PARLIAMENT celebrated International Mother Tongue Language Day on Thursday with special debates in both its Houses. MPs and delegates stressed the importance of people being able to express themselves in any of South Africa’s 11 officials languages, while recognising there was also a need for a common understanding between different language groups. Celebrations started with a special lunch — hosted by the New National Party’s long-standing NCOP language ombudsman, Adriaan van Niekerk –which featured taped traditional Afrikaans songs being sung in Zulu. Van Niekerk told the NCOP in a debate on Thursday afternoon that South Africa was a country of many languages, of which English was only one. But currently English was receiving preferential treatment, and “sometimes one is under the impression it is considered in certain government circles as the government’s mother tongue”. It was unfair 90% parliamentarians, whose first language was not English, were being forced to make their contributions in parliamentary committees in their second or third language. In the debate in the National Assembly, proceedings were initially hampered by problems with Parliament’s translation service. -Sapa
THEY SAID IT, from Sapa
“Hunger is in trouble.”
— Finance Minister Trevor Manuel in his Budget speech.
“We will, Madam Speaker, declare those pizzas.”
— Manuel, who noted that a pizza outlet whose number was inadvertently given as the one to be called for “Tips for Trevor” had donated some pizzas to exhausted and hungry Treasury officials.
“I will not have to walk barefoot anymore.”
– Christinah Motsepe of Soweto about the R50 increase in the disability grant.
“This is a war. It has killed more people than has been the case in all previous wars and in all previous natural disasters. We must not continue to be debating, to be arguing, when people are dying.”
— Former president Nelson Mandela about Aids.
“Cruel and irresponsible.”
— What public servants were who unnecessarily delayed pension payouts, according to President Thabo Mbeki.
“Only 500 000 American dollars. Only that, for me, it’s nothing.”
–President Robert Mugabe, scoffing at the fee allegedly offered to assassinate him. Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai vehemently denied accusations of being behind such a plot.
“We had not invited them. No uninvited guests are allowed to come to our election banquet. And so Mr Schori went to our embassy in Washington and got a tourist visa, which was unlawful, irregular, dishonest and crookish.”
— Mugabe about the expulsion of the Swedish European Union observer mission head, Pierre Schori.
“Their whole behaviour was unacceptable and not in any way decent… I don’t know what they want to hide, but evidently they don’t like some of us to be there.”
— Schori in London after his expulsion from Zimbabwe.
“What is Europe? What will I be wanting in Europe?… Blair can bleat, he can cry, he can do anything, go into tantrums but I will not move.”
–Mugabe, vowing not to reverse his land reform scheme despite the imposition of sanctions, including a travel ban to the European Union countries, following the expulsion of the EU observer mission’s leader from Zimbabwe.
“The accounts have been servicing each other without Mama’s direct involvement and this resulted in things getting messed up.”
— Solani Gudluza, lawyer of African National Congress Women’s League president Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, denying that she owes FirstRand Bank R103620.
“Surely it is inconceivable even to an imbecile that I alone can consume groceries of R10000 a month… is it really possible for anyone, even the ‘supernatural Winnie’, to get donations of R50 000 a month?”
— Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, who denied receiving any donations from well-wishers, as was claimed during her bail application.
“I needed a filling. I was told that the dentist only does extractions.”
— Jose Machado, a prisoner suing the Department of Correctional Services for “irreversible and irreparable damage” caused to him by his incarceration in a “pest-infested” cell.
“Please, tell the people that I am not a druggie. I am begging you.”
–Adri Schoeman, former South African sprint champion who was suspended from athletics after testing positive for an anabolic steroid. Schoeman said she took a drug prescribed for her for back trouble after giving birth last year.
“I have no problems sleeping at night.”
— Bafana Bafana coach Carlos Queiroz, who retained his post despite criticism of his team’s performance in the African Cup of Nations tournament.