Pretoria – South African Sign Language (SASL) is now recognised as an official language in South Africa.
This week on Wednesday, (19 July 2023), President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law the Sign Language Bill.
With the addition of SASL now has 12 official languages including Sepedi (also known as Sesotho sa Leboa), Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, and isiZulu.
The recognition SASL as the 12th official language is an important step towards the realisation of the rights of persons who are deaf or hard of hearing.
South Africa is the fourth country in Africa to recognise Sign Language as an official language.
The Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture said the development was a significant milestone for democratic South Africa.
“The recognition of South African Sign Language will change the lives of many people,” the department said.
“As the custodian of the Republic of South Africa’s National Language Policy, this day brings us closer to the vision of President Nelson Mandela, of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.
“Language is not just a tool to communicate. It is also an important tool for social inclusion and participation.
“These are some of the values of our democracy.”
Sport, Arts, and Culture Minister Zizi Goodenough Kodwa said the recognition of South African Sign Language as an official South African language promotes wider inclusion and deepens participation in our democracy.
“I, therefore, call on all sectors under the Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture to lead by example and promote these values of social inclusion and participation by embracing and incorporating South African Sign Language,” Minister Kodwa said.
“This will enable the recognition of South African Sign Language to not just be in rhetoric, but in actions which show the realisation of the vision of inclusion in South Africa’s democracy.”
