ABSTRACT
This chapter explains the linguistic breakdown of South Africa and the recognition afforded to languages under the previous constitutions, as well as some of the proposals for change suggested for the 1993 Constitution. The heterogeneous nature of South Africa from a language perspective was, however, completely ignored in South African constitutional documents prior to 1993. Thus, as far as recognition of languages was concerned prior to the introduction of the Interim Constitution in April 1994, South Africa had a colonial-style system, which was racist and unequal. The problem of what official language, or languages, to adopt was consequently a source of great debate in the period immediately preceding the drafting of the Interim Constitution. The drafters’ solution was to accord all eleven major languages official status at national level, while at the same time acknowledging the practical constraints on the official use of languages by the different branches of government.
