🇿🇦S-Africa To Make Sign Language an Official Language

South Africa could soon give sign language official status, one of a few countries in Africa to do so.

This is after a recommendation from the parliamentary constitutional review committee to alter the constitution. The country's deaf community, which has lobbied for the change, says official recognition would help "give them a voice".

Sign language would become South Africa's 12th official language. But it must still go through a parliamentary process before the change can be made.

In arguing for the change, the Pan South African Language Board (Pan SALB) said that communicating in sign language was a "fundamental human right".

"By declaring it an official language... [it will] to ensure that this language is taught in schools and government departments at some stage need to ensure that they bring people with the necessary skills to communicate with these communities," PanSALB's Sibusiso Nkosi is quoted as saying in local media.

UCJ, UNILORIN.