Supported by AfriForum, the Vulamehlo Kusile Organisation (VUKO) launched a petition campaign for the fair treatment of isiNdebele by the SABC in a quest for the equal treatment of all South African languages.
“As tax and TV license payers, we refuse to be treated like second-rate citizens in our country of birth. The SABC is violating Section 10 of the Bill of Rights by denying amaNdebele their inherent dignity and the right to have their dignity respected and protected,” says Elias Mahlangu, Deputy Secretary of VUKO.
“Communities must take the responsibility to realise their civil rights – these rights will not be realised without effort. To preserve and develop our languages, communities must organise themselves and work so that they can be self-sufficient and able to create the future that they want for their children,” says Barend Uys, Head of Intercultural Cooperation at AfriForum.
“We call on all amaNdebele to come together and sign the petition to demand that all isiNdebele speakers are treated with dignity and on equal footing with the speakers of the other official languages,” concludes Mahlangu.
The petition is available in isiNdebele and in English.