National Assembly:   13th October 2009

I move without notice that the House;

Notes

that the 16th of November 2010 marks a momentous milestone for the Indian people of this country; as it will be the 150th commemoration of the first arrival of Indians to South African shores in 1860;

Expresses

gratitude to the Indian community for their enormous contribution to the social and economic development of South Africa, as well as the struggle against apartheid;

Further Notes

that South Africa has eleven official languages but that eastern languages are also widely spoken by the Indian community which consists of approximately 1.5 million South Africans;

Recognizes

that the Tamil community is the biggest linguistic group numbering just over seven hundred and eighty thousand (780 000) of the present total of South Africa's Indian population;

Urges

the Department of Arts and Culture to take note of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation ( UNESCO) report that six thousand languages around the world face extinction and therefore;

Implores

the South African government to recognise Tamil and other eastern languages as a official languages in South Africa;

Exhorts

the Department of Arts and Culture to encourage, support and celebrate South Africa's rich Indian culture and heritage during 2010.

I thank you.