ANALYSIS | Khelobedu as South Africa's 12th Official Language

Growing up at Botlokwa in Limpopo I listened to a lot of Bolobedu music and I still enjoy doing so up to this day. There's just something special about Khelobedu. Khelobedu kheya dhefa!!!

Kheya Dhefa and that is why it did not come as a surprise when we heard that the Bible Society of South Africa and the custodians of the Balobedu culture have elected a team of language experts to translate the Bible into Khelobedu!! Bible Ya Khelobedu!!!🙌

But what gave me sleepless nights over the past few weeks is a quest to understand why Khelobedu is not recognised as a language of its own right. How can a person use Khelobedu to communicate daily but be subjected to learn in Sepedi while using a Khelobedu Bible? Something is not right...

When Nelson Mandela visited Her Majesty Queen Modjadji V in 1991, the Queen requested him to consider the recognition of Khelobedu as the 12th official language of South Africa. The Queen told her that her language was not officially recognised and her people were forced to be taught in Sepedi, which is not their language.

Just like Setlokwa, Sephalaborwa, Sekone, Sepulane, Sehananwa, among others, Khelobedu is Constitutionally regarded as a dialect of Sepedi language. These so called "dialects" exist only in an oral or non-standardized form and do not have a written form.

In 2016 former President Zuma recognised the Modjadji Queenship after it was dethroned by the apartheid regime in 1972. How do we recognise an ethnic group and its queenship but neglect its language?. We need to fix this with an understanding that there is no kingship/queenship without a language.

The current president agrees that Khelobedu could become a 12th official language for South Africans in line with resorting the dignity of traditional leadership. In 2018, Ramaphosa promised to make Khelobedu an official South African language.

Although the process won't be simple and fast as one may expect, we shall however live to see it happen. We should fight tooth and nail to preserve our mother tongues. I Love Khelobedu. Khelo Khela Kha Maabane.
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Reference: TG Rakgogo Is Khelobedu a language or dialect? 2022


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