No Afrikaans lands BMW in trouble
2007-01-26 07:48
IFP chief whip Koos van der Merwe, welcomed a call from a director of the BMW group, who phoned to apologise for not making service agreements available to customers in the language of their choice.
Van der Merwe was shown the door by BMW Menlyn Auto in Pretoria, after he took his car for a service and was told that if he doesn't sign an English service contract, they would not be willing to service his car.
Van der Merwe said, "I am very happy that the BMW group had a change of heart and I appreciate and accept the apology.
"I am pleased that the BMW group will now make service agreements available in Afrikaans and hopefully in other languages as well."
"I want more people to, where at all possible, request in a friendly manner to communicate in their mother tongue," he said.
"It is very important to protect and develop South Africa's 11 official languages and not only English. South Africans have the right to communicate in the language of their choice," added Van der Merwe.