Use SADC languages to promote regional integration - Prof Saleshando

GOTHATAONE MOENG
Staff Writer | Friday March 16, 2012 00:00

 

Saleshando was speaking at the opening of a two-day seminar on regional integration within SADC in Gaborone yesterday. The seminar, which continues today, is being held under the theme 'Languages as Tools of Regional Integration in the SADC Region,' focusing on French, English and Portuguese as the three official languages of the region.

Saleshando said SADC needed to reflect on the use of the more than 570 languages spoken in the region, with emphasis on official, national, cross-border and community levels, in order to promote efficient communication and foster effective regional integration.She said cross-border languages were particularly important for trade by small businesspeople and for education. These languages include Setswana, Chinyanja, Kiswahili and Lingala, which are spoken in several African countries, as well as Mbukushu, Sheyeyi, Subia and Herero which are spoken between Namibia and Botswana.

'The key question is how to use these languages at the various levels and domains to ensure maximum participation of the people and that we continue to play a major role as citizens of the globalised world,' Saleshando said.She observed that a three language formula in which a child began their education in a local language, added a national language and eventually an international language had been seen to produce rounded individuals with high self-esteem, analytical skills and culturally affluence.

Also speaking at the seminar, former president Festus Mogae called on Batswana to learn more international languages in order to understand the cultures of other Africans. Mogae said Africans should identify themselves neither as Anglophone nor Francophone but as Africans. In his view, learning additional international languages such as French and Portuguese would do away with the Anglophone or Francophone labels.

The ambassador of France to Botswana, Genevieve Iancu, said not only is language an important element of cultural identity, it is also an expression of economic and social relations.The seminar was organised by the French Embassy, in collaboration with the University of Botswana.