Who and what is AfriForum?

AfriForum is an Afrikaans civil rights organisation that protects the rights of minority groups at national as well as provincial level, and anyone who can identify with AfriForum’s principles and objectives may join the organisation. AfriForum’s community plan focuses on mobilising communities to thus take control of their own streets and neighbourhoods again. AfriForum ensures that your constitutional and civil rights are recognised and protected at national level.

Wie en wat is AfriForum?

AfriForum is ’n Afrikaanse burgerregteorganisasie wat die regte van minderheidsgroepe op sowel nasionale as provinsiale vlak beskerm, en enigiemand wat met AfriForum se beginsels en doelstellings kan identifiseer, mag by die organisasie aansluit. AfriForum se gemeenskapsplan fokus daarop om gemeenskappe te mobiliseer om só weer beheer terug te neem oor hul eie strate en woonbuurtes. AfriForum verseker dat jou grondwetlike én burgerregte op nasionale vlak erken en beskerm word.

Language Media statements | Media statements

Western Cape police English only ‒ “service” now only found in the name SAPS

ByAfriForum 13/03/202313/03/2023

The civil rights organisation AfriForum condemns the instruction of the Western Cape police chief, Lieut.-Gen. Thembisile Patekile, that all future A1 statements and official documentation of the SAPS in this province have to be in English only. This order has become known in the media over the weekend.

According to Alana Bailey, Head of Cultural Affairs at AfriForum, this is not the first time that a provincial police chief has decided in favour of monolingualism. “In the past, a similar instruction had been given in Limpopo and AfriForum lodged complaints against it with, among others, the South African Human Rights Commission. The order was subsequently reversed. Apparently there had also been legal action in the Northern Cape against an instruction of this nature. Sadly the events repeat themselves and by the time a decision has been overturned, a great deal of injustice may already have taken place as a result of victims’ and police officials’ inability to use English fluently.”

Bailey pointed out that the vast majority of Western Cape residents and police members are not mother-language speakers of English. Language mistakes made in a statement can result in victims losing a court case because their version in court differs from that in the original statement.

Precisely because South Africa is a multilingual country, the Use of Official Languages Act (Act 12 of 2012) provides for the use of at least three languages at national level and respectively the three most used languages per province. This legislation is ignored by the commissioner with his instruction that the police’s “official language” (singular) must be used.

“This reversal to English monolingualism makes it clear that the South African Police Service is not interested in serving the community it is supposed to attend to. The most defenceless people are affected by this decision, such as minors and less literate victims. It also contravenes the provisions of the official Service Charter for Victims of Crime. The monolingual policy will be opposed. AfriForum encourages all members of the Western Cape public who experience problems in this regard to send information about their experiences to afriforum@afriforum.co.za.”