Call to make Covid-19 info available in all languages
Never has the importance of the use of language been more pertinent than it is right now during the pandemic.
AS the country prepares to distribute its first consignment of the Covid-19 vaccine, the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) has called for information to be made available in all official languages.
“Never has the importance of the use of language been more pertinent than it is right now during the pandemic. Therefore, it is particularly critical that information on the vaccine be made available in all our official languages to ensure that our people are equipped to make informed decisions.
“This can be achieved by ensuring that such information is available in languages that people understand,” said PanSALB Acting Chief Executive Officer, Nikiwe Matebula.
In other Covid news: Consumer commission probes excessive prices of garlic, ginger
Matebula emphasised that the promotion and preservation of languages must be a collective effort.
“We therefore call upon government to heed this call and all South Africans to support the Language Activism Month campaign through various means available at their disposal, such as the support of African writers and the use of mother tongue,” Matebula said.
PanSALB’s call coincides with the Language Activism Month campaign, which is celebrated annually during February, in commemoration of the International Mother Language Day (IMLD) held annually on 21 February.
Various activities aimed at the promotion of the use of mother tongue will be conducted by PanSALB virtually throughout the month.
Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting
Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za). At the time of going to press, the contents of this feature mirrored South Africa’s lockdown regulations.
You can also sign up for news alerts on Telegram. Send us a Telegram message (not an SMS) with your name and surname (ONLY) to 060 532 5532.
For more from Northglen News follow us on Facebook or Twitter. You can also follow us on Instagram
