Mr. Bruno Drunchen, National Director of the DEAF Federation of South Africa shows President Ramaphosa a few signs of SASL
By Simon Manda
President Cyril Ramaphosa, on Wednesday, 19 July 2023, signed into law the South African Sign Language (SASL) Bill during a ceremony at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, officially making SASL the 12th national official language.
“People with hearing impairments will be able to access more services in our country; they will be able to have information and a host of other opportunities that have hitherto been very hard for them to access or have been closed to them. Official recognition is just the beginning, much more still needs to be done to support this language, and on the government’s side, we will make sure that it is implemented properly. We are going to make sure that we monitor its implementation,” said Ramaphosa.
Until now, the South African Constitution provided for 11 official languages: Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, and isiZulu.
In May 2023, the National Assembly (NA) had, during its plenary on the 2nd of May 2023, approved the Report of the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development on the Constitution Eighteenth Amendment Bill [B1 – 2023] to amend section 6 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. The amendment was to include South African Sign Language (SASL) as an official language to promote the rights of persons who are deaf and hard of hearing.
Primarily, the amendment was to advance the cultural acceptance of SASL, the deaf culture; ensure the realization of the rights of persons who are deaf and hard of hearing to equal protection and benefit of the law and human dignity; and to promote inclusive and substantive equality and prevent or eliminate unfair discrimination on the ground of disability, as guaranteed by section 9 of the Constitution.
The Bill was introduced and referred to the Committee on 12 January 2023. The Committee was briefed by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development on the contents of the Bill on 27 January 2023.
In response to the call for public comment, the Committee received 58 written submissions from individuals and organizations. Most of the submissions were in support of the Bill and gradually. It was historically signed into law this week.
With this initiative, South Africa becomes the fourth country on the African continent to recognize sign language as an official language; other countries are Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Uganda.
THISABILITY Newspaper spoke to several members of the Deaf community, and they had this to say.
“The official recognition of South African Sign Language (SASL) as the 12th official language of South Africa is a historic and momentous occasion for both me as a Deaf person and the Deaf community as a whole. This milestone represents the culmination of decades of unwavering struggle and advocacy to have Deaf people’s language recognised officially. It is a validation and acknowledgement of Deaf people’s identity and culture and brings a sense of pride and belonging.
This recognition signifies a long-awaited triumph. It reinforces the importance of preserving and promoting SASL, ensuring that it thrives and evolves alongside other languages in our country. With official status, SASL will gain more visibility and resources, paving the way for improved access to education, employment, legal proceedings, and public services for Deaf individuals. Furthermore, this recognition fosters a more inclusive and equitable society, promoting understanding and appreciation for Deaf culture and language among the broader population.“
Alex Msitshana
Chairperson: The National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD), Chairperson: Sign Language Education & Development (SLED), Board Member: Disability Rights Fund/Disability Rights Advocacy Fund (USADRF/DRAF), Member: Presidential Working Group on Disability (PWGD), Member: World Federation of the Deaf (WFD), Managing Director: Deaf Empowerment Firm (DEF)
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“I am delighted and HAPPY that South African Sign Language (SASL) became our 12th official language. This means a lot to us and our Deaf and Hard of Hearing community in South Africa. We have been implementing before SASL became official and have been highly more arduous. Now we need more implementation and working with various stakeholders in the Western Cape and South Africa.
My aim for the next five years is to work with our Deaf community on various projects:
- Job creation/ opportunity
- Education- to see more Deaf / Hard of Hearing enroll to study at Universities or Colleges
- Accessibility in public service and TV Broadcast (Live Caption/Subtitles)
- Empowerment to see more Deaf people are independent with good jobs or business owner
Also, to respect our Deaf / Hard of Hearing as humans where we do not need cultural appropriation or doing on behalf of the Deaf in South Africa
Looking forward to all the engagements and working in one unity in South Africa.”
Jabaar Mohamed
Provincial Director: DeafSA Western Cape and Producer/Presenter: Accessibility with Jabaar TV Talk Show
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“I am very excited about this, and this is an opportunity for Miss Deaf SA to offer a free introductory sign language workshop at a venue provided by a company or person who wants to have it, to give back to the community and to create more Deaf awareness.
We are looking forward to seeing more and more people who can communicate with Deaf people who are the clients, e.g., Vodacom. Deaf people rely on sign language for better understanding.
I believe it will make a difference in a Deaf person s life, and it will make them feel more independent instead of relying on their family members to communicate for them.”
Janice Jonker
CEO: Miss Deaf SA
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“The recognition of SASL is a great move for South Africa as it puts us in the forefront of countries recognizing signed languages internationally. On a linguistic level, it validates South African Sign Language as a language on its own and removes the common misconception that signed languages are simply the spoken word signed. This recognition has sent a clear message to the Deaf Community – South Africa embraces you, and this is especially significant for us, a community that has been marginalized for so long. It will also bring to the fore the necessity for educators of Deaf children to be fully fluent in SASL if they are allowed to teach Deaf children. Most teachers of Deaf children cannot sign, and I think this event will highlight this disservice to Deaf learners. It is often said that the biggest barrier to deafness is not the lack of ability to hear but the lack of access to information which is true for the Deaf community. I hope this lawful recognition of SASL will now give Deaf South Africans access to information they richly deserve and information which will make them fully conversant and participating members of South African Society.”
Ingrid Parkin
Principal: St. Vincent’s School for the Deaf
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“It is an endorsement that embodies the core values of development in self-belief, independence, and freedom for Deaf people. Now I can proudly proclaim, ‘I belong. Affirmed. I feel free.
With SASL as an official language, it’s time to reflect what it means to be a Deaf person in South Africa today. Indeed, in this epoch, it means a new Deaf person is born. One that is in a South Africa that is accessible, receptive, enabling and socially just. Moving towards such a society requires all of us to come along on the journey to listen and heal, to bridge the divide, to lay the foundations for the future, to support and cultivate our agency actively, and to build ourselves as a united Deaf community because SASL solidarity is our strength and resource. This will contribute towards the Deaf sector’s broad goals of building capacity, influencing public policies, and setting the agenda for further meaningful inclusive development. It’s a time to plan today so that our children and grandchildren have a tomorrow that is indeed accessible, receptive, enabling and socially just.”
Jabu Blose
CEO: South African National Deaf Association
THE SIGNING CEREMONY OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN SIGN LANGUAGE BILL
WELCOMING THE SIGNING OF THE BILL
