By Matefu Mokoena
Deputy Minister for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Mmapaseka Steve Letsike, said the recognition of the South African Sign Language as the 12th official language should be matched by implementation in every classroom, clinic, court, workplace and community space.
The Deputy Minister was speaking at the commemoration of the International Day of Sign Languages held in collaboration with the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) in Pretoria today on Tuesday the 23th September 2025.
“By placing International Day of Sign Language at the heart of today’s programme, we affirm that deaf South Africans are not invisible, not marginalised and not afterthought. They are citizens of this republic with equal rights and equal claim to justice and to opportunities,” she said
Among other happenings during this celebration Modiehi Njeyiyana, a member of the South African National Sign Language delivered a poem on South African Sign Language decolonisation.
With over 70 million deaf people worldwide using more than 300 different sign languages, the United Nations has proclaimed the day in order to highlight the importance of sign languages in achieving the full realisation of the human rights of persons who are deaf, while also promoting the preservation of linguistic and cultural diversity.
Commemorated under the theme “No Human Rights Without Sign Language Rights”, the International Sign Language Day and the International Week of Deaf People serves as a reminder that sign languages are equal to spoken languages and are vital for ensuring inclusive societies.
The United Nations designated September 23 as International Sign Language Day to raise awareness of the importance of sign language in the full realisation of the human rights of Deaf people. The date was chosen because it marks the anniversary of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD), which was established in 1951.
