21 February: International Mother Language Day
On Sunday, 21 February 2016, we celebrated the 15th anniversary of International Mother Language
Day, which was proclaimed by UNESCO in 1999 and has been observed every year since 2000.
Language is considered one of the most powerful instruments to preserve and develop heritage and
the aim of this special day is to preserve and protect all languages used by people around the world.
Encouraging people to speak in their mother tongue stimulates language diversity and multinational
education, helps to develop better awareness of cultural traditions and inspires unity through better
understanding and dialogue.
The date represents the day in 1952 when students demonstrating for recognition of the Bengali
language of the then Dominion of Pakistan, were shot and killed by police in Dhaka, the capital of
what is now Bangladesh. After years of conflict, the central government relented and granted official
status to the Bengali language in 1956 in tribute to the Language movement and the ethno-linguistic
rights of people around the world. The Shaheed Minar monument was constructed near Dhaka
Medical College in memory of the movement and its victims.
South Africa has 11 official languages: Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho sa
Leboa, Sesotho, Setswana, Siswati, Tshivenda and Xitsonga. USB Executive Development (USB-ED)
has a presence in three South African provinces: Western Cape (Cape Town), Gauteng
(Johannesburg) and KwaZulu-Natal (Durban).
USB-ED Programmes (offered in English) are presented in several Africa countries that each have
multiple languages:
Botswana:
Official language: English
Setswana is spoken by around
90% of the population
Other languages: Kalanga,
Sarwa, Ndebele, Afrikaans
Ethiopia:
Official language: Amharic
Main languages: Oromo,
Amharic
Other: Somali, Tigrinya, Sidamo,
Wolaytta (82 others)
Kenya:
Official languages: English and
Swahili
Regional languages: Kalenjin,
Kamba, Kikuyu, Kisii, Luo, Meru
Other: 61
Lesotho:
Official languages: Sotho and
English
Minority languages: Zulu, Phuthi,
Zhosa
Immigrant language: Afrikaans
Mauritius:
Main languages: English,
French, Mauritian Creole,
Bhojpuri
Other: 11
Mozambique:
Official language: Portuguese
Mostly spoken: Emakhuwa
Other: 42
Namibia:
Official language: English
Main languages include:
Oshiwambo, Nama/Damara,
Afrikaans and 5+ others
Nigeria:
Official language: English
Other languages: Edo, Tiv, Fulani,
Idoma, Ijaw, Kanuri
Swaziland:
Official languages: Swazi and
English
Minority languages: Zulu,
Tsonga, Afrikaans
Other: 3
Tanzania:
Official languages: English,
Swahili
Regional languages: Chaga,
Makonde, Datooga
Other (121)
United Arab
Emirates:
Official language: Arabic
Zimbabwe:
Official languages: Chewa,
Chibarwe, English, Kalanga and
12 others
Zambia:
Official language: English
Other official languages: 71