Kuloba uDkt B.E Mpungose
Ulimi lukwenza ukwazi ukubuka ekujuleni kwengaphakathi lomongo wesizwe, ubuke izinhlelolwazi zaso ezahlukile namasiko. Izilimi zendabuko ngokwemvelo yazo, zinobuhubo nokunkondloza, futhi ngaphezu kwakho konke zidlulisa ingqikithi yomlando wamasiko abantu bazo kalula. Ngakho-ke, ukuphasiswa kwezinqubomgomo ezingakhethi nezinobuliminingi akuqhubeli phambili nje umbono womhlaba wonke wobunye bomphakathi, kodwa futhi kuthinta inhliziyo yesizwe ngalokho kugqugquzele ukwamukelwa kwengcebo yokwahlukahlukana ngokolimi nangamasiko.
Ukukhuphula izingakuhlonipheka lezilimi zendabuko kanye nokulungisa umthelela wengcindezelo wenqubo yokuqonelwa ngabezizwe eyayihlose ukuthunaza ubunjalo nesithunzi se-Afrika, kudinga izinsizasidingo kanye nokuzinikela ngokunamandla ekuthuthukiseni izilimi zendabuko. Yize ngokomlando lezi zilimi zacindezeleka ngaphansi kwemithetho engenabulingiswa yengcindezelo, njengamanje zibhekene nenselelo eyahlukile yokuhambisana nesikhathi esiguquka ngokushesha kwezobuchwepheshe kanye nabo bonke ubungozi namathuba okufika nalokho.
Ukugqugquzelwa komphakathi obuliminingi kwesekwa uMthethosisekelo WaseNingizimu Afrika okusungulwe ngawo iBhodi Lezilimi ZaseNingizimu Afrika (i-PanSALB) (UMthetho onguNo. 59 kowe-1995) nobuye ukhulume ngqo ngenkululeko yokuzwakalisa umbono wakho, eyesiko, imfundo, ukuthola ulwazi, ukulingana nesithunzi somuntu. Kodwa-ke ukugcina imigomongqangi yobuliminingi nokukhuphula izingakuhlonipheka lezilimi zendabuko yiphupho elingeke lafezekiswa yisikhungo esisodwa ngaphandle kokubambisana nezinye.
Kudingeka ababambiqhaza abaningi, okubandakanya nezakhamizi zaseNingizimu Afrika ukufaka izinsizasidingo ekuthuthukisweni kwezilimi zendabuko. Okubuhlungu ukuthi abasebenzisi bolimi abaningi bazithele ngabandayo mayelana nokunganakwa kolimi uma sekuziwa ezilimini zendabuko. Iningi alazi ukuthi izilimi ziyashabalala uma abazikhulumayo bengasazisebenzisi. Ukufa kolimi akusona nje isigameko esisodwa esizimemezelayo, kodwa kunalokho kufana nokuguguleka okwenzeka kancane kancane ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, ngokuvamile okungaqapheleki ezizukulwaneni ngenxa yokunganakwa nokuhluleka ukuhlonipha ingcebo yobumqoka balo.
INingizimu Afrika iyikhaya lezilimi eziningi zendabuko ezisengcupheni yokushabalala, kuyilapho ukuzilwela ukuthi ziqhubeke zibe khona kudinga izinsizasidingo. Inkululeko yezombusazwe izwe eliyithokozelayo kufanele ifinyelele nasenkululekweni yezilimi, idlulele nasezilimini ezicindezelekile.njenge-Khoe, Nama, nezilimi zamaSan kanye noLimi Lwezimpawu LwaseNgingizimu Afrika (SASL). Sibonga ukuthi izinhlelo ziyaqhubeka futhi sezisondele emaphethelweni maqondana nohlelo lokwenza uLimi Lwezimpawu lube ngolusemthethweni, kulandela izethulo ezenziwe eKomidini Lephalamende Lokubukezwa Komthethosiskelo, zokuthi kuchitshiyelwe isigaba sesithupha (6) somthethosisekelo ukuze kufakwe uLimi Lwezimpawu LwaseNingizimu Afrika njengolweshumi nambili kwezisemthethweni. Ukulondolozwa kwezilimi zendabuko ezisengcupheni yokushabalala kufanele kubekwe eqhulwini futhi kufakwe nezinsizasidingo eziningi ezizoqondana nalokhu. UPanSALB ebambisene ne-Briza Publications uthole indlela entsha yokulondoloza olunye lwezilimi ezihlonzwe njengezisengcupheni, ulimi iN/uu okuyimanje lukhulunywa abantu abane nabalukhuluma kahle. Isichazamazwi semisindo nemifanekiso esibizwa ngele- The Talking Dictionary, kuyimanje senziwa yisikhungo ukululondoloza lolu limi, lulondolozelwe izizukulwane.
Yize kufanele njengamanje sigxile ezilimini ezisengcupheni yokushabalala, asikwazi neze ukwenza iphutha lokuthi sikhohlwe emizamweni yethu ukuthi silwele ukuthuthukiswa nokugqugquzelwa kwezinye izilimi zendabuko nazo ezihlala njalo zisengcupheni yokushabalala ngenxa yokuqonelwa isiNgisi. Ukubaluleka nokusimama kwezilimi zendabuko kulele kulabo abazikhulumayo nanjengoba futhi kusemahlombe ka-PanSALB nezinye izinhlaka zikahulumeni, futhi ke okuyiyona ndlela yokuqinisekisa ukusimama kwazo ukuthi singenelele ngobuxhakaxhaka bezobuchwepheshe, sizinikeze indawo yazo kwezobuchwepheshe.
Ukuze izilimi zendabuko zingasimami nje kuphela kodwa futhi zidlondlobale kulesi sikhathi sezobuchwepheshe esiguquguqukayo, izinqubomgomo zethu zolimi kufanele zihambisane nomoya wesikhathi esikuso zibuye futhi zihambisane nesimo ukuqinisekisa impilonde nokuthuthuka kwazo.
Ngakho-ke, uma sibheka esikuzuzile njengesizwe, ngaphezu kwazo zonke izinselelo nezinkinga, mhlawumbe ake sime kancane sizibuze le mibuzo exukuza umqondo elandelayo: Ingabe izilimi zethu zendabuko zikulungele ngokugcwele yini ukusebenza ngaphansi kwesimo senguqukozimboni yezinga lesithathu? Ingabe sesizifake ngempumelelo yini kwezobuchwepheshe ukuze zikwazi ukuhambelana nesimo esiguquguqukayo kwezobuxhakaxhaka bezobuchwepheshe? Khona ke, ingabe sesikulungele yini ukuba nengxoxo mayelana nesimo sokulungela kwezilimi zethu ukungena enguqukwenizimboni yezinga lesine uma kusanenselelo enqala mayelana nokungena kwazo kwezobuchwepheshe?
Ngaphezu kwale nggqalasizinda yonke nemithetho elekelelayo esinayo kuleli lizwe, sisasilele ngemuva, futhi empeleni asiliboni elidlalayo, uma siziqhathanisa namanye amazwe kuleli zwekazi lase-Afrika uma sekuziwa ekuthuthukisweni kwezilimi zethu. Uhulumeni uhlinzeka ngengqalasizinda nemithetho elekelelayo eshaywa ePhalamende abuye adale namathuba, kodwa nakuba kunjalo, sisekude nokufezekisa iphupho lokuba nomphakathi onobuliminingi ngokweqiniso.
Kufanele sizethwese umthwalo wokuninga ngokuthi buyini ubunye ekwahlukaneni, nokuyinto lowo owayenguMengameli wezwe akhuluma ngayo ngowe-1999 lapho simcaphuna ethi: “Angeke sivumele ukuthi ukwehlukana kwethu ngokobuhlanga, umbala namasiko kube yisona sizathu sokuthi singaphathani njengabantu baseNingizimu Afrika abanothando lwezwe elilodwa kanye nekusasa elilodwa. Angeke futhi sivumele ukuthi noma yiluphi ezilimini zethu, emasikweni ethu nasezinkolweni zethu kwehliswe isithunzi kubukelwe phansi noma kuqonelwe ngokunye.”
UDkt B.E Mpungose uyisikhulu esiphezulu e-PanSALB