South Africa is in danger of becoming an African country where its citizens cannot speak, read or write African languages, Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said on Thursday.
Speaking at the official opening of the University of South Africa’s academic year, Mlambo-Ngcuka pleaded that students should be able to study in African languages.
She said while there is a need for maths and science teachers and lecturers, the need for language lecturers is also becoming dire.
”Can you imagine a French person who cannot speak or write French or an English person who cannot speak or read English? Why then should we have a Tswana child who cannot speak, read or write Tswana?”
The deputy president’s speech focused largely on the skills shortage in South Africa and the need for universities to produce graduates who can contribute to the development of society.
”Issues around cutting-edge research, social cohesion under intellectual leadership and insights that higher education can offer for the improvement of quality of our input into socio-economic transformation, as well as helping define Africa’s identity and role in the world today, should continue touching our collective minds all the time,” Mlambo-Ngcuka said. — Sapa