STRUCTURE OF PRESENTATION

1. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE LRDCsPRESENTATION BY DR N MGIJIMABRIEFING THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE7 JUNE 2005

2. STRUCTURE OF PRESENTATION • Introduction • Language Research and Development Centres (Broad Concept) • Hosting institutions and challenges • Mandate/ specific objectives • Scope of operations • Staffing, Management Structures and reporting • The role of the PLUs and other role-players • Envisaged spin-offs • Future plans • Conclusion

3. Introduction • Establishment of LRDCs is the brainchild of the former Minister of Arts and Culture, Dr Ben Ngubane (dates back to 1997) • The initiative was proposed with a view to giving impetus to the implementation of the NLPF • Also regarded as a means to give effect to the constitutional requirement that the State must take practical measures to `elevate the status and advance the usage’ of the previously marginalized official languages • Following extensive consultations with provinces and the hosting institutions, the LRDCs were officially launched in Durban on 30 March 2004 along with two other significant DAC language initiatives, via the bursary scheme for post-graduate language studies and the HLT Unit.

4. Language Research and Development Centres (the broad concept) • LRDCs envisaged to form the backbone of the institutional infrastructure required for successful implementation of the NLPF, especially at the provincial level. • A total of nine LRDCs (one per language) have been established • LRDCs aim to ensure proper synergy and coordination of all activities that are meant to support and contribute to the implementation of the policy of multilingualism across the country. • It is envisaged that all key-role players will accept joint responsibility for overseeing the implementation of a multifaceted research and development programme that will seek to achieve a high degree of multilingualism. • Confident that LRDCs will benefit tremendously from the capacity and expertise that already exist in the individual institutions of higher learning (hosting institutions). • To be located within the provinces so as to be closer to the custodians of the indigenous languages • To be instituted as a three-year pilot project (2004 – 2006)

5. Hosting institutions and challenges • To be hosted by institutions that are collaborating with DAC in terminology development projects, and those are: • UNIN: Sepedi • UFS: Sesotho • UNW: Setswana) • TUT (Nelspruit campus): siSwati (serious challenges) • Ndebele College of Education: isiNdebele (serious challenges) • UNIVEN: Tshivenda • Tivumbeni Multipurpose Centre of Education: Xitsonga • UPE: IsiXhosa • UNIZUL: IsiZulu • DAC enters into a Memorandum of Agreement (contract) (valid for a period of three years) with each hosting institution • MOAs will go along with annexures such as the Terms of Reference • Institutions have demonstrated unequivocal willingness and determination to make this initiative a success

6. Hosting institutions and challenges continued • Most institutions are ready but the extent of readiness (infrastructure and human capacity) varies from one institution to another • Isolated cases: TUT for siSwati; Ndebele College of Education for isiNdebele; Tivumbeni Multipurpose Centre of Education for Xitsonga • TUT does not offer siSwati degree programmes and as such has a serious lack of support structure and academic capacity • Ndebele College of Education: lacks human capacity and autonomous status (it is neither an autonomous institution nor a satellite campus of UP). It is a government institution – falls under DoE. • Several meetings to resolve Mpumalanga problem (SiSwati and isiNdebele) have been held. Meetings comprised broad forum/meeting (national and provincial level) comprising all stakeholders or representatives thereof, the provincial MECs and HODs for the departments of Arts and Culture and Education, and senior managers from DAC. • Tivumbeni Multipurpose Centre – to share responsibilities and resources with UNIN. UNIN will handle the administration of Xitsonga LRDC, but the physical facility will be based at Tivumbeni

7. Hosting institutions and challenges continued • DAC has seconded an official from NLS to assist in the establishment of both the Siswati and isiNdebele LRDCs

8. Mandate/specific objectives The objectives are, among others, to: • Develop the official indigenous languages to ensure their public usage in such fields as law, commerce, science, politics, etc. • Encourage and support language research that is responsive to the needs of language users and decision-makers • Streamline activities and enhance coordination across all units and committees involved in language development work at provincial level to avoid duplication of effort and wastage of resources • Facilitate initiatives that promote creative writing in African languages • Advise on programmes that will attract more students to study African languages at tertiary level

9. Scope of operations/sub-units • Language enhancement with special reference to the provision of academic training of language practitioners in a variety of domains such as terminology development, translation and editing, interpreting and human language technologies • Support of language-related research: This will include research projects that are related to the needs of the public and private sector and the setting up of research databases. • Promotion of reading and writing in African languages: This will be achieved through establishing collaboration with writers’ associations or idividual authors; encouraging journalistic careers through language awareness campaigns; involving media in planning and organising competitions; encouraging print media to publish some newspapers /sections of newspapers in more than one official language; etc. • Heritage and museums: Focus will be on documenting stories, folktales, legends, idioms, etc. and contribution of oral heritage to history. • Community Outreach: LRDCs will initiate outreach programmes in literacy training; offer basic language courses to non-speakers of african languages and promote the study of african languages in tertiary institutions

10. Staffing, Management structure(s) and reporting • Core staff – comprise - Centre Manager - Secretary - Coordinators for each sub-unit - Researcher for each sub-unit • Centre Management Committee – consisting of: • Centre Manager • Academic Registrar • Head of Department or School of African Languages • Chief Financial Officer (of the institution) • Senate/Council member • One Senior Lecturer/and /or one Professor the Department/School of Language/Faculty of Arts/Humanities • Head of the Provincial Language Unit • A representative from a structure of PanSALB The Centre Management Committee will be accountable to the National Advisory Committee – to be formally established within a year. A formal and transparent process of nomination and appointment will be followed. In the meantime DAC and the CMC will manage all matters relating to LRDCs. • Centres will submit quarterly and annual reports to DAC • Annual reports will include audited statements

11. Role of PLUs and and other role-players • LRDCs will ensure collaboration with PanSALB structures such as PLCs, NLUs and NLBs and Hansards • The Head of the PLU will ensure that the provincial MECs are fully apprised of the operations of the Centre and that provincial interests feature well in the activities of the LRDCs • PLUs will assist LRDCs in networking with language stakeholders at provincial and local level, advise in areas of priority in language research and development, and monitor progress at the centres. • Centre Managers and/or PLU representatives will report periodically to the National Language Forum (this body advises the Technical Committee and MINMEC on all language policy and implementation matters)

12. Positive spin-offs • Creation of jobs and thereby alleviating unemployment and poverty • Deep-rooted negative attitudes towards indigenous African languages will change • Promotion of functional multilingualism and enhancement of international relations and cooperation

13. Future plans • In the long run LRDCs will be expected to expand their activities and projects to rural areas by developing subcentres • Depending on the success rate of projects and fund-raising, LRDCs stand the opportunity to exist permanently • To achieve the above goal, LRDCs are encouraged to be self-supportive

14. Conclusion • Non-hosting institutions are encouraged to forge linkages and areas of cooperation with hosting institutions • LRDCs are envisaged to be a great source of empowerment • Public and private sectors are encouraged to promote the objectives of LRDCs • All academic institutions are urged to render academic support and expertise to LRDCs