The Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning, Dr Bheka Ntshangase, poured his heart out, appealing to all that attended the International Translation Day off campus on 30 September 2024. The theme of the 2024 celebration was Translation, the art worth preserving.” The International Translation Day is celebrated worldwide by translators, interpreters, terminologists and other practitioners in the language practice fraternity. The work that is done by language practitioners in making knowledge, information and education accessible in various languages.
Giving the objectives of the event, Dr Buyi Makhanya, Deputy Director at the ALLU, said the theme called for all to protect translation as an art, and protect regulations such as copyright and other related rights, “and protect our livelihoods, thereby ensuring the future and sustainability of the profession. Dr Makhanya also brought to the attention of the delegates the extent of the language and translation community, worldwide. “The International Federation of Translators (FIT) brings together 136 member organisations representing more than 85 000 translators, terminologists and interpreters,” she said.
Dr Ntshangase emphasized the centrality of the language in human communication, and human identity. Dr Ntshangase advised the students from MUT to be proud of who they are, and of where they come from. Part of this pride should be knowing more about their languages and taking steps to grow their language. Dr Ntshangase said the students, given their age, were in a good position to make a telling influence upon their languages, and the way others regard their language. Dr Ntshangase further advised the students to use technology to develop and strengthen their languages, as others in China, Germany, France, did. He said these countries used their own languages to communicate any message. In cars, technology, when teaching, in life in general, these countries use their own languages. Dr Ntshangase was emphasizing that other African languages are also just as important, and should be seen as such, and be developed to the level of others. He said it was not right for the students to accept that relegation of their languages, and think that English, as a language, was superior to others, as it was said during the colonial era.
Dr Ntshangase’s views about the major role in the language development was supported by Professor Lolie Makhubu-Badenhorst, Director: Centre for Higher Education Development Multilingualism Education Project (MEP), University of Cape Town. Professor Makhubu-Baden-Horst, said this day is important in the higher education sector, in particular because staff and students celebrate the day and make their outputs accessible in various languages. “The students are key because they come with innovative and fresh ideas to develop the language practice field. In addition, students as the future generations, will be suitably qualified to use their skills for the benefit of all,” said Professor Makhubu-Badenhorst. Professor Makhubu-Badenhorst also said that the students in the country need the translation and interpreting skills for working in the various government and private companies. “In that way, the government and private companies will be enlightened by the profession and avoid using unskilled or ‘fly by night’ language workers instead of suitably qualified people. Most companies and government departments, including some universities, are either naïve or ignorant of the role played by suitably qualified translators, interpreter, language editors and terminologists,” said Professor Makhubu-Badenhorst. She said the questions from the MUT students were inspiring, “especially considering the fact that MUT does not yet have a department, nor an academic programme on language practice”.
Professor Makhubu-Badenhorst also observed that the welcome by the Acting DVC: Teaching and Learning “really sparked some interesting discussions that were taken up by the panel members and the audience”, and said that she hoped that MUT would work on some of the issues that were raised during the engagements. “Most importantly the presence of the Deaf people from MUT, necessitates that the future events provide interpreting services, including the South African Sign Language (SASL), which is now one of the 12 official languages in the country. Lastly, MUT does not have to re-invent the wheel in hosting and developing course on translation and interpreting, which is inevitable for MUT,” said Professor Makhubu-Badenhorst.
The meeting was attended by Peter Mekgwe, Chairperson of the South African Translator’s Institute (SATI); Winnie Dube, from eThekwini Municipality Language Services; Ntokozo Zulu, from MUT’s Department of Communication; Professor Boni Zungu, from the University of Johannesburg; Khumbulani Mngadi, from the University of KwaZulu-Natal; Jabulani Simelane, from Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB), among others. All these attendees were part of the panels of discussion.