The Ramifications of the Neglect of Indigenous South African Languages by the South African Government: COVID-19 as a Case Study

Abstract

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 towards the end of 2019 and its proliferation across the globe, the lives of many populations have been disrupted, causing intense turbulence in social, economic and political dimensions. With that in mind, this article reflects on and problematises the neglect of the indigenous South African languages by the national government in mainstream communications on COVID-19. Qualitative research inquiry is utilised to explore the importance of indigenous languages in South Africa’s healthcare system. By the same token, an attempt to underline some of the predominant challenges within the selected phenomenon is argumentatively presented using a scoping literature review as a research technique. The findings and discussions indicate that the desolation of indigenous South African languages can be regarded as a repetitive episode of the (post)colonial injustices pertaining to indigenous South African languages as well as the healthcare system. Thus, the concluding remarks emphasise the urgency of inculcating indigenous South African languages into all communication systems, with special reference to the healthcare system.

Cultural religion and infertility in South Africa with particular focus on amaXhosa

“…Having said that, it is important to note that Esan et al (2022) do not make reference and provision to the cultural nuances that pertain to infertility among amaXhosa. This is enough to indicate that there are shortcomings and limitations in the context of infertility including disparities in access to infertility treatments, particularly for subjugated and low-income communities (Diko 2023). Beyond this, this is indicative of the necessity to challenge these imbalances in a bid to address the conundrums that are associated with cultural religion and infertility, with special reference to the culture of amaXhosa.…”