Is English becoming a threat to the existence of indigenous languages in institutions of higher learning in South Africa?

Abstract

This article provides a critique of the judgment of the Constitutional Court of South Africa in Gelyke Kanse v Chairperson of the Senate of the University of Stellenbosch1 with specific reference to the concept of transformative constitutionalism and the use of indigenous languages in tertiary education. The discussion further highlights the significant role played by one's own language in his or her day-to-day life encounters and argues that the wait has been too long to have one of the indigenous languages fully utilised in one of the tertiary institutions, amongst others. Finally, the paper recommends that the use of indigenous languages at institutions of higher learning needs to be given urgent attention by all stakeholders and can no longer remain at the mercy of those who are tasked with language policies at tertiary institutions.