Die diskrepansie tussen taalbeleid en - praktyk: implikasies van taalhoudings van SAPD-konstabels in Gauteng

The matter of the language policy of the SAPS and the language attitudes of police officials is a topical, but largely unexplored issue. Little progress has been made to address this issue. This thesis investigates language attitudes of SAPS constables and the impact thereof on language planning in the SAPS. This study tests the hypothesis that the absence of a language policy in the SAPS leads to a discrepancy between the constitutional provisions and language practice in the SAPS. Furthermore, this discrepancy has an impact on the language attitudes of constables in the SAPS. This poses challenges for language planning. The main aims of the study are to ascertain the current language practice in the SAPS and to investigate the language attitudes and preferences of constables. The investigation was conducted in accordance with the triangulation method, i.e. conclusions were only drawn after the data presented by the literature study and each of the empirical components were compared and verified by means of, inter alia, statistical methods. The literature review, which is an exposition of the language policy and language practice in both the SAPS and South Africa, provides the theoretical framework for the empirical study. The empirical study includes a questionnaire completed by constables and interviews with constables and other stakeholders at the helm of policy, management and training. Chapter 1 states the background, problem, hypotheses and objectives of the study. A theoretical exposition of language policy, language planning and language attitude is presented in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 contains a description of the language context of the constables with reference to the language policy, trends and practice in South Africa. The discrepancy between language policy and language practice in the SAPS is highlighted in Chapter 4. This entails a discussion on the language policy and practice in the SAPS, the training of the constables, as well as problems resulting from the current language practice in the SAPS. The empirical research design is discussed in Chapter 5. The results of the empirical research are discussed in Chapter 6, and conclusions and recommendations are stated in Chapter 7. The results show that English is the predominant language in the SAPS. The constables have a positive attitude towards English in the SAPS in spite of their poor proficiency in the language. Afrikaans is used in official situations in the SAPS, but the indigenous languages are used mostly in informal situations. The respondents reported a positive attitude towards the indigenous languages. The research also highlights the lack of language training in basic police training as well as in-service training. The use of English and Afrikaans on an interim basis in the absence of an official language policy is a contributing factor to the poor language proficiency of especially constables who are not mother tongue speakers of the languages in question. It is recommended that language training should form part of the basic police training and in-service training. The SAPS should also finalise a language policy which entails the promotion of multilingualism and development of the indigenous languages for official use.Prof. M. Pienaar Prof. H. Kroe