Swahili and Mandarin to become school subjects in Gauteng, says Lesufi

As the University of South Africa (Unisa) marks International Mother Language Day on Friday, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi announced plans to introduce Swahili and Mandarin as subjects in the province’s public schools.

Lesufi was the keynote speaker at the 25th International Mother Language Day event in Pretoria, where he emphasised the importance of teaching children new languages.

Language as an economic asset

He is expected to participate in a panel discussion titled “Language as an Economic Asset—Unlocking Growth Through Linguistic Diversity.”

Speaking ahead of the State of the Province Address on Monday, 24 February, Lesufi highlighted the need for additional languages in the country’s school curriculum.

“Swahili and Mandarin, we are going to announce in our State of the Province Address in Gauteng on Monday, will be subjects that will be offered to our children in Gauteng so that we participate in the economies of the state”, Lesufi said.  

He said there are new international players in the economy, and South Africa needs to participate and interact with other countries. Mandarin is predominately spoken in China, and Swahili in several African countries.

“We are of the view, it is this intervention that will assist us to stand strong,” he said.

BELA Act

In his keynote address, Lesufi said languages played a central role in the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Act. He said languages should not only be protected but also defended and not used to exclude certain races and people in the educational system.

Amongst other things, he mentioned how Afrikaans-written magazines are surviving compared to non-Afrikaans publications.

“If we don’t invest in our language, our languages will die. If we don’t invest in our writers, our language will die”, said Lesufi.

The premier highlighted that the Gauteng province sets aside almost R35 million to support language-based programmes. He said the funds would also be used to support new young black writers who write a book, particularly in an African language, by buying the book and distributing it in school libraries across the province.

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