Communicate virus advice in all languages

WHILE the government is to be commended for the bold and necessary steps in efforts to stop the spread of Covid-19, it is concerning that its communication to the public has been largely in English.

It is no doubt that the government’s message is intended for the majority of South Africans.

In townships and rural areas there is a lot of complacency regarding what the virus is and steps to prevent it, arguably because people are not as informed as those who understand what is being communicated.

It is business as usual. People continue shaking hands, hugging each other, being in close contact and holding gatherings exceeding the prescribed limit of 100 people. This is a recipe for disaster.

More than 700 people had tested positive, with no deaths recorded, as of yesterday.

When the virus gets into informal settlements and rural areas, it will spread like wildfire, bringing the already struggling health system to its knees.

If we are to defeat this outbreak, it is important that no one is left behind.

We welcome the Pan South African Language Board’s (PanSALB) decision to offer its services to translate all government information related to the Covid-19 outbreak into languages South Africans understand.

Its acting chief executive officer Dr Tebogo David Maahlamela correctly points out that: “This is a global pandemic affecting us all. It is crucial that we communicate to people in languages they understand.

“This is a time to work together to ensure that we protect ourselves and those around us to mitigate the risk of infection by offering our expertise to curb the spread of the virus.”

We applaud PanSALB for this initiative and call on our national broadcaster to follow in their footsteps.

Perhaps the SABC should share PanSALB’s translated communication, which is translated into all official languages, with the broader public.

It is time the government shows the same amount of enthusiasm as when the parties they represent do door-to-door campaigns and distribute translated leaflets and pamphlets on Covid-19 the way they do when they want South Africans to vote for them.