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Botswana's language battle heads to courts tribe – the second largest in the country, constituting 16 percent of the population of two million. While some Bakalanga continue to advocate for a political solution, many are now supporting the legal route. The concern is that, if children speak Ikalanga only at home, it will disappear. 'My children speak Setswana even at home, despite the fact that we, their parents, are Bakalanga. It is the influence they get from school. Their friends speak Setswana as well. At this rate, Ikalanga will die,' says Mpho Mari. Professor Lydia Nyati-Ramahobo Saleshando, who is leading the fight for Bayei language recognition, argues that the decision to seek recourse in court is a step in the right direction. 'It has been done around the world – it is a peaceful way of indicating that something needs to be done,' she says. 'Such cases raise awareness and bring the matter to the national conscience for action.' The government has blamed resource constraints for the deadlock, but the Minister of Culture, Shaw Kgathi, went further: 'Sebirwa is my language but in this era of globalisation I would not support that it should be taught to primary school going children… This can be very destructive. We are [talking about] reintroducing Bantu education approach.' Kgathi argues that the proposal is regressive and would negatively affect poor children in rural areas, who need to learn Setswana. 'Intellectual capacity is not limited to medium of instruction. The richest people in this country were not taught in their mother tongue,' he says. The issue, it seems, will now be resolved by the courts. Batisani Chenget 6 The Linguist FEBRUARY/MARCH www.iol.org.uk NEWS & EDITORIAL The Botswana government is facing a lengthy court battle with a minority tribe seeking to reintroduce the Ikalanga language in schools. Spearheaded by the Domboshaba Cultural Group, the move follows parliament's rejection of a motion by Opposition MP Dumelang Saleshando to allow space for native languages in the education system. Currently only the official native language, Setswana, is permitted. The language question remains a challenge for Botswana, which is otherwise heralded as a shining example of democracy on the African continent. Constitutional reform was forced in 2008, when minority tribes successfully Language stories from around the world argued that some sections discriminated against non-Setswana-speaking groups. Although several native languages are spoken across Botswana, children have been taught only in Setswana and English since the education reform of 1972. The policy is at odds with those in neighbouring South Africa and Zimbabwe, and minority tribes have consistently called for a reform to enable instruction in local languages. Ikalanga is predominantly spoken in the North East of the country by the Bakalanga DEADLOCK Government offices in Gaborone Norway has announced that it is making digital versions of all its books available to its citizens for free. The project, which is due for completion by 2036, will digitise every book in the national library, which – as a 'legal deposit library' – holds a copy of all books published in the country. Anyone with a Norwegian IP address will then be able to download hundreds of thousands of works, 'dating from the Middle Ages up to the current day', free of charge. Norway makes all books digital China has forbidden TV and radio presenters from using dialects, internet slang and foreign languages. Programmes that do not follow the new rules will be banned, according to the country's media regulator. The move, which targets Han languages such as Cantonese and Shanghainese, comes as Government figures show that 30 percent of the population cannot speak Mandarin, despite major efforts to promote the language at home and abroad. China: just 60% speak Mandarin For the first time, Pope Francis has approved the use of Mayan languages for church services in Southern Mexico. The diocese of San Cristóbal de las Casas, where 60 percent of the congregation is indigenous, has led a seven-year campaign for Rome to recognise Tzotzil and Tzeltal, which have been used unofficially for years. The majority of people in the region speaks little or no Spanish. The decision is part of a wider move to align the Vatican more closely with ordinary Catholics. Pope approves use of Mayan © I S TOCKPHOTO