The overemphasis and over-reliance on English is doing the process of community development and nation building in South Africa more harm than good, because of the following reasons: 

It traps a vast majority of South Africa citizens in a state of inferiority, disempowerment and mediocrity. English is the mother tongue of only ten percent of South Africans and the ‘chosen’ few from previously disadvantaged communities who are fortunate enough to attend private English schools. Ninety percent of our population speaks a variety of indigenous languages (Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, etc). These are the languages they no best and which enables them to live a meaningful live.  

Neville Alexander, the renowned linguist has this to say about the empowering role of our indigenous languages: “Suffice it to say, that being able to use the language(s) one has the best command of in any situation is an empowering factor and, conversely, not being able to do so is necessarily disempowering. The self-esteem, self-confidence, potential creativity and spontaneity that come with being able to use the language(s) that have shaped one from early childhood (one’s “mother tongue”) is the foundation of all democratic polities and institutions. To be denied the use of this language is the very meaning of oppression” (Alexander, 2006: 3-4).