts and minds of the speakers of the Bengali language, because of the events of February 21^st, 1952.  We also hold a special place in our hearts the young people, who were killed on the 16^th June 1976, whose sin was to reject the 50-50 language in education policy that African language learners were subjected to; a direct result of competing dominant languages at that time; that wanted Africans to serve two masters equally.  We salute our young man and women, who knew that language issues were intertwined with identity, and saw it as a worthy cause; to resist any effort that sought to place the majority in a maze of a hegemonic power struggle.  We bow in reverence.

The UNESCO theme of 2024 for this International Mother Language Day is “Multilingualism, a pillar of intergenerational learning”.  It prompted me to think about the sacrifices made by the generation of 1976 around language; and what can be passed on as a baton to children today.  The youth of 1976 did not have a constitution that recognised 12 official languages; then it was English and Afrikaans.  We celebrate today on a stronger footing, where Government has a responsibility as espoused in our Constitution, that all official languages must be developed for parity of esteem.  The footprint we all leave here today; its fruits will be enjoyed by generations to come. This generation might not appreciate it for now; but as they stand on our shoulders when we are long gone; we hope that they will agree in the affirmative that indeed we made this possible for them.

As the 6^th Administration winds up its work, it feels good to come back to where it all began – in the province of the Eastern Cape; these hills and plains of this province, bear the indominable spirit that refused to accept that it cannot be done.  In 2010, they grabbed the bull by its horn and said bring it on – we salute the giants that dared to go it alone; we respect that spirit of resilience. 

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Speaker: Minister Angie Motshekga