The Marikana Commission of Inquiry has launched the live streaming of its hearings in isiXhosa in an effort to streamline its proceedings.
Commission spokesperson Tshepo Mahlangu says the commission, in partnership with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), has been providing live video streaming of the proceedings through the SABC News YouTube channel. This is available in English as it is the language used by the commission during the hearings.
Mahlangu says the isiXhosa translation, now being done live, cuts down the time witnesses spend in the witness stand. "We would have someone ask a witness a question in English, which would then first have to be translated. After the witness has answered, the answer must be translated back into English. This was taking a lot of time as there were many interruptions for vernacular interpretation," explains Mahlangu.
"Of the 34 people killed, most were from the Eastern Cape. And that's why we decided to do the live streaming in isiXhosa," he says. The isiXhosa audio streaming can be accessed on the SABC News profile on the iono.fm podcasting service.
In August 2012, 34 miners were killed when police opened gunfire on more than 5 000 striking miners at the Lonmin platinum mine, in Marikana. The Marikana Commission of Inquiry was originally due to conclude its investigation into the killings in December last year, but proceedings were stalled for a number of reasons, including a lack of funding for the legal team representing the victims.
Mahlangu says depending on the uptake of the live isiXhosa streaming, the commission will consider offering it in other languages as well. He notes there already are Setswana and Xitsonga translators taking part in the hearings.
"At the core of all these efforts [of providing live streaming] is transparency," he says. "We are using technology to provide wider accessibility to anyone who wants to follow the proceedings."
He says as far as he knows this is a landmark project, and the first time proceedings of this nature have been made available in more than one language.
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