SHEILA MHLONGO
Luselude ukhalo okusamele luhanjwe ukuze kubonelelwe zonke izilimi ezikhulunywa abantu abangezwa emadlebeni, kodwa ukushicilelwa komthetho ohlanganisa iSign Language kwizilimi eziyishumi nanye (11) ezikhulunywa lapha eNingizimu Afrika kube isenzo esincomekayo.
UMengameli washicilela ukufakwa kweSign Language ukwengeza kwizilimi eziyishumi nanye (11) lwaba olweshumi nambili (12) emcimbini owabe wenzelwe eUnion Building ngo July 2023. Kanti wathi ukushicilelwa ngokusemthethweni kweSign Language (SASL) kube isinqumo esihle esibonelela amalungelo abantu abangezwa emadlebeni.
Lokhu kushicilelwa kwalolulimi ukuthi lube semthethweni, isiShayamthetho sikazwelonke sesithupha savuma ukuthi kuchibiyelwe isigaba sesithupha soMthethosisekelo ukuthi sihlanganise iSign Language, lokhu okwenzeka ngoMay 2023.
UNhlanhla Simelane oyisitshudeni seLanguage Practice eUniversity of Free State (UFS) uthe, kulonyaka kwaqopheka umlando ngesikhathi iNingizimu Afrika ithwesa isicoco uMia Le Roux oyi Model njengo Miss South Afrika wokuqala ongezwa emadlebeni, lokhu okwenzeke ngo Agasti 2024, ngoba kube khona umhumushi weSign Language nakho okube yinto eyenzeke okokuqala ngqa.
“ Lokhu kubaluleke kakhulu kumina ukuthi ngikusho ngoba selokhu kwasungulwa lomncintiswano ka Miss South Afrika bekuqala ngqa ukuthi abantu abangezwa nabo bangenele.” Kusho uSimelane.
Eqhuba uSimelane uthe ukwethweswa kuka Mia Le Roux njengo Miss South Africa kusho lukhulu ngoba abantu abangezwa emadlebeni sebenomuntu obamele kanti futhi kuzokwenza ukuthi kube nobunye phakathi kwabantu abakwaziyo ukuzwa kanye nalabo abangezwa, futhi nabo sekuzobavulela amathuba amaningi, kuphinde kubeke nabantu abangezwa emadlebeni ebalazweni lomhlaba.
Eqhuba uSimelane naye ozalwa abazali abangezwa emadlebeni uthe emva kokushicilelwa kweSign Language ukuthi ibe semthethweni sekube noshintsho oluningi , wathi ngaphandle kwempumelelo ka Le Roux. Abantu abaningi sebeqalile ukufunda iSign Language, ngokunjalo nezinkampani, izinhlangano kanye nezikhungo seziqale ukuthi zifune abasebenzi ukuthi bafunde yona iSign Language.
USimelane uphinde waveza ukuthi nakuba selukhona ushintsho mayelana nokubhekela abantu abangezwa emadlebeni kodwa kusenzima ukuthi bakwazi ukusizakala ezindaweni eziningi ikakhulukazi ezikhungweni zikahulumeni lapho kumele bathole khona usizo njengoba kusuke kungekho abahumushi.
USimelane njengoba ezalwa abazali abangezwa emadlebeni uthi njalo ubevame ukuphelezela abazali bakhe uma beya ezikhungweni zikahulumeni ezifana neziteshi zamaphoyisa, izibhedlela, noma izinkantolo njengoba phela kungekho bantu ababekelwe ukuhumushela abantu abangezwa emadlebeni.
Ngokwe Pan South African Language Baord ithi babalelwa ku 600,000 abantu abangezwa lapha eNingizimu Afrika, kanti akwaziwa kahle isibalo sabantu abasebenzisa ulimi lwe Sign Language asiqondakali, kodwa kuyadingeka ukuthi kwenziwe ucwaningo olunzulu, njengoba kunabantu ababalelwa ku 1,4million abangezwa lapha ezweni. Nokho akubona bonke abantu abangezwa abasebenzisa iSign Language.
Ngesikhathi kubungazwa inyanga yokuqwashisa ngokungezwa eyaziwa nge -Deaf Awareness Month ngoSepthemba uNgqongqoshe wabeSifazane, Intsha kanye naBantu Abakhubazekile, uSindisiwe Chikunga wanxusa abantu baseNingizimu Afrika ukuthi bafunde leSign Language, njengoba iyona ndlela kuphela yokuxhumana nabantu abangezwa. SANews.gov.za
