Fanagalo should be common language

Why Swahili? Kiswahili, the language of the coast, is a hybrid language developed by Arab traders working along the coast of east Africa.

It has a mainly Nguni vocabulary and an Arabic structure.

We already have a hybrid language of our own. It has a mainly Nguni vocabulary and an English structure. It is called basic simplified Nguni or, more commonly, Fanagalo.

Unfortunately, it has a stigma, being seen by many as the language of migrant labourers.

But in the interest of economy and with existing familiarity, we should abandon our prejudices and develop this as the lingua franca of southern and central Africa. M Bola

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