OpenOffice.org released in 3 South African languages

Translate.org.za are officially releasing OpenOffice.org in 3 South
African languages, Zulu, Northern Sotho and Afrikaans.  This is timed to
co-inside with Software Freedom Day on 28 August.

This is definitely a South African first and most probably an African
first.  

Linux:
http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/translate/OOo_1.1.3_Li...

Windows:
http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/translate/OOo_1.1.3_Wi...

Have a look at the CD content (you can switch between different
languages):
http://www.translate.org.za/dev/cd-1.1.3-za/


========= press release =================

Computer Software in Zulu, Afrikaans, and Sepedi Breaks Down Language 
Barriers to Learning and E-commerce

For Immediate Release
---------------------

Computer Software in South African languages available on Global 
Software Freedom Day

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (19 August, 2004) – History is being made 
with the translation of computer software into a number of South 
Africa’s official languages ahead of the first annual Global Software 
Freedom Day.

Translate.org.za, a South African software translation project, has 
spent two years developing this software with the sponsorship of the 
Shuttleworth Foundation, the Department of Communications, CSIR, 
Obsidian Systems (a leading South African Linux and Open Source 
company), Hewlett Packard (South Africa) and St James Software.

"We are about to launch the first  African language word processor, 
quality software in South African language," said an ecstatic Dwayne 
Bailey, founder and director of the Zuza Software Foundation, of which 
Translate.org.za is an ongoing project.

"This is the first African's-helping-Africans, no strings attached 
Free Software word processor. It has always been my dream that one 
day fellow South Africans would be using computers with quality 
software in their mother tongues. So far we have translated software 
into Zulu, Sepedi and Afrikaans," he added.

Translate.org.za translator, Thobile Mhlongo, agrees. She said: "Using 
OpenOffice.org in Zulu was phenomenal. Seeing my language used on a 
computer made me think of all the school children, grannies and other 
proud Zulu speakers who will use this software."

On August 28, 2004, the first annual Software Freedom Day (SFD) will 
be celebrated worldwide, including many venues across South Africa. In 
Gauteng, SITA is organising a series of events. Their keynote speaker 
will be DPSA Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, who has shown interest 
in the work of Translate.org.za

The aim of SFD is to make the world more aware of the virtues of Free 
and Open Source Software (FOSS), and encourage its widespread use. The 
day will be marked by a global grassroots marketing campaign and in 
Gauteng a Linux installation festival.

Bailey will be a guest speaker at the Software Freedom Day celebrations 
alongside Minister Fraser-Moleketi at the Di-Data Campus, which will be 
attended by South African businesses, international and pan-African 
companies, government and parastatals on August 28th, 2004.

Dwayne Bailey is available for interviews. His fields of specialisation 
include:

	* Free and Open Source Software
	* Multilingualism
	* Software translation
	* Language rights advocacy

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Janet Sebastian (+27 82 584 0211)  @ Africa Reports
Linda Martindale (+27 83 270 0719) @ Africa Reports

-- 
Kind regards
Dwayne Bailey

dwayne@translate.org.za   
+27-12-343 0389 (home/work)  +27-83-443 7114 (cell)

"It would be a profound irony if an earnest attempt to bridge
the digital divide unravelled because of prohibitive software
license costs.  Even with educational discounts and so forth,
the proprietary model does not offer the unfettered choice to
participate in the development or modification of the very
technology that can only increasingly become an intimate part
of any developing society as it ventures into a digital
future." - Dr Sibusiso Sibisi, President CSIR, South Africa

Translate.org.za - Opensource software for all South Africans
A project of the Zuza Software Foundation