The ANC also firmly believes in the promotion and protection of all eleven South African languages - none at the expense of others. Because of these two principled positions, the ANC is fully committed to the entrenchment of language rights and the right to education in the mother tongue or the language of choice. Comrades, ladies and gentlemen. I had to set the record straight at the outset, because the true facts of the situation regarding the negotiations on the constitution have consistently been misrepresented and distorted by the National Party propaganda machine and some sections of the media. The impression that is being created is that the ANC is being intransigent and will not accede to the protection of languages or the right to receive education in the mother tongue.
Nothing can be further from the truth.
It is the President of the ANC, Comrade Nelson Mandela, who has consistently gone out of his way to make sure that all South Africans are part of this new South African patriotism we are trying to build. We have acceded to the cultural commission in the constitution to give recognition to the cultural diversity of our country. To therefore accuse the ANC as being hostile to minority rights is less than honest and mischievous. The ANC has since its founding in 1912 been the champion of the oppressed people in this country. One of the more vicious methods of oppression employed by the Nationalist party against our people over the years, has been their denial to our children the right to be taught in their mother tongue or language of choice.