Repurposing African Humanism as a Catalyst for Peace Through Mphahlele's the Wanderers : An (Auto) Biographical Approach

Abstract

This article seeks to repurpose African humanism (ubuntu) as a catalyst for peace in Africa and the world through the representation of Mphahlele's exilic life in The Wanderers. It endeavours, through an (auto)biographical textual analysis, to outline how, in the apartheid era, racial discrimination in South Africa forced him to wander into exile. It is a pure qualitative research. Mphahlele's belief was to achieve a peaceful resolution to this unjust system by spreading ubuntu from outside the borders of South Africa. His conviction was that this would be part of raising global awareness about black South Africa's plight at the hands of the unfair system. This awareness-raising excersice would also solicit support from other like-minded nations of the world to South Africa's course though in some countries, exile became a nightmare to him. Notwithstanding all the challenges that he encountered, Mphahlele suggests that the regeneration of African humanism is a solution to all the rot that bedevils humanity. It can help bring international peace.