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International Mother Language Day Celebration 2021

23 March 2021 | Story Mbali Moiketsi

The Office for International Affairs recently celebrated International Language Day. This year, we invited all faculties to submit the names of people who would be willing to contribute video clips to educate us about their mother tongue. The videos submitted were from diverse academic staff members and postdoctoral fellows currently based in different parts of the world. Extensive research has created this edutainment video, featuring famous language quotes, indigenous languages across the African continent, and business languages used across the African continent. Some of the indigenous languages on the African continent are fading away, caused by colonial influence.

Fun facts:
From 1994 to 2013, South Africa was in the Guinness Book of World Records for most official languages. These are Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Sepedi, Sesotho, Swati, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, and Zulu.

Since the adoption of the 2013 Constitution, Zimbabwe now holds this title with 16 official languages, namely Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Koisan, Nambya, Ndau, Ndebele, Shangani, Shona, Sign Language, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda, and Xhosa. Zimbabwe therefore now holds the Guinness World Record for the country with the largest number of official languages.

Albeit the main languages in Zimbabwe are English, Shona and Ndebele, the minor languages are Chewa, Chibarwe, Kalanga, Koisan, Kunda, Lozi, Manyika, Nambya, Ndau, Nsenga, Tsonga-Shangani, Sotho, Tjwao, Tonga, Tswa, Tswana, Venda, and Xhosa.

WATCH: International Mother Language video

News Archive

Rag queen and Mr Rag crowned this year

2012-02-07

Rino Balsamo and Shivani Dhar

For the first time in the history of our university, there was a Mr Rag standing next to the Rag queen this year.

Kovsies Rag’s Community Service hosted the annual Rag Coronation Ball on Friday 3 February 2012. Shivani Dhar, a medical student, was crowned as Rag Queen.

Shivani takes over the crown from the 2011 Rag Queen Henrika Sabbagha who did an excellent job during her reign.

Rino Balsamo, who is doing a master’s degree in architecture, scooped the coveted title of Mr Rag.

Rino and Shivani will act as ambassadors for Rag and the university this year. They will attend public events and be closely involved in community service.

The Rag finalists collected more than R700 000 which will be used exclusively for charity organisations of their choice.

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