BY DELISA THWALA
MBABANE– Today marks the official International Mother Tongue Day at Macmillan.
Like many other countries abroad, the Kingdom of Eswatini recognises the importance of the mother language thus it is now a challenge for everyone to ensure that we siSwati language is restored.
Speaking on behalf of Macmillan in a live television interview Lindiwe Malaza who is also a siSwati teacher said they had said it before and they will say it even now; everyone has a very significant role to play in our endeavor to preserve our mother tongue for the benefit of the future generations.
In addition, she said the day today was a reminder that English had seemingly overtaken the mother language and it was painful.
“That said, the gist of this letter today is to encourage everyone to stand up and be counted in as far as the restoration of the language is concerned. As this tiny Kingdom of Eswatini joins the rest of the world in commemorating International Mother Language Day, an event celebrated on February 21, every year, one cannot resist the temptation of penning a piece to remind the Swati nation about the essence of the mother tongue in the society,” she said.
Worth noting is that it is without any semblance of doubt that Emaswati are in danger of losing their mother language and unless they stand up and be counted preserving the beloved siSwati language will remain a pipe dream.
Malaza said today schools should not punish children who spoke their mother language as they should allow them to commemorate and celebrate the day. “Our children must be encouraged to love their mother tongue and let them realise the significance of using the language. The onus remains with the parents at home to give the language a priority and teach the children the siSwati terms and by the time they grow up they would develop the passion of using the language,” she said.
Pics sourced from Eswatini TV
