African writers should shift themes, Njabulo
African writers should shift themes,
Njabulo
Accra (Greater Accra) 16 January 2001
African literature should now focus more on creating new value systems and exploring the continent's past that has been ignored for a long time, Professor Njabulo Ndebele, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town, South Africa said in Accra on Monday.
He said this is because with the demise of colonialism, that provided themes for African literary works, African countries are now faced with the challenge of managing their own affairs.
During a courtesy call on Mr Atukwei Okai, Secretary General of Pan-African Writers Association (PAWA), Prof. Ndebele, who is also a founding president of the Congress of South African Writers (COSAW), said the abolition of apartheid has shifted the themes of his writings to the people's way of life and how to keep South Africa together.
Prof. Ndebele has to his credit, "Rediscovery of the Ordinary - Essays on South African Literature and Culture", published in 1991, "Bonolo and the Peach Tree", 1992, and "Fools and Other Stories" which won the African premier literary award, the Noma award in 1983.
Prof. Ndebele praised Ghana for being "a nation that has a lot of respect for memory" after visiting a number historic sites.
He said it is only natural that the PAWA Secretariat has been housed in Ghana, adding; "It is important that we come here and pay our respect to the spirits represented here."
Mr Okai described Prof. Ndebele as "a founding spirit behind PAWA, and in that capacity COSAW has been a major pillar.
"Under him writers in South Africa played a tedious part in awakening the people to the call of the day and the South African spirit heard them through their (writers') creations."
GRi…/
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