DA Wants to Declare Afrikaans an Indigenous Language: “Forever the Opposition”

• The DA is fighting the education department in an attempt to have Afrikaans regarded as an indigenous language
• The party protested outside Minister Blade Nzimande's offices over the Language Policy Framework for Public Higher Education Institutions
• The demonstration was headed by Leon Schreiber and John Steenhuisen with South Africans making their way to Twitter to share their thoughts

The DA has reportedly handed a petition over during their protest in Pretoria on Tuesday, 12 October. The party is demonstrating against Minister of Higher Education Blade Nzimande as they want Afrikaans to be made an indigenous language.

During the year, the official opposition party realised that Afrikaans was taken out as an indigenous language in the Language Policy Framework for Public Higher Education Institutions. The Policy defines indigenous languages as those that are part of the Southern Bantu language family.

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John Steenhuisen alongside Leon Schreiber headed the demonstration outside Nzimande's offices.

According to IOL, the DA filed a complaint against Nzimande with the SAHRc over the way he defined the Afrikaans language. In the petition, the opposition party said Nzimande defended the Policy.

The Policy classifies Afrikaans as an 'alien language'. The target number of signatures for the petition is 20 000 and at the time of writing this report, it sits at just over 7 400 signatures.

A report by EWN revealed that although Afrikaans is excluded from indigenous languages in SA, a recent Constitutional Court ruling stated that the language should be reinstated at Unisa as a way of instruction.

South Africans share their thoughts about the DA's protest

@KimbaMwanza said:

"Some people in this country want to oppose unnecessary things. Afrikaans is an African language and I can speak out if I got the opportunity to learn it. Some people are waiting for energy on the useless debate."

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@Mandla90056278 shared:

"They used Black votes to continue with AFRIKAANS OPPRESSION."

@vernonarch quote tweeted with:

"You lost my vote last week, John. Forever the opposition…"

@growiafrica wrote:

"What more do you need, the language is everywhere as it is. In fact is the only language that enjoys more exposure in any aspect of government and private sectors."

DA and Mzansi call Bheki Cele out for saying potholes cause hijackings

Previously, Briefly News reported that Bheki Cele has raised a few eyebrows for his comments about the causes of hijackings in the Western Cape.

Cele was on a visit in Mitchell's Plain just before the weekend when he insinuated that potholes are the reason hijackings happen in the area.

Cele essentially placing blame on the Democratic Alliance for how badly they have maintained the roads in the Western Cape, despite earlier pleading with the community members to not turn crime into a political issue, according to a report by The Citizen.

Source: Briefly News