Who owns English? is one of the issues brought about by the spread of the language around the world (Wardhaugh, 1987; Widdowson, 1994). This issue has received considerable attention in curr, with some arguing for the ownership to be open to all who use the language, as natives or as non-natives (e.g. Kachru, 1983, 1986; Smith & Sridhar, 1992). Others argue explicitly or implicite Englishes are illegitimate varieties, deviations from the native form, and that therefore only native speakers can claim ownership of English (Prator, 1968; Quirk, 1988, 1990). This paper ais this issue from the perspective of non-native Englishes in Southern Africa, with a focus on the linguistic processes that underpin the owning of English in this part of the world. It is sugge language is dynamic regardless of the contextin which itis used,to claim ownership of English in the African context means to make English carry as Achebe (1975: 62) puts it the weight of mye ... ... and make it become a new English,still in communion with its ancestral home but altered to suit its new African surroundings .