By
I. M Soqaga
The impact of apartheid colonialism has
virtually attempted to destroy the talents of oodles number of black South
Africans who were so keen in ameliorating the lives of their communities with
the craft they have. To highlight, South
Africa’s Es’kia Mphahlele’s
essential vim and awesome vision about African literature was wittingly
interrupted by apartheid in South Africa.
From the earliest times Mphahlele’s passion in literature was
resplendent.
A fervent and prolific African writer
began his literary career with an intention to formalized and vivify African
literature in order to be studied in schools and universities. However, his ambition in the height of
apartheid was elusive, although he managed with the great stride to start to
produce and establish his aspiration.
Eventually, Bantu Education infuriated many South Africans and Es’kia
was one of the people who were not delirious with the introduction of the
inferior education meant for African person and subsequently he opted to go to
exile.
It was in exile where Es’kia 'sliterary aspiration proved to be outstanding.
He was very firm, pragmatic and resolute in contributing literature that
is significantly pertinent to African literature. A professional teacher, literary award winner
Es’kia Mphahlele after he returned to South Africa in the late 70s he
constantly illustrated his erudition with enormous proficient. It is actually absorbing to understand that
while in exile he was able to connect and work with exceptional prominent
early African writers like a Nobel Prize winner in literature Wole Soyinka, poet
Gabriel Okara, novelist Amos Tutuola etc in Nigeria. In Ghana too he met with outstanding African
writer Kofi Awoonor, playwright Efua Sutherland and he was fortunate enough to
meet with the great Ullie Beir and other Nigerian writers which he eventually
seeing himself contributing in Mbari Writers and Arts Club in Ibadan.
Es’kia Mphahlele spent two decades in
exile and in that period he successfully travelled the world, doing
magnificently great in advocating and disseminating veritable literature. Moreover, in his entire life beginning in the
early days in South Africa, Africa, the world and South Africa again he managed
to flourish dramatically in showcases outstanding literary prowess. A writer that was reliable and
enthusiastically committed to offer his literary skill where it was
appropriate. He travelled to Nigeria,
France, Kenya, US and to many part of the world. In a career spawning sixty
years, Mphahlele received many international awards, among them: several
honorary doctoral degrees and the Les Palmes Academiques medal from French
language and culture. In 1968, he was
nominated for the Nobel Prize in literature.
In 1998 the first president of democratic South Africa Nelson Mandela awarded
Mphahlele the Order of the Southern Cross.
Of course, Es’kia
Mphahlele was a very gifted and proud African writer who displayed to the world
that an African is also an equal human being who has the brain to produce
excellent ideas. The world in Es’kia
can learn a wonderful lesson of a writer who by all means wanted to see his
culture be presented and recognized. De
trop racial oppression and the banning of his books never discouraged him to
contribute eagerly in promoting African literature. Es’kia Mphahlele was the catalyst and African
literary pioneer who has achieved astronomically in his career as a sublime
African writer. Mphahlele was the
illustrious author of two autobiographies, at least three novels (including the
acclaimed The Wanderers), more than
thirty short stories, two verse plays and a fair number of poems. In nutshell the hassle of apartheid never
vanquished him because his lively vigour for literature motivated him to make
certain that African literature is recognized and appears in the institution of
higher learning.
To accentuate, Africans
need to reckon that Dr Es’kia Mphahlele played a major role to bolster literature
in the world and in his country South Africa.
In 1979, he joined the University of the Witwatersrand as a senior
research fellow at the African Studies Institute. He founded the Council for Black Education
and Research, and independent project for alternative education involving young
adults. He founded the department of
African literature at Wits University in 1983, a significant event in the
evolution of literature teaching in South Africa at the time.
Vitally, Es’kia
Mphahlele literary contribution continues to be recognized and acclaimed. Obvious if oblivion, that can be a daft,
destructive guff in particular for African writers to opt to neglect the
literary works of Es’kia Mphahlele to plummet. If that can be possible,
petrified-that will be a harum-scarum situation for African writers to discard
and overlook the colossal literary achievement which Es’kia Mphahlele strove
so diligently over the years for African literature to be recognized in the
world and in particular in the academic rung.
Lastly it is encouraging to see some of the streets and institutions
named after him in South Africa.
