ES'KIA MPHAHLELE (1919 – 2008)

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.