Country Focus 11 of 11

South African Sign Language became the twelfth official language through the Constitution Eighteenth Amendment Bill

South Africa, whose Parliament and Constitutional Court are in the news this week, recognises South African Sign Language as an official language.
The National Assembly adopted the Constitution Eighteenth Amendment Bill on 2 May 2023, amending section 6 of the Constitution.
Parliament reported that the amendment was adopted without opposition, on a report of the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development.
President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the South African Sign Language Bill into law on 19 July 2023 at the Union Buildings in Tshwane, giving effect to the amendment of section 6(1).
The other official languages are Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa and isiZulu.
That makes twelve official languages in all.

Official languages: 12 Amendment: Constitution Eighteenth Amendment Bill [B1 - 2023] Section amended: Section 6 Adopted by National Assembly: 2 May 2023 Signed into law: 19 July 2023
Why it matters for exams: The jump from eleven to twelve official languages, and the section of the Constitution amended, are exactly the details a language-policy question turns on.
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In plain words

SASL South African Sign Language — The sign language of South Africa's Deaf community, now an official language of the country.

Portfolio Committee Portfolio Committee — A standing committee of South Africa's National Assembly that oversees a particular ministry.

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