Indigenous languages are an important part of history, and the Indigenous Languages Initiatives for Advancement (Ilifa) will be launching an awareness campaign for the promotion, protection and advancement of mother tongues on April 30.
Ilifa said the choice of April 30 was made because it coincides with World Book Day, which aims to deepen interest in reading. The aim is to show that reading in mother tongue is important.
“To this end, Ilifa has galvanised other like-minded stakeholders to stage the inaugural Save Mother Tongue Campaign. In the midst of a variety of life's challenges facing the nation, a self-examination of what contributes to a sense of loss to any nation is neglect of mother tongue,” said the initiative.
Ilifa said that the importance of mother tongue languages was weakened if the educational system fails to promote their positive attributes to children.
“Ilifa holds that part and parcel of the decolonisation of the mind of our young is the reclamation of mother tongues, through which the assertion of taking their rightful place in the world, as equals, can best be articulated without a feeling that indigenous languages matter less than other languages,” said Ilifa.
The initiative said that young people needed to endeavour to return to the rich values that their mother tongues carried. It aims to rediscover the essence of our humanity that lies there.
To this end, it shared the same position as former Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng, who said: “Taking out the psychological shackles allows a person to take responsibility for their own destiny.”
That destiny would not be easy to achieve if there was any neglect of mother tongue languages, added the initiative.
Ilifa Lethu Institution entered the indigenous languages ecosystem with the sole aim of engaging all relevant stakeholders to stage the inaugural programme of the *Save Mother Tongue Campaign March on April 23.
The details are:
Departure Point: June 16, Memorial Acre (opposite Morris Isaacson High School).
March terminal point: UJ – Soweto Campus at 11.30am.
Invited to receive the pledge from Mother Tongue are: Minister of Higher Education, Dr BE Nzimande; Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga; Minister of Sports, Arts, Culture & Recreation, Nathi Mthethwa. Joining in to pledge will be the UJ vice-chancellor or a representative.