Common Business Language of Municipality Policy

Objective

The objective of this policy is to promote a multi-lingual environment because of the nature of the work we do. The Municipality recognises all eleven (11) official languages of South Africa as highlighted by the Constitution. However, we need to be able to interact with a diverse population in a single and consistent medium.

Policy

(1) The common business language of the Municipality is English. This is the language that will govern all official transactions and be the language of record within the Municipality. This by no means relegates any other national official language.

(2) The Municipality will endeavour at all times to communicate with its stakeholders in any or all of the eleven (11) official languages of South Africa. The Municipality has a responsibility to respond to correspondences made in any of the eleven (11) official South African languages, in the language of the initiator of the correspondence. For instance, If an initiator of correspondence writes to the Municipality in isiZulu, the reply to the correspondence needs to be in isiZulu.