Language Apartheid in South Africa

Class Project (Comm373)
By: Ndyaluvane Aviwe

For my class project this year,we are supposed to make a documentary of any topic, but of course the topic should be compelling and newsworthy. As a Black South African from the rural Eastern Cape I truly find it as a blessing for me to be an exchange student in America (St Cloud State University)-especially when I reflect on our history i.e. Bantu Education, being forced to learn in Afrikaans, likewise the Eastern Cape being known as the poorest province in South Africa in all aspects; education, roads, infrustructure, health, high pregnancy rates and detoriorating Home Affairs department. It is with all of this in consideration that I chose the Soweto Uprising of 16 June 1976 as my concept or story that I wanted to share with these Americans., because I don't attribute this achievement solenmly on my intellect-yes, I achieved 7 distinctions last year, but some people before me paved the way for me to be here today. Therefore, I had to write a script for this project and submitt an audio tape before the final film (documentary). I would really like for you guys (South Africans) to help me tell our story the best way I can. Moreoever, I have supplied you guys with some bits and pieces of my documentary script so you see which angle I am taking with this. The Soweto Uprising has been told over and over again, however, I aim to tell my documentary in a different angle, and I can only achieve this if we all work together. So, please have a read and leave your comment-I will upload some other parts of my treatment (script) based on the questions you ask.

So here's the video on this link:

http://mythoughtsadventures.blogspot.com/2012/12/language-apartheid-in-south-africa.html

Language Apartheid in South Africa

Introduction: South Africa is known as a Rainbow Nation; a name which epitomises the country’s multicolored cultural diversity. South Africa has eleven official languages; Xhosa, Zulu, Afrikaans, Sesotho, Swati, Ndebele, Sepedi, Venda, Tsonga, Tswana and English. Language Apartheid exists in South Africa as would be expected in a country with eleven different languages living together. Language Apartheid is the domination of a language on others, by it (superior language) marginalizing the inferior languages by forcing them to speak its language and to forsaking theirs. However, language is a product of culture. That is, a language a tribe speaks is related to their culture as it conveys the ideas of their culture and is a representation of what they have experienced.  Therefore, when one lives in a country that is dominated by a certain language, they do not only learn the superior language but they also acquire its culture as well. Thus, language and culture of ones tribe is modified by the experiences they have encountered. Similarly, the 10^th edition of the Oxford School dictionary stipulates culture as “a set of related behaviors and taboos, which, in effect, describe how a group of individuals relate to their environment.”

The aims of this documentary: To begin with, this documentary further elaborates on Language Apartheid specifically in South Africa. This is achieved through showing how the eleven languages emerged from a single language of the Khoikhoi people.  Secondly, this documentary aims to elucidate how a superior language emerges, what social conditions are conducive for a superior language to emerge, what are the effects upon both the marginalized languages and a country as a whole, and how inferior languages are ostracized. Similarly, the uprising of the marginalized languages is explored i.e. their objection for their languages to be regard as equally important.  Furthermore, the relationship between language and culture is illustrated.  Most importantly, this documentary aims to show the aftermath of language apartheid in South Africa; in particular on the youth.

The sense of style and structure of the story telling: Language Apartheid in South Africa is demonstrated in the form of flash backs and foreshadowing in this documentary. The documentary is centered on the Soweto Uprising of 16 June 1976, where hundreds of school students protested against the Apartheid system, because they refused to be taught in Afrikaans as their medium of instruction.  Afrikaans was the Apartheid government’s language. The Apartheid government was headed by the Dutch who colonized Black South Africans. Thus, the Afrikaans language was foreign to black people and caused great effects upon the black community. Furthermore, some events related to the uprising will be discussed. It is therefore advisable for the reader to keep in mind that such events will be better demonstrated in the documentary as archival footage-music, pictures, videos and voice overs. Thus, this documentary will transition from the uprising and tying in other related events.

Interviewees of the documentary: Six South African students of different races will be interviewed throughout the documentary in appropriate scenes. That is, Black (Aviwe Ndyalvane and Unathi Bonga), White (Michele Cronje and Candice Jewell) and Colored (Lesley Jacobs and Mohamed Mire). These students will be contrasted against each other according to their skin color; their backgrounds, language difference, education and social values. This is necessary to demonstrate the effects of Language Apartheid and the Group Areas Act that segregated people in different locations of South Africa because of their skin color. Furthermore, the students will be interviewed in contrast of the same ethnic group e.g Aviwe and Unathi are both Xhosa speaking blacks from the Eastern Cape, however they have different backgrounds and experiences i.e. Aviwe grew up in the rural areas of the Transkei while Unathi grew up in the townships of Port Elizabeth. Likewise, Mohamed and Lesley are both colored but they are of different skin color, colored areas and speak different languages. Lastly, Candice and Michele will be contrasted with same criteria.

The main themes of this documentary: the first theme present in this documentary is greediness- the need for having power and influence over people; thus the need to dominate and be regarded superior while oppressing other people; racism. The second theme is interdependence and family values i.e. black freedom was accomplished in South Africa through unity and culture tolerance-the black community is very diverse. Similarly, determination and perseverance very much contributed.

 

This is just about it for now. As you can see I have titled my documentary "Language Apartheid" in South Africa. Let's teach the world about our history instead of hearing about theirs' time and time again.