Tag: South Africa
Name Changes Seen as Plot to Expunge Afrikaans
South Africa’s government is on a name-changing spree—and that’s sparking a fierce language war and fierce feelings.
South Africa was colonized by Dutch settlers...
What is Orania?
Orania is a White Dutch–only enclave and an “independent” country inside South Africa. Inside Orania, English and the majority of African languages are banned—sort...
Sign officially becomes South Africa’s 12th language
Last month in Pretoria, South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa made sign language the 12th official language during an official ceremony at the Union Buildings.
The...
Ryanair Imposes Afrikaans Test on South African Passengers
Ryanair, one of Europe’s largest budget airlines is demanding that travelers who hold a South African passport must first pass an ‘Afrikaans’ language test...
South Africa Classifies Afrikaans as ‘Foreign’
South Africa’s government has touched off a storm after it moved to classify native Afrikaans as a “foreign language.” For clarity’s sake, here is...
South African and European Universities Form Consortium to Boost Use of...
South Africa’s university system notoriously lacks instructional programs offered in the nation’s Indigenous languages, like isiXhosa and Sesotho. Currently, English and Afrikaans are the...
Afrikaans Goes to Court
The University of South Africa—locally known as UNISA—the largest university system in the nation, has been working on phasing out Afrikaans as a language...
South Africa’s Language Question Remains Unanswered
The governing African National Congress (ANC) held a rally in Sharpeville (suburban Johannesburg) on March 21 to celebrate Human Rights Day and to commemorate the 1960...
