Uphiko lweziLimi kuZweIonke (NLS) lugqugquzela futhi lwenza lula ukuxoxisana ngezilimi ezahlukene. Ekuzameni ukuhambisana nokushiwo uMthethosisekelo I-NLS ilawula ukwehlukahlukana kwezilimi emphakathini wethu futhi kuwumthwalo wayo ukwakha ubudlelwano kuzo zonke izilimi zabantu bakuleli ngokusebenzisa lokho okushiwo yinqubomgomo okuhloswe ngakho ukuba kugqugquzelwe ukusentshenziswa kwalezilimi, kanye nazo zonke izilimi ebezinganakiwe emlandweni wakuleli.
Umsebenzi ophambili we-NLS ukuhlangabezana nokushiwo/izimfuneko zoMthethosisekelo, ngokwenza lula, ukugqugquzela kanye nokunika usizo lokuhumusha nohlela kuzo zonke izilimi ezamukelekile ngokomthetho kanye nokulawula ukuwehlukahlukana kwezilimi ngokuhlela izilimi namagama asentshenziswayo (terminology) ezinhlelweni ezithile.
I-NLS isebenza njengengxenye kaHulumeni yongoti bezilimi ngokuhumusha imibhalo ebhalwe ngolunye ulimi olwamukelekile iyihumushele kwezinye izilimi ezamukelekile ngokomthetho. Uphiko lwayo lwamagama asentshenziswayo lunikeza usizo lokuthuthukisa nokwenza izilimi ezamukelekile zihambisane nesikhathi samanje ngamagama obuchwepheshe. Umsebenzi wabo wokuhlela ulimi umbandakanya ukwaluleka uhulumeni ngezokuthuthukisa inqubomgomo kwezolimi kanye nezindlela zokwenza lokho kusebenze.
Umsebenzi ophambili wengxenye yoPhiko lweziLimi kuZwelonke (NLS) ebhekene nokuHlelwa koLimi ukugqugquzela ulwazi lwezilimi eziningi kanye nokuhlonishwa kwazo zonke izilimi ezikhona lapha e-Ningizimu Afrika. Njengoba-ke ukuhlelwa kolimi eNingizimu Afrika kwenzeka ngesikhathi senguquko kwezenhlakahle, ukuthuthukiswa kwezilimi ezazinganakiwe ngesikhathi esedlule yikhona okuzokwenziwa kuqala.
ukuthuthukiswa kwenqubomgomo yolimi ngokuqamba izindlela, nenqubo kanye nezikhali okungasentshenziswa ukuze kufezwe lomsebenzi.
ukusentshenziswa kwenqubomgomo yezolimi ngokunikeza (I) ukuvumeleka negunya (ii) nokukhuthaza ukusentshenziswa kwezilimi zaseNingizimu Afrika.
Ukuhlola ukusetshenzisa kwenqubomgomo ukuze kubonakale ukuthi iyakufela lokho okuhlosiwe.
Loluphiko lokuHlelwa koLimi lwasungulwa ngo 1993 ukuze lwaluleke uhulumeni mayelana nokuthuthukiswa nokusetshenziswa kweNqubomgomo ngezindaba zolimi ngokulandela okushiwo isigaba 6 soMthethosisekelo. Ukungafihlakali nokumbadakanywa kwabo bonke abathintekayo kulenqubo bekulokhu kugcizelelwa. Umsebenzi wokuqala nophambili waloluphiko kwakungusingatha inqubo eyathatha isikhathi eside yokusungulwa kweBhodi LeZilimi zaboMdabu eNingizimu Afrika (Pan South African Language Board). Lenqubo yaqala ngo 1994 ngendumezulu yengqungquthela yokubonisana, eyabizwa ngeNgqungquthela yeZilimi zabo bonke, yalandelwa ixhaxhathela yezingxoxo nemiphakathi kulo lonke izwe okwaholela ekubhalweni koMthethosivivinywa weBhodi leZilimi zaboMdabu eNingizimu Afrika ngo 1995. Ibhodi leZilimi zaboMdabu eNingizimu Afrika lasungulwa ngonyaka ka 1996.
Kwenziwa inqubomgomo yezilimi nohlaka lweNingizimu Afrika emva kwezincomo ezaphakanyiswa yi-Langtag nokunye ukuxoxisana nokucwaninga okwenziwayo. Ngo-Disemba ka 1999 uNgqongqoshe waqoka ithimba lokwaluleka ukuba lilungise okokugcina inqubomgomo nohlaka lweNingizimu Afrika okwabe sekwethulwa kubo bonke abathintekayo ku-Indaba ngoLimi eyayibanjwe ngo-Mashi ka 2000. Ngokulandela iziphakamiso ezenziwa yilabo ababethamele I-Indaba, ithimba lokwaluleka labukeza inqubomgomo yezilimi nohlaka kweNingizimu Afrika.
Ukulandela leziphakamiso kwenziwa ucwaningo olunzulu eminyangweni kahulumeni kuzwelonke kanye nezi Fundazwe ukuze kubonakale ukuba khona kwezingqalasizinda kwezolimi. Njengamanje kubhekwa isamba semali esingadingeka ukwenza lenqubomgomo ehlongozwayo, lokhu kwenziwa ngokubambisana nesikhwana seziMali sikaZwelonke (National Treasury).
Loluhlelo lungokunye kokusentshenziswa kwezinqubo ezimisiwe kulenqubomgomo ehlongozwayo. Izingqinamba kwezolimi zisabavimbela abaseNingizimu Afrika, ikakhulukazi labo abakhuluma izilimi zabomdabu, ukuba bakwazi ukuthintana nohulumeni. Usizo olutolika izicingo eNingizimu Afrika lungenza kube lula kuwo wonke umuntu ukuba akhulume neziphathimandla ngolimi lwakhe, isibonelo, ezindaweni ezifana nezibhedlela, isiteshi zamaphoyisa, amahovisi kahulumeni. Kulindeleke ukuba lolu sizo luzanywe ngonyaka ka 2000/2001 ezindaweni ezikhethiwe amahora ayi-12 ngosuku, kusukela ku 07:00 ekuseni kuya ku-19:00, izinsuku eziyisithupha ngesonto.
Lomsebenzi wenziwa ngokubambisana ne-PANSLAB ukuze kwenziwe lula ukuthuthukiswa nokusentshenziswa kwezilimi zaseNingizimu Afrika. Uhlaka oluhlelwe kahle endimeni yobuchwepheshe ngolimi lwesintu luyadingeka ukuze kuhlelwe kahle imizamo yocwaningo kuzwelonke kanye nokwakha ukudingeka noma amandla azo zonke izilimi zaseNingizimu Afrika. Ikomiti lokuqondisa lasungula ukuze libhale umbhalo ozophakamisa inqubo engasetshenziswa ukusungula imboni ye-HLT ezoqhakaza ikhulise izilimi zaseNingizimu Afrika.
kuqinisekiswe ukuthi zonke izakhamuzi ziyazi ngelungelo lazo elishicilelwe kumthethosisekelo mayelana nolimi; nokuthi kukhuthazwe ukukhulunywa kwezilimi eziningi ukuze abantu baseNingizimu Afrika babone ukuthi ukwazi izilimi eziningi kuyingcebo.
Umkhakha wokuqala walomkhankaso wabheka Ukusebenza koMbuso (public service) kanti umkhakha wesibili wabheka umphakathi wonkana. Umphumela walomkhankaso kwaba ngamakhalenda azilimi-limi, izithombe, Amapheshana ezilimi (anezibingelelo ngezilimi eziyi-11) kanye namavidiyo, nokusentshenziswa kolimi lwakho lokuzalwa ezinhlanganisweni.
i-UNESCO njengamanje ilungisa Umbiko ngeZilimi zoMhlaba okuhloswe ngawo ukuchaza ngokuhlukahlukana kwezilimi emhlabeni, ukufunda ngemvelaphi yezilimi kanye nesimo ezikuso njengamanje izilimi, nokuchaza izinkinga ezithinta izifunda ezahlukene emhlabeni. NgaloMbiko I-UNESCO ifisa ukukhombisa isidingo sokuphatha noma ukusingatha ngokuyikho ingcebo yezilimi emhlabeni.
Uphiko leZilimi kuZwelonke (NLS) lwacelwa yi-UNESCO ukuba lubambe iqhaza ocwaningweni lokuqoqa ulwazi ukuze kukhishwe umbiko ngazo zonke izilimi ezamukelekile ngokomthetho eNingizimu Afrika kanye nezilimi zabathwa namaNama. Ngenxa yokuthi kwakudingeka ulwazi olunzulu ngalezi zilimi kulolucwaningo imibuzo yathunyelwa kongoti abaziwayo kwezezilimi ukuze banikeze ulwazi. Kwaqoqwa ulwazi olunothile ngemikhakha eyahlukene ngezilimi eNingizimu Afrika, njengolwazi mayelana nezindawo, ukwahlukahlukana, ubuningi babantu abakhuluma ulimi oluthile, ulwazi mayelana nofuduko (migration), ezomnotho kulowo nalowo mphakathi okhuluma ulumi oluthile, ukuthi luthathwa noma lwamukela kanjani ulimi, izigungu ezibhekele inqubomgomo yezilimi kanye nohlelo mayelana nalolo nalolo limi kanye namasiko okufunda (ukubhala nokufunda).
Umbiko weZilimi Emhlabeni we-UNESCO uyokhiswa ngonyaka ka 2001 futhi uyophakamisa uhidehide lwezincomo mayelana nokuvikela nokukhuthaza ingcebo yezilimi zoluntu.
