The Disappearance of South African Indigenous Languages A Look at the South African Legal System and Workplace Model

Abstract

In an era of quick clicks and fast-paced artificial intelligence, it is easy to forget that before technology there were humans who shared stories and information through indigenous languages. Languages connect people but can constitute a barrier to society’s understanding of one another. Nevertheless, languages are essential for communication. Salawu mentions that “[l]anguage is not only a necessary condition for culture, it is itself a culture”. Society has moved towards a culture of globalisation to keep up with international comparative standards, but we must remain mindful of our origins. In essence, the suit and tie or work uniform should not be used to reject indigenous languages from the workplace. They should rather be embraced. This article considers the use of indigenous languages in the South African legal system and workplace model compared to Nigeria, with modest reference to the literature and education systems.