Soweto Theatre hosts writers for Africa Month colloquium

02 June 2016

 

It was time Africans reclaimed their cultures and identities, three leading African academics – including literary giant and Nobel prize winner Wole Soyinka – said at the Soweto Theatre this week as the curtain came down on Africa Month celebrations.

 

Soyinka, South Africa's Professor Muxe Nkondo as well as Professor Kole Omotoso were addressing the final colloquium at the elegant and imposing venue on politics, culture and identity.

 

It formed part of a series of events hosted by Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa during the whole of May to mark the 53rd anniversary of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the precursor to the African Union (AU).  Some of the highlights of the gathering included introductory remarks by Jovial Rantao, editor of African Independent; poetry recitation by Soyinka; a performance by Bealah Quartet, a Nigerian Isicathamiya group; and a question-and-answer session facilitated by Moshe Apleni, a young South African activist.

 

In his address, Soyinka urged Africans to unite. He slammed Boko Haram for causing untold suffering in Africa through its reign of terror that had resulted in the deaths and displacement of thousands of Nigerians and the kidnapping of schoolgirls.  Calling the group “barbarians at the gate”, Soyinka said Boko Haram was imposing its beliefs on others.  “What is intolerable is anyone trying to suppress and diminish others’ contributions,” Soyinka said.

 

He said it was up to Africans to change the narrative of how the outside world viewed the continent.  Nkondo praised Soyinka for his refractions on African solidarity. Describing him as Africa’s most prolific poet, he said Soyinka inspired “profound friendships in his quest to spread democratic citizenship across the borders”.  Responding to Soweto activist Lesego Tau, Soyinka said it was high time African school curricula reflected the continent’s arts and cultures.

 

Minister Mthethwa said his department was working on “decolonising the literary space” in South Africa.  He also confirmed that the Department of Basic Education was already working on incorporating African content in the curriculum.  “We’re shaping our journey to our Africanness. [Basic Education] Minister Angie Motshekga has assured me that we are on the right path to knowing ourselves [as Africans],” he said.  

 

Responding to a question about the #RhodesMustFall movement, Nkondo said the issue was “both urgent and complex”. He said the decolonisation of the whole academic system was the starting point. He said at the University of Cape Town (UCT), for instance, 80% of the books used were Western, so were the references.

“This is both excessive and embarrassing. The configuration of the whole [UCT] space reflects Western hegemony. We’ve to decolonise the curriculum to make space for African sciences and technology,” he said.  The dominance of Western knowledge had to end, he said.