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Use of Official Languages Act, 2012 (Act No. 12 of 2012)

Notices

Implementation of the Reviewed Language Policy for the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment

11. External Written Communication

 

11.1 All official external written public-facing communication will be conducted in plain English or the preferred language of the recipient. All external correspondence of the DFFE may be translated into the language in which the original communication was received, within 15 days subject to paragraph 7.2, provided that a plain English translation of the document accompanies the response and is archived for record purposes and possible legal proceedings in order to facilitate understanding and improving communication. External written communication includes letters to the public; newspaper and magazine supplements; booklets and brochures; posters and wall charts; newspaper advertisements and forms for the Branches of the DFFE to be published for public consumption on the website of the DFFE. These forms may be translated, on request, for understandability purposes, but completed forms will be translated back into English for record-keeping purposes. Media releases will be drafted and issued in English. Strategies, frameworks, policies, government notices, green papers, draft white papers, Bills and regulations and guidelines will be published for public comment in English and in at least one of the other official languages in the Government Gazette in accordance with regulation 4(2)(b)(iv)(aa) of the PAJA Regulations, 2020, subject to the table in paragraph 7.1 and subject to paragraph 7.2, and as soon as a panel of freelance language practitioners has been procured.

 

11.2 The DFFE,on request or when there is a need, may provide multilingual liaison interpreters to supplement written communication and assist clients in gaining access to departmental services and information subject to paragraph 7.2. Liaison interpreters will be used for liaison interpreting at customer call centres, receptions and during one-on-one meetings subject to paragraph 7.2.

 

11.3 All external departmental documents that need to be archived will, for practical administrative reasons, be available in English as the language of record.