PHUTI MOSOMANE
THE National Assembly of South Africa has unanimously approved the amendment to section 6 of the Constitution, making sign language the 12th official language in the country.
During the plenary session on Tuesday, the National Assembly (NA) approved the Report of the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development on the Constitution Eighteenth Amendment Bill [B1 – 2023], which aims to amend section 6 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996.
The amendment includes South African Sign Language (SASL) as an official language to promote the rights of people who are deaf and hard of hearing.
Previously, the South African Constitution recognized 11 official languages, namely Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, and isiZulu.
With the addition of SASL as an official language, South Africa is now better equipped to support and include people with hearing impa
People with hearing disabilities
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