[A12n-forum] "Govt info online from Afrikaans to isiZulu" (South Africa)

["Don Osborn" <dzo@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This item from the South African BuaNews site at
http://www.buanews.gov.za/view.php?ID=07052111451005&coll=buanew07 was seen
via a Google alert...  Don


Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System
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Date: 21 May 2007
Title: Govt info online from Afrikaans to isiZulu
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By Lavinia Mahlangu

Pretoria - Information on government services is now available in all 11
official languages, from Afrikaans to isiZulu on www.services.gov.za.

The new website has information on government services for citizens,
foreigners, individuals and organizations on issues ranging from registering
births and companies, to finding a place to live and making travel
arrangements.

So far, the most popular queries accessed are transport related and include
how one goes about registering for learners' and drivers' licences and
registering motor vehicles.

Boasting a clean design and hundreds of pages of information, the site
allows users to select the language of their choice from a drop-down menu on
the left hand side of the main page, just under the national coat of arms.

South Africa's Constitution recognises 11 official languages, namely
Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho sa Leboa,
Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda and Xitsonga.

Recognising the historically diminished use and status of the indigenous
languages, the Constitution expects government to implement positive
measures to elevate the status and advance the use of these languages.

According to the national Census of 2001, isiZulu is the mother tongue of
23.8 percent of the population, followed by isiXhosa at 17.6 percent.

Afrikaans first language speakers make up 13.3 percent of the population,
while Sesotho sa Leboa is spoken by 9.4 percent, and English and Setswana
each represent 8.2 percent of the population.

The least-spoken official language in South Africa is isiNdebele, which is
spoken by 1.6 percent of the population.

Although English is the mother tongue of only 8.2 percent of the population,
it is the language most widely understood, and the second language of the
majority of South Africans.

However, government is committed to promoting all the official languages,
through various organs, some of which are overseen by the Department of Arts
and Culture.

The National Language Service (NLS) provides a range of language services
for official documentation, develops and promotes national language policy,
and advises on standardising and disseminating information on a range of
terminology.

The NLS functions as government's professional language support system, by
translating official documents in all the official languages.

Its terminology service assists with the development and modernisation of
the technical vocabularies of the official languages.

The language-planning functions include advising government on the
development of language policy and implementation strategies.

Another organ is the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) which
promotes the recognition, implementation and promotion of multilingualism in
South Africa, and the development of previously marginalised languages.

PanSALB's vision is to achieve equal status and use of all official
languages and extends this vision to Khoi, Nama, San and South African Sign
Language. - BuaNews


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