Cape Town – UCT has announced that it will introduce Swahili from 2023, with the aim of launching it as a major subject in 2028.
Swahili is a language spoken either as a mother tongue or as a second language on the East Coast of Africa and is used in more than 14 countries.
The announcement was made by vice-chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng in her opening address at UCT’s Africa Month panel discussion recently, where she was discussing the role of language and music in liberating and integrating Africa.
“For centuries, South Africa has welcomed different European languages. It is about time that we do the same for the languages of our continent. Becoming fluent in Swahili is one way to reclaim our identity as Africans,” she said.
Swahili will be offered through the School of Languages and Literatures in the Faculty of Humanities, in partnership with the Institute for KiSwahili Studies at the University of Dar es Salaam.
Professor Aldin Mutembei, the Julius Nyerere Chair of KiSwahili Studies at the University of Dar es Salaam, was also among the panellists.
In addition to the announcement, UCT Dean of Humanities Professor Shose Kessi said there were also plans to introduce a Swahili studies research programme at postgraduate level.
“However, we are still in the process of finalising our plans and agreement with the Institute of KiSwahili Studies at the University of Dar es Salaam.”