Language policy and language use in South African Social Security Agency (SASSA),Limpopo Province

Abstract

This study is a qualitative descriptive study which analyses the words that the respondents used to provide their answers. The study is on language policy which should be available in each institution and it must also be implemented. Questionnaire and interviews were used to collect data. The questionnaires were distributed to the officials of SASSA and the beneficiaries were interviewed in all six languages that are found in Limpopo province. Data was presented and interpreted in this study. The SPSS software has been used as it does not consume time in analysing data. The main issue was to get the opinions that the officials and beneficiaries has on the absence of language policy in SASSA. The importance of language policy is to control on how language should be used in a particular institution. Language unit are responsible for establishing language policy as they will find facts on how many languages are used by the beneficiaries, how many speakers of each language, within the particular geographical area. When language policy has been established, it has to be implemented to start working. Most institutions have language policy for submission to the government but it cannot be implemented as they mention impossible statements which cannot be implemented. When institutions establish language policy for submission they tend to make vague declarations which are impossible to implement. They are just statements which are kept in offices but are never used.