The FF Plus welcomes the demand by the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) that the Legal Practice Council (LPC) should revoke its decision to no longer offer entrance examinations for attorneys, notaries and conveyancers in Afrikaans.
The LPC announced at the end of last year that from this year onwards, all entrance examinations will be offered in English only – in line with its new language policy that was adopted on 20 November 2023.
The fact that fewer candidates are opting to write the entrance examinations in Afrikaans is the direct result of the ANC government’s years of vilifying Afrikaans, and the introduction of English as the language of record-keeping in court proceedings, the business industry and commerce.
This disregard for Afrikaans amounts to a blatant violation of the South African Constitution and goes against the spirit of promoting multilingualism in South Africa.
In 1996, the FF Plus was instrumental in ensuring that section 185 and 186, among others, were included in the South African Constitution to recognise and protect the rights of linguistic, religious and cultural communities.
The party will keep a close eye on the progress of the investigation that PanSALB launched into the LPC’s decision.
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