Rethinking the interface between tradition and modernity in post-apartheid South Africa through Zakes Mda’s the heart of redness

The interface between African tradition and modernity is one of the concerns of spirited debates in the post-colonial period. Although most African writers deal with it, relatively few have attempted to depict how tradition and modernity may both benefit African societies. Modernity has reached Afri...

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Main Authors: Mohale, Bongane, Montle, Malesela Edward, Mogoboya, Mphoto
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2023
Online Access:http://journalarticle.ukm.my/21522/1/Rethinking%20the%20Interface%20Between%20Tradition%20and%20Modernity%20in%20Post%20apartheid%20South%20Africa.pdf
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author Mohale, Bongane
Montle, Malesela Edward
Mogoboya, Mphoto
author_facet Mohale, Bongane
Montle, Malesela Edward
Mogoboya, Mphoto
author_sort Mohale, Bongane
collection UKM
description The interface between African tradition and modernity is one of the concerns of spirited debates in the post-colonial period. Although most African writers deal with it, relatively few have attempted to depict how tradition and modernity may both benefit African societies. Modernity has reached Africa and, thus, the African tradition cannot remain intact. The utmost global portent that distresses human social life is the impact of modernity. Therefore, the paper’s key objective is to delineate the degree of social impairment in the present-day Africa engendered by the interface between tradition and modernity. In Africa, modernity has not only influenced personal characteristics but also social, cultural, religious and the operation of establishments. Most believers of African tradition are very conventional, counterattacking the effects of modernity signalled by the colonial period, including the arrival of Christianity and Western teachings. This noted, the paper has utilised a qualitative research method and a textual analysis to critically scrutinise the impacts of the clash between tradition and modernity through the lens of the literary text, Heart of Redness (2000) by Zakes Mda. The findings from the study divulge the clash between African tradition and modernity has resulted in the erosion of many African traditional systems notwithstanding the dethronement of the colonial administration that empowered modernity at the expense of African traditional systems. The paper concludes that to reesseentialise African traditions, the remnants of colonialism should be successfully uprooted. This noted, this study will make a significant contribution to the rehabilitation of African traditions as it unravels the foundations and gatekeepers of modernity at the expense of African tradition.
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spelling ukm.eprints-215222023-05-03T04:29:50Z http://journalarticle.ukm.my/21522/ Rethinking the interface between tradition and modernity in post-apartheid South Africa through Zakes Mda’s the heart of redness Mohale, Bongane Montle, Malesela Edward Mogoboya, Mphoto The interface between African tradition and modernity is one of the concerns of spirited debates in the post-colonial period. Although most African writers deal with it, relatively few have attempted to depict how tradition and modernity may both benefit African societies. Modernity has reached Africa and, thus, the African tradition cannot remain intact. The utmost global portent that distresses human social life is the impact of modernity. Therefore, the paper’s key objective is to delineate the degree of social impairment in the present-day Africa engendered by the interface between tradition and modernity. In Africa, modernity has not only influenced personal characteristics but also social, cultural, religious and the operation of establishments. Most believers of African tradition are very conventional, counterattacking the effects of modernity signalled by the colonial period, including the arrival of Christianity and Western teachings. This noted, the paper has utilised a qualitative research method and a textual analysis to critically scrutinise the impacts of the clash between tradition and modernity through the lens of the literary text, Heart of Redness (2000) by Zakes Mda. The findings from the study divulge the clash between African tradition and modernity has resulted in the erosion of many African traditional systems notwithstanding the dethronement of the colonial administration that empowered modernity at the expense of African traditional systems. The paper concludes that to reesseentialise African traditions, the remnants of colonialism should be successfully uprooted. This noted, this study will make a significant contribution to the rehabilitation of African traditions as it unravels the foundations and gatekeepers of modernity at the expense of African tradition. Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2023 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://journalarticle.ukm.my/21522/1/Rethinking%20the%20Interface%20Between%20Tradition%20and%20Modernity%20in%20Post%20apartheid%20South%20Africa.pdf Mohale, Bongane and Montle, Malesela Edward and Mogoboya, Mphoto (2023) Rethinking the interface between tradition and modernity in post-apartheid South Africa through Zakes Mda’s the heart of redness. e-Bangi Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities, 20 (1). pp. 64-73. ISSN 1823-884x https://ejournal.ukm.my/ebangi/index
spellingShingle Mohale, Bongane
Montle, Malesela Edward
Mogoboya, Mphoto
Rethinking the interface between tradition and modernity in post-apartheid South Africa through Zakes Mda’s the heart of redness
title Rethinking the interface between tradition and modernity in post-apartheid South Africa through Zakes Mda’s the heart of redness
title_full Rethinking the interface between tradition and modernity in post-apartheid South Africa through Zakes Mda’s the heart of redness
title_fullStr Rethinking the interface between tradition and modernity in post-apartheid South Africa through Zakes Mda’s the heart of redness
title_full_unstemmed Rethinking the interface between tradition and modernity in post-apartheid South Africa through Zakes Mda’s the heart of redness
title_short Rethinking the interface between tradition and modernity in post-apartheid South Africa through Zakes Mda’s the heart of redness
title_sort rethinking the interface between tradition and modernity in post apartheid south africa through zakes mda s the heart of redness
url http://journalarticle.ukm.my/21522/1/Rethinking%20the%20Interface%20Between%20Tradition%20and%20Modernity%20in%20Post%20apartheid%20South%20Africa.pdf
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AT mogoboyamphoto rethinkingtheinterfacebetweentraditionandmodernityinpostapartheidsouthafricathroughzakesmdastheheartofredness