USE OF OFFICIAL LANGUAGES: DRAFT AMENDMENT BILL OUT FOR COMMENT

USE OF OFFICIAL LANGUAGES: DRAFT AMENDMENT BILL OUT FOR COMMENT

• 26 January 2026
• Sport, Arts & Culture
• SA Legal Academy

In anticipation of public consultations scheduled for 10 and 11 March 2026, the Department of Sport, Arts & Culture has gazetted a notice calling for input on a draft Use of Official Languages Amendment Bill with significant implications for national government departments, national public entities and national state enterprises.

Among other things, it is proposed that, in developing and adopting a language policy, these departments, institutions and organisations should:

• ‘identify at least seven official languages’ to be used for government purposes (instead of three, which is now the case), and that
• South African Sign Language should be included in that selection.

In addition, the draft Bill makes the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) solely responsible for monitoring the use of official languages for government purposes – absolving the Minister from any involvement. The departments, organisations and institutions concerned will therefore be required to report only to the PanSALB, which will assume responsibility for related functions presently shared with the Minister – who will nevertheless remain responsible for reporting to Parliament

• draft Bill
• Government Gazette notice
• 2012 Act

Published by SA Legal Academy Policy Watch

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