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Statement: Promotion of UFS official languages

18 June 2025 | Story Lacea Loader

The University of the Free State (UFS) is committed to multilingualism to promote access, inclusivity, academic success, and a sense of belonging through its five working languages.

The University of the Free State (UFS) is committed to the promotion of multilingualism for equitable access to knowledge and academic success for all its students, scholarship of research, inclusivity and social cohesion, and for a strong sense of belonging through the use of five working languages, i.e. Sesotho, South African Sign Language, isiZulu, Afrikaans, and English in various contexts of its operation.

According to the UFS Language Policy (2023), English is the language of instruction at the university, except in language-specific disciplines, modules, and programmes (such as Afrikaans, Arabic, Dutch, German, French, IsiZulu, Sesotho, and South African Sign Language) at undergraduate and postgraduate level on all three UFS campuses. Lectures, study materials, examinations, and related materials are in English, except in disciplines where languages other than English are explicitly taught as subjects of study or used for teaching and assessment purposes.

Contrary to what has recently been reported in the media, Afrikaans is and will remain a language of the UFS and the promotion of Afrikaans is equally important as that of Sesotho, South African Sign Language, isiZulu, and English.

In recent years, priority has been given to the development and intellectualisation of Sesotho and South African Sign Language. However, the promotion of Afrikaans and IsiZulu as UFS languages remains important to ensure that speakers enjoy the right to receive academic support in the languages they best understand and prefer.

Through its Academy for Multilingualism, various projects and initiatives are underway in support of the university’s approach to multilingualism and to guarantee that all UFS languages are promoted and treated with equal importance. This includes, for instance, the provision of Afrikaans terminology lists for various disciplines to match the Sesotho terminology lists developed by the UFS, and isiZulu terminology lists (adapted from the University of KwaZulu-Natal through a Memorandum of Understanding). The UFS is, for instance, already championing the development of terminology for Psychology in South African Sign Language.

VERKLARING: BEVORDERING VAN AMPTELIKE TALE AAN DIE UV

Die Universiteit van die Vrystaat (UV) is verbind tot die bevordering van veeltaligheid vir billike toegang tot kennis en akademiese sukses vir al sy studente, vakkundigheid van navorsing, inklusiwiteit en sosiale kohesie, en vir ’n sterk gevoel van samehorigheid deur die gebruik van vyf werkstale, dit wil sê Suid-Sotho, Suid-Afrikaanse Gebaretaal, Zoeloe, Afrikaans en Engels in verskillende kontekste van sy werksaamhede.

Volgens die UV-Taalbeleid (2023) is Engels die onderrigtaal aan die universiteit, behalwe in taalspesifieke dissiplines, modules en programme (soos Afrikaans, Arabies, Nederlands, Duits, Frans, Zoeloe, Suid-Sotho en Suid-Afrikaanse Gebaretaal) op voor- en nagraadse vlak op al drie UV-kampusse. Lesings, studiemateriaal, eksamens en verwante materiaal is in Engels, behalwe in dissiplines waar ander tale as Engels uitdruklik as studievakke onderrig word of vir onderrig- en assesseringsdoeleindes gebruik word.

Anders as wat onlangs in die media berig is, is en sal Afrikaans ’n taal van die UV bly en is die bevordering van Afrikaans ewe belangrik as dié van Suid-Sotho, Suid-Afrikaanse Gebaretaal, Zoeloe en Engels.

In onlangse jare is prioriteit gegee aan die ontwikkeling en intellektualisering van Suid-Sotho en Suid-Afrikaanse Gebaretaal. Die bevordering van Afrikaans en Zoeloe as UV-tale bly egter belangrik om te verseker dat sprekers die reg geniet om akademiese ondersteuning te ontvang in die tale wat hulle die beste verstaan en verkies.

Deur middel van sy Akademie vir Meertaligheid is verskeie projekte en inisiatiewe aan die gang ter ondersteuning van die universiteit se benadering tot veeltaligheid en om te verseker dat alle UV-tale bevorder word en met gelyke belangrikheid hanteer word. Dit sluit byvoorbeeld in die verskaffing van Afrikaanse terminologielyste vir verskeie dissiplines om te pas by die Suid-Sotho-terminologielyste wat deur die UV ontwikkel is, asook die Zoeloe-terminologielyste (aangepas vanaf die Universiteit van KwaZulu-Natal deur middel van ’n Memorandum van Verstandhouding). Die UV beywer hom byvoorbeeld reeds vir die ontwikkeling van Sielkunde-terminologie in Suid-Afrikaanse Gebaretaal.

SETATEMENTE: PHAHAMISO YA DIPUO TSA SEMMUSO TSA YUNIVESITHI YA FREISTATA

Yunivesithi ya Freistata, e ikemiseditse ho phahamisa botemengata mabapi le ho fumana tsebo ka mokgwa o lekanang ekasita le ho bona katleho ya baithuti bohle ditabeng tsa thuto, boithutong ba diphuputso, kananelo ya batho bohle le ditabeng tsa phedisano, ho kgothaletsa maikutlo a kutlwano ka tshebediso ya dipuo tse hlano tse sebediswang maemong a fapaneng mona yunivesithing, e leng Sesotho, Puo ya Matsoho ya Afrika Borwa, isiZulu, Afrikaans, le English.

Ho ya ka Leano la Puo la Yunivesithi ya Freistata (2023), English ke puo ya thuto mona yunivesithing, ka ntle le moo thuto e leng ya puo eitseng, moo mojolu e leng wa puo eitseng, le moo lenaneho la thuto e leng la puo eitseng (jwalo ka puo ya Afrikaans, Arabic, Dutch, German, French, isiZulu, Sesotho le Puo ya Matsoho ya Afrika Borwa), haholo boemong ba dithuto tse tlase le boemong ba dithuto tse hodimo, dikhemphaseng tse tharo tsa Yunivesithi ya Freistata. Dithuto, dingodilweng tsa thuto, dihlahlobo le tse ding, di ngotswe ka puo ya English, ka ntle le dithuto tsa dipuo tseo e seng tsa English, tsona di rutwa le hlahlojwa ka dipuo tsa tsona.

Ho fapana le se tlalehilweng masedinyaneng, puo ya Afrikaans ke puo mme e tla dula e le teng Yunivesithing ya Freistata, phahamiso ya Afrikaans e bohlokwa jwalo ka dipuo tse kang puo ya Sesotho, Puo ya Matsoho ya Afrika Borwa, puo ya isiZulu le puo ya English.

Dilemong tsa moraorao tjena, puo ya Sesotho le puo ya Matsoho ya Afrika Borwa, di behelletswe ka sehloohong mabapi le ho ntshetswa pele ekasitana le ho ntlafatswa hore di sebediswe boithutong ba diphuputso le mahlale. Le ha ho le jwalo, phahamiso ya puo ya Afrikaans le puo ya isiZulu jwalo ka dipuo tsa Yunivesithi ya Freistata, e tla dula e le ntho ya bohlokwa ho etsa bonnete ba hore beng ba dipuo tsena, ba na le tokelo ya ho fumana tshehetso ya thuto ka dipuo tseo ba di utlwisisang le ho di rata.

Ka tshebediso ya Akhademi ya Botemengata, diprojeke le meralo ya ntshetsopele di motjheng ho tshehetsa mokgwa wa Botemengata yunivesithing ekasitana le ho nnetefatsa hore dipuo tsohle di a phahamiswa mme di tshwarwa ka tsela e lekanang. Mohlala, taba ena e kenya diprojeke tse kang ntshetsopele ya mareho a puo ya Afrikaans bakeng sa dithuto tse fapaneng ho latela tshwano e teng marehong a puo ya Sesotho a entsweng ke Yunivesithi ena ya Freistata, hape le ho latela tshwano e teng marehong a puo ya isiZulu (a nkilweng Yunivesithing ya KwaZulu -Natala ho ya ka Memorandamo ya Kutlwuno). Yunivesithi ya Freistata, ha re etsa mohlala, e se e ntse e tswela pele ho etsa mareho a thuto ya Saekholoji ka puong ya Matsoho ya Afrika Borwa.

ISITATIMENDE-MBIKO: UKUQHAKANJISWA KWEZILIMI EZIGUNYAZIWE ZE-UFS

INyuvesi yase-Free State (UFS) izibophezele ekuqhakambiseni ubuliminingi ngenhloso yokunikezela ngolwazi ngendlela elinganayo nokuphumelelisa abafundi bayo bonke, ukuphumelelisa ezocwaningo, ukuqhakambisa umoya wozwano nokuhlanganyela, kanye nomuzwa onamandla wokuthi umuntu-nomuntu azizwe eyilunga eliqavile ngokusebenzisa izilimi ezigunyaziwe okuyisiSuthu, Ulimi lweZandla lwaseNingizimu Afrikha, isiZulu, isiBhunu, kanye nesiNgisi eminxeni yayo ehlukahlukene yezinhlelo zayo.

NgokweNqubomgomo yoLimi ye-UFS eyethulwa ngowezi-2023, isiNgisi yilona limi lezinhlelo zonke zenyuvesi, ngaphandle kwemikhakha, kwezifundo kanye nezinhlelo ezivele ezisebenza ngezinye izilimi (njengesiBhunu, isi-Arabhu, isiDashi, isiJalimane, isiFrentshi, isiZulu, isiSuthu kanye noLimi lweZandla lwaseNingizimu Afrikha) emabangeni aphansi (undergraduate) naphezulu (postgraduate) kuwo wonke amakhempasi ayo. Izethulo, izinsiza-kufunda/-kufundisa, izivinyo zokuphothula izifundo kanye nolunye ulwazi oluhlobene nakho kungolimi lwesiNgisi, ngaphandle kwemikhakha lapho khona kusebenza ngqo olunye ulimi njengesifundo noma njengolimi lokufundisa nokwenza imisebenzi yezifundo.

Ekubhekeni okuphambene okusanda kubhalwa izintatheli, isiBhunu siwulimi futhi sisazoqhubeka sibe ulimi lwe-UFS, kanti futhi ukuqhakanjiswa kwaso kubaluleke ngendlela efanayo nalokho kwesiSuthu, Ulimi lweZandla lwaseNingizimu Afrikha, isiZulu kanye nesiNgisi.

Eminyakeni edlule injolozela ibihlonywe kakhulu ekuthuthukiseni nasekuvanyisweni kwesiSuthu kanye noLimi lweZandla lwaseNingizimu Afrikha. Noma kunjalo, ukuqhakanjiswa kwesiBhunu nesiZulu njengezilimi ze-UFS kusabalulekile ngesizathu sokuqinisekisa ukuthi abanikazi bazo lezi zilimi bayalithakasela ilungelo lokuthola ukusizakala ngokwemfundo ephakeme ngezilimi abazizwa kangcono futhi abazincamelayo.

Ngokusebenzisa ihhovisi lesikhungo sobuliminingi sayo i-Academy for Multilingualism, izinhlelo ezahlukahlukene nemizamo ehlabahlosile sekuvele kusemgangathweni ngenhloso yokwelekelela umhlahlandlela wenyuvesi wobuliminingi kanye nokuqinisekisa ukuthi zonke izilimi ze-UFS ziyaqhakanjiswa futhi ziphathwa ngokubaluleka okulinganayo. Isibonelo, lokhu kubandakanya ukunikezelwa kohlu lwamatemu esiBhunu oluchuma imikhakha enhlobonhlobo ngenhloso yokuhambisana nohlu lwamatemu esiSuthu aqanjwe i-UFS, kanye nohlu lwamatemu esiZulu (athathwe eNyuvesi yaKwaZulu Natali ngendlela yesivumelwano esisayinwe izinhlaka zombili). Isibonelo, i-UFS isivele isiqalile iphethe uhlelo lokuthuthukiswa kohlu lwamatemu ezifundo eziphathelene nomqondo, phecelezi iPsychology isebenzisa Ulimi lweZandla lwaseNingizimu Afrikha.

Issued by:

Lacea Loader

Senior Director: Communication and Marketing

University of the Free State

loaderl@ufs.ac.za

News Archive

SRC Inauguration speech: 22 January 2005

2005-01-22

Campus Head (Prof Peter Mbati). Dean of Students (Dr Natie Luyt). Deputy Director: Student Affairs and my boss (Mr. Teboho Manchu), Members of the University executive and Academic staff members, SRC members, Leaders of trade Unions and Student organizations, Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen, most importantly first entering students and Parents receive my heartfelt revolutionary greetings.

Let me extend my word of appreciation to our distinguished guests for adding value and dignity to this event. Your presence here means a lot to us. Program Director what I bring here with me, assisted by facts, and is therefore just the work of my imagination. Like a love letter addressed to a sweetheart miles away, even though you do not know how she feels, what she wants to hear, and do not even know how her face looks like.

To me a speech is just an honest and intimate conversation. That is why I got into the habit of establishing a dialogue, or a debate, with my acquaintances looking at their faces and trying to persuade them of what I am telling them.

Mr. Speaker and Madam Deputy Speaker of the Student Parliament we are gathering at this ceremony, significantly few weeks after the release of grade 12 results, with the exception of those from Mpumalanga because of fraud. The Grade 12 results also show that only 18% of Black learners matriculated with exemptions, as compared to 53, 6% of white learners. This is an indication that our education system needs an overhaul.

We are also gathered here significantly a day after the management retreat held in Bloemfontein, Masselspoort. The retreat discussed, among other things, the transformation agenda, and some possible solutions to challenges we are facing now.

Most regrettably, we are gathered here when the whole world morns the victims of Tsunami tragedy. Let me therefore tore the line and convey our deepest condolences, from the last robot of my heart, to the affected families. Our hearts and thoughts will always be occupied by this horrified tragedy.

Creating a new Institution

I would submit, for purposes of debate and discussions that this Institution should strive to specialize and excel in regional rural development studies. Since our higher education, institutions in South Africa are generally weak in rural development studies. Instead, most of them tend to have an urban orientation to their programmes. Training everybody for the cities, big business and the private sector. This is a big weakness in a country with such large rural areas and population trapped in poverty, disease and ignorance.

Women’s studies

Program Director, it is only a moron who can argue against the fact that for us to reposition the institution around the regional development challenge, we need to start first with women empowerment. It is a fact that in most of our poor communities and families, it is women who withstand the worst of poverty. They are the ones who daily have to wipe tears from children who are hungry. It is women who look after the sick, the elderly, those dying from AIDS and the jobless. They are the one who have to fetch water, make fire and cook. There can therefore be no rural development studies without women studies, in particular on how to empower them and assist in the provision of basic services, so that they are relieved from some of the burdensome task of the society.

Registration Process

Mr. Speaker and Madam Deputy Speaker of the Student Parliament let me indicate that the registration is a process and not an event, so it cannot be concluded overnight. This huge process demands for people to stay calm, as there is no crisis. People should stop being excited. At the same time, no organization should use its cheap popularity and unilaterally disrupt the continuous and smooth running of the registration process at hand.

Let me strongly indicate, madam deputy speaker, that I am on record for stating that I have forgiven all those who have wronged us. I harbour no bitterness towards the protagonists of our painful and unfortunate events of the past week. And we will overcome this process not by our own devices but by the help of Almighty God and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Concerning registration of first years, we have programs, concerning that of senior students, we have programs, regarding graduations we have programs, and concerning HIV\AIDS we have programs. So, there is no need for people to press panicking buttons.

Mr. Speaker and Madam Deputy Speaker of the Student Parliament let me be opportunistic and welcome the entire student body on Campus for the academic year 2005. May our lovely first entering students have a happy and momentous year as part of Qwaqwa Campus of University of the Free State. May your studies be fruitful and enjoyable.

Student years are generally the happiest years of your life, so please make the most of them. While you are doing, all your preparations bear in mind that University is not an opportunity, it is just creating opportunities for a person.

On behalf of SRC members, our people, our students and management members I would like to welcome you all. Even though your parents are far away, here at Uniqwa you have more brothers, more sisters and more parents. Since we will love you with the same love as if we are from one family, and I have no doubts that management members will love and care for you as if you are their own children. Should you encounter any problem while studying at the Qwaqwa Campus of University of the Free State do not hesitate to contact us at the SRC offices because we need to ameliorate any factor influencing you negatively while on campus. I wish you well in the attainment of your academic pursuit.

Senior Students: We are not faced with just a new year but another academic year where we all have to work together to achieve our common goal of building our Institution through the development of human power. I urge you to invest your whole selves in this SRC.

For quite some time now, a debate has been ranging as to, whether has there been any progress in this incorporation process, or we are just moving with no direction. This debate is important, but I hasten to add not essential. The SRC is also involved in this debate, but with definite shift in emphasis. For us it is not important to participate in the debate than it is in finding solutions for the challenges of this new chapter in the history of humankind.

To my colleagues: Comrades, we are leading this Institution with a sense of pride and duty, and I know very well that we lead men and women, students who are determined to ensure that we all reach our destination safely and on time.

I said in one of our meetings that there are more enemies on our way, more than we can imagine. I think you witnessed that during the course of this week. The excitement and unnecessary confusions caused by some confused and loosed charlatans bear testimony to my statements. We should not reveal our game plans unless we are ready to slam.

Let me also borrow from the words of the late Albert Lethuli when he said and I quote: “There remains before us the building of the new land, from the ruins of the old narrow groups, a synthesis of the rich cultural strains which we have inherited. The task is immense”. Lastly, a navy divided within its ranks will be vanquished and destroyed by the enemy, but a navy united in purpose and action, loyalty and commitment will not drawn but sail on to victory.

In conclusion, let me call upon all political structures, church denominations, developmental structures, clubs, societies and forums to put aside all their differences, ideological insinuations and forge unity towards transforming Qwaqwa Campus of University of the Free State into an institution that is seen playing vigilant role in developing students academically, politically, socially, spiritually, religiously, culturally and otherwise.

Program Director, let me end my speech by indicating that every drop of my blood is telling me that Uniqwa is my home. I firstly became a student here, I became an activist here, I became a leader here, I became a president here, I will become a graduant here and hopefully I will become an employee here. So never, doubt my commitment towards the community of this campus.

Please be informed, in a central University of Technology’s way, that if there is no UNIQWA in HEAVEN, then I am not GOING.

Let us broaden the social base.

Tello Titus Wa-Motloung President General

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