Brigadier Fonono joins the siswati/English language debate

Siswati Language should be made a passing subject in place of English to ensure its promotion and protection.
Retired Army Commander and cultural connoisseur Brigadier Fonono Dube said it was irrational that English remained a passing subject when siswati was the country’s mother tongue.
His speech was met with thunderous applause from the teachers although he might have ignited the English/Siswati debate and which amongst the two should be made a passing subject.
For a number of years now, English has remained a passing subject and despite calls from certain sections of society for a review of this, things have remained unchanged.
Worth noting is that the two languages are recognised as official in this country as enshrined in Constitution.
Dube enlightened the gathering in many aspects of culture and tradition, emphasising that no nation could stand the test of time without these two on the forefront.
Friday’s event featured mainly schools under the Ezulwini Valley area although certain constituencies also featured.
“A nation is formed firstly at family level where the man is the head and his sons might later migrate from the main homestead (indlunkhulu) to form their own families and in this way a tribe (house) is established. All these people would be speaking one language and would then have to be governed by a political head, and that’s where the King features,” he said.
Even the Constitution, Dube noted, had to follow the same route if it clashed with ideals and culture of the people it sought to govern, it would be a nullity.
“A democratic state is built on the foundation of the nation’s culture.”
Siswati Senior Inspector Thoko Mabuza said culture day was meant to promote mother tongue and further look at ways of ensuring visibility of the language in schools, in the family, etc.
She said such events would be taken to other constituencies and schools as the whole concept was for learners and nation at large to embrace siswati.
“We would be continuing such initiatives countrywide until we’re heard that siswati should be embraced and regain its rightful place.
“We hope the campaign for the language’s promotion and visibility would be heard some day,” Mabuza said. 
The intention, she observed, was to counter the relegation of the language as seen in instances where the learner is asked to choose between French, English, Afrikaans or siswati. .
Under IGCSE, siswati Language is amongst the core subjects along with English Language, Science and Mathematics. Siswati is offered both as a First and Second Language.
Also present was MP Majah’odvwa Khumalo from Lobamba constituency whilst his colleagues Robert Magongo (Motshane) and Marwick Khumalo (Lobamba Lomdzala) joined at a later stage.