Keynote Address: Honourable Deputy Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture
National Language Summit
16–17 March 2026 | Western Cape
Programme Director, Mr Sibusiso Tsanyane,
Prof. Langa Khumalo – Chief Director of SADiLaR,
Prof. Lollie Makhubu-Badenhorst – Chairperson of the Pan South African Language Board,
Mr Julius Dantile – Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Pan South African Language Board,
Ms Lisa Combrinck – Chief Director of the National Language Service,
Distinguished lead experts, scribes, rapporteurs,
Colleagues from government, academia, civil society and the private sector,
Our South African Sign Language interpreters,
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Colleagues, we gather here under the theme: Towards a Unified National Language Landscape and Action Plan. But unity does mean uniformity. An African proverb reminds us: Until the lion learns to write, every story will glorify the ‘hunter’. For too long, our national narrative has been shaped by a hunter – a few dominant languages that silenced the voices of our rich linguistic diversity. This summit aims to empower the ‘lions’. It is about ensuring that every mother tongue has the ability to write, speak and influence our national story. Only when all languages are celebrated can we create a truly unified, authentic and inclusive landscape.
There is no greater time to acknowledge our languages than at our 30-year democracy anniversary, this Summit affirms that language is not a secondary issue in our democracy - it lies at the centre of our national and personal identities.
The impact of colonialism on language is profound and multifaceted, affecting not only the linguistic landscape but also the social and cultural identities of the populations affected.
Molweni. Goeie môre. Sanibonani. Dumelang. Good morning to you all.
Yesterday, we began a journey. Today, we finish what we started and we do so with a commitment to carry the work forward far beyond these walls.
It was a day of remarkable candour and conviction. When Minister Gayton McKenzie delivered his keynote address, he set a tone that carried through every session that followed, one of urgency, accountability and belief that the language question in South Africa is, at its core, a justice question.
We heard the Executive Mayor of Cape Town, Hon. Geordin Hill-Lewis, welcome us to this beautiful city. A city that is itself a living testament to the multilingual richness and complexity of our nation. His welcome reminded us that language is not merely a policy matter; it is the living texture of every community we serve.
The profound welcoming addresses from yesterday gave us a full picture of the breadth of institutions that must be part of this conversation. This is not the work of one department. It is the work of a nation.
Then came the diagnostics. Professor Langa Khumalo of SADiLaR showed us, with data and clarity, where we stand. The picture was honest. And honesty, though sometimes uncomfortable, is the only foundation on which real change can be built.
Professor Lollie Makhubu-Badenhorst and the PanSALB presentation reinforced what many in this room have known for years: we have a constitutional mandate for multilingualism that remains under implemented. Section 6(2) of our Constitution is not an aspirational decoration. It is an instruction. And we owe it to our people to follow that instruction.
Yesterday afternoon, our seven commissions convened in parallel. Let me name them, because the work done in each room deserves to be named:
Language and the Justice System, led by Professor Monwabisi Ralarala and our very own Advocate Bennedict Mokubedi. Forensic linguistics, language rights in courts, plain-language affidavits. These are not abstract concerns. They determine whether a person understands the charges against them, or whether justice is administered in a language that excludes them.
Language in Education, led by Professor Leketi Makalela and Dr Tebogo Rakgogo. The evidence is unambiguous: children learn best in their home languages. Yet we continue to demand that millions of children decode knowledge through a second or third language. This commission carries the future of our schools.
Language and Service Delivery, led by Professor Somadoda Fikeni, Professor Hercules Kotze and Ambassador Ruby Marks. Batho Pele was a promise. Today we ask: in which language? If a citizen cannot understand the form they are asked to complete, or the notice they have received, Batho Pele remains a slogan.
Language and Heritage, led by Dr Sibongile Masuku and our very own Dr Wandile Kasibe. Our languages carry our knowledge systems, our ceremonies and our oral histories. When a language dies, an entire way of knowing the world disappears with it. This commission is about preservation — but also about revitalisation.
Language and Business, led by Dr Sizwe Nxasana, Ms Prudence Moilwa and Professor Thabo Ditsele. The African Continental Free Trade Area creates new economic frontiers. Our African languages are an asset in those markets — not an obstacle. This commission is building the business case for multilingualism.
Language and Health Sciences, led by Dr Ntuthuko Bhengu and Dr Brenda De Gama. When patients cannot communicate with their caregivers, people die. This is not an exaggeration. Language in health is a patient safety issue.
Language and Technology, led by Professor Justus Roux and Dr Herkulaas Combrink. We note that developments in Artificial Intelligence and Human Language Technologies present significant opportunities to strengthen the use of South Africa’s official languages across sectors, including education, governance, the economy and the justice system. We also acknowledge the need for deliberate investment in language resources, digital infrastructure and multilingual datasets to ensure that all South African languages are adequately represented in the rapidly evolving digital and technological landscape.
To each and every one of you: lead experts, the scribes who were capturing everything meticulously and every participant who stayed focused and productive through what I am told were rich and rigorous discussions this morning, we appreciate the fruits of your labour and look forward to hearing feedback on your engagements.
Ladies and gentlemen, this year marks three decades since the democratic Constitution (1996) of the Republic of South Africa was signed into law. This same month, we honour the struggle stalwarts whose courage and sacrifices secured our freedom. We have made extraordinary progress in many arenas. But on the language question, the gap between our constitutional promise and our lived reality remains wide.
As we mark 30 years of the Constitution we celebrate the dismantling apartheid-era linguistic hierarchies and recognition of 11 official languages, as an imperative of multilingualism and non-racialism for transformation and nation building.
Eleven official languages, hundreds of languages across our soil, and yet, in too many courtrooms, hospitals, schools and government offices, one or two languages dominate while the rest wait their turn – a turn that never seems to come.
The historic recognition of South African Sign Language as the official language represents a decisive step towards inclusion and accessibility. It affirms the rights and dignity of the Deaf community and strengthens our commitment to social cohesion and ensuring that public services are accessible to all
Today is proof that we are serious about closing the language divide. That cannot be done through a single summit. But we will leave here with a Summit Declaration, with commission recommendations, with a roadmap towards a National Language Policy and Action Plan. We will leave with something tangible, something we can take back to our institutions and say: here is what was agreed; here is what must happen next.
To the commission leaders: present your recommendations with confidence. What was worked out in your rooms yesterday represents months and years of lived expertise, distilled into recommendations.
To government colleagues: the recommendations that come from this summit are not suggestions directed at someone else. They are directed at us, our departments, our agencies, our programmes, our budgets. Let us put all hands on deck to realise all the recommendations of this summit.
To the private sector and civil society: your participation here signals that you understand language is not the government's burden alone. We look forward to your continued partnership and active involvement in implementing the recommendations that come from this summit. Only through the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders – government, academia, the private sector and community organisations – can we truly realise a unified national language landscape and action plan for South Africa.
To academics and researchers: your evidence gave this summit its spine, context and guidance. We need you to keep producing that evidence, and to translate it into forms that policymakers can act on.
And to the language communities of South Africa — those who speak Tshivenda in the Limpopo mountains, isiXhosa in the Eastern Cape valleys, Sepedi in the North, Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Swati and Tsonga — we are here because of you, and everything that follows must be in service of you.
Today, let us build that case, step by step, action by action, recommendation by recommendation, declaration by declaration.
I wish us all a productive and historic second day.
Enkosi. Ngiyabonga. Baie dankie. Ke a leboha. Thank you.
Colleagues, we gather here under the theme: Towards a Unified National Language Landscape and Action Plan. But unity does mean uniformity. An African proverb reminds us: Until the lion learns to write, every story will glorify the ‘hunter’. For too long, our national narrative has been shaped by a hunter – a few dominant languages that silenced the voices of our rich linguistic diversity. This summit aims to empower the ‘lions’. It is about ensuring that every mother tongue has the ability to write, speak and influence our national story. Only when all languages are celebrated can we create a truly unified, authentic and inclusive landscape.
