Only then will it be possible for adequate provision of interpreting services to be effected. In the past, interpretation and transition services were left to the State Language Services division of the Depart- ment of National Education. If we look at language in the health care sector it becomes only too painfully apparent that since the majority of doctors do not speak African languages and the state has never provided any effective interpreting services in this domain, the health care which does actually reach a small portion of our population is likely to be inadequate even for this small group. I understand that this question is being researched by the NLP and I am certain that your findings in this regard will be of great value to the new health care ministry. Education has always been a visible site of controversy about language issues.
Educational matters are naturally crucial to development far beyond the educational sector.
If we want to change the fabric of our society and allow it to take on the process of democracy, we need to have the right conditions for the nurturing of a democratic environment. All children, thus, need to feel that they are equal when they enter the formal educational arena. They need to feel that their languages, their religions, their home environments, their home customs, and their parents' occupations are all equally important. Obviously, this means in the immediate context that the hegemony of English and Afrikaans must be addressed. The valida- tion of African languages as important vehicles of communication can only be effected if they are taken seriously through the development of sound language and learning programmes in these languages.