Assessing the need for a language policy for the Makhado Municipality, Limpopo Province.
Davhana, Livhuwani
Davhana, Livhuwani
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Abstract
The purpose of this research is to assess the need for a Language Policy within the Makhado Local Municipality (MLM) in Limpopo province. The study examines the languages of communication used within the Makhado Local Municipality to determine whether such (a) language(s) within that particular environment have been selected according to social status or following the Constitution of Republic of South Africa (1996), which pronounces that all eleven (11) official languages are to be used as a media of communication. It is important to ascertain if the Makhado Local Municipality followed the guidelines suggested in the Language Policy of the country as stated in the Constitution.
The study reveals that although the Makhado Local Municipality consists of people from different ethnic groups, most of them prefer to use Tshivenḓa when requesting assistance from the municipality. This is largely attributable to fact that the majority of people in and around the municipality are Tshivenḓa speaking. In view of this, and taking into cognizance the prescripts of the RSA constitution and the Official Languages Act (2014) the study recommends that Makhado Local Municipality should develop a Language Policy to guide the choice of language(s) to be used as official languages, taking into consideration the need for equitable use of languages spoken within the boundaries of the Municipality. The study employed both quantitative and qualitative approaches to collect data on respondents’ attitude toward a Language Policy within Makhado Local Municipality. Questionnaires were distributed and face to face interviews were conducted at Makhado Local Municipality offices and communities within Makhado Local Municipality.
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Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree Magister Technologiae: Language Practice, in the Department of Applied Languages, Faculty of Humanities at the Tshwane University of Technology.
Date
2015-04-02
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Tshwane University of Technology
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Keywords
Language policy, Constitution, Official languages, Tshivenḓa, Makhado Municipality, Limpopo Province, South Africa