Abstract
In African countries that were once colonised, the languages of the colonists are still in use, alongside indigenous languages. In most cases, colonial languages are superior because of their impact on society. The indigenous languages of Africa appear to be losing out as they are always hopping behind the languages of the colonists. There is a belief in African society that knowledge of the languages of the colonisers can open socioeconomic doors and windows for African people. Eswatini, like most of the formerly colonised countries of Africa, uses English as its second language, alongside its native language or mother tongue, SiSwati, which is the first language. This study investigated the impact of English on SiSwati native speakers’ and their perceptions of their mother tongue. In the country, English is mainly used in formal setups; it is the language used for governance. This has shown a lack of inclusivity and accessibility to indigenous Emaswati who are not proficient in English because of a lack of formal education. Hornberger’s integrative framework guided the study. The research study used the qualitative method based on interpretivism, which used focus group discussions to collect data. The target population of this study were indigenous Emaswati who use English in their jobs. There were five different focus groups of professionals. Data were analysed using the constant comparative analysis method. The findings revealed that English has a significant impact on indigenous SiSwati speakers because some are not always comfortable using their mother tongue. Due to negative attitudes towards the native language, some parents encourage their children to use English most of the time. SiSwati needs to be promoted and preserved so that it does not die. The government of Eswatini needs to put a policy in place that would encourage the use of the native language in the country to protect it from being endangered.