The Life and Literary Works of Peter Tshobiso Mtuze - A Critical Analysis by Andile Ernest Mafrika Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the subject African Languages at Rhodes University Supervisor: Professor Russell H. Kaschula August 2016 1 Student number: 12m6869 I declare that THE LIFE AND LITERARY WORKS OF PETER TSHOBISO MTUZE - A CRITICAL ANALYSIS, is my own work and that all the sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references. Signature Date (Andile E. Mafrika) 2 Abstract and Summary This thesis is an exploration of the concept of Mphahlele’s African Humanism, against the backdrop of the life and work of Peter Tshobiso Mtuze, well-known author of isiXhosa books, critic, academic and spiritual leader. Mtuze’s commitment to the collective rather than the individual is clearly illustrated in the thesis, suggesting that his early life of struggle, his belated development as an acclaimed academic, as well as his spiritual growth are all intertwined and underpinned by African Humanism and an Afrocentric ethos. The thesis consists of six chapters with each chapter focusing on a particular aspect of the research topic. Chapter One deals with the introduction to the research topic. Part of the introductory material consists of conventional preliminaries such as a research statement, aim of study, methodology, main assumptions of the study and the significance and benefit of the study. Chapter Two is the theoretical foundation of the thesis. It covers the origin of African Humanism as consciousness and as a system of society, oral and written literature in Africa and the early Xhosa literary humanism. Chapter Three is an overview of the biographical background of Peter Tshobiso Mtuze, his Pass Law battles in different towns of South Africa, how he joined the African National Congress (ANC) and his working life and writing life. Chapter Four analyses two major novels, UDingezweni and Alitshoni lingaphumi, and a short story book, Amathol’ eendaba. The analysis aims at revealing African consciousness and African way of life with specific reference to Xhosa people. Chapter Five deals with Xhosa spirituality, its aspects and symbols, Mtuze’s Spirituality and Anglicanism and his writings. Chapter Six is a general conclusion that highlights the main aspects of the thesis, the African personality and the prospects of African humanism in today’s world. KEY WORDS African humanism, African spirituality, African consciousness, African way of life, oral literature, Xhosa spirituality. 3 Acknowledgements I owe a huge debt of gratitude to many people for the success of this thesis. Uppermost in my mind is my grandmother, Nongaye Elizabeth Mafrika, for bringing me up and moulding me as an African child. I thank my late mother, Wendy Mafrika, my father, my ancestors and my God. My supervisor, Professor Russell Kaschula, deserves a special mention for the enthusiasm shown from beginning to end, for his unimposing personality when guiding me through this work. His extensive interest in this work and his belief that we will undertake it, can never escape my mind. I am particularly indebted to Ntombazana Botha for trusting me with her volume of the IsiXhosa Dictionary throughout the period of this research and for her support. I cannot fail to thank my adopted father, Prof Peter Mtuze, who gave me all his time. I have learnt so much from the lively discussions, the firm and warm hugs and hand shakes, the tears of good taste and the meanings coming from the razor-sharp mind that never retires. Professor Mtuze is a father of African children. A final word goes to my wife, Coceka, for giving up all her time to me and to our lovely children, Zukisa and Wendy, for standing by me through this difficult period and for her interest in this research. The financial assistance of the National Research Foundation (NRF) and the NRF SARChI Chair in the Intellectualisation of African Languages, Multilingualism and Education in the School of Languages and Literatures (African Language Studies) at Rhodes University is gratefully acknowledged. The opinions expressed in this work are those of the author and are not necessarily attributable to the NRF. 4 Table of Contents Declaration (2) Abstract and Summary (3) Acknowledgements (4) 1. Introduction 8 1.1 Research Statement 8 1.2 Aim of Study 11 1.3 Methodology 12 1.4 Main Assumptions of the Study 13 1.5 The Significance and Benefit of the Study 13 1.6 Summary 17 2. Theoretical Foundation 18 2.1 Introduction 18 2.2 Humanism 18 2.3 African Humanism 20 2.4 African Humanism as Consciousness 24 2.5 African Humanism as System of Society 29 2.5.1 Sacredness of Human Life 29 2.5.2 Goal-orientedness 31 2.5.3 Ancestors 33 2.5.4 UBuntu 34 2.5.5 Orality 37 2.6 Writing in Africa 38 2.6.1 Background 38 2.6.2 The African Writing 39 2.6.3 IsiXhosa Literature 41 2.6.3.1 Early Xhosa Literary Humanism 43 2.6.3.2 Ntsikana 43 2.6.3.3 Tiyo Soga 47 2.6.3.4 SEK Mqhayi 49 2.7 Pan Africanist Sentiment in isiXhosa Writing 57 2.8 Black Consciousness Sentiment 62 2.9 Sobukwe-Biko-Mandela 68 2.10 Summary 74 5 3. A Biographical Overview of Peter Tshobiso Mtuze 75 3.1 Introduction 75 3.2 The Making of Mtuze 7 5 3.3 Kusi Mtuze 83 3.4 Rev James Arthur Calata 94 3.4.1 Mtuze meets Rev Calata 96 3.5 The Pass Laws: A challenge Facing Mtuze 101 3.5.1 The Battle of Port Elizabeth 102 3.5.2 The Battle of Middleburg 105 3.5.3 The Battles of Cape Town 108 3.5.4 The Battle of Pretoria 112 3.6 Mtuze: On his Own yet within the African National Congress 115 3.7 Mtuze - The Interpreter 132 3.8 Summary 155 4. Mtuze’s novel and short story: A Representation of Consciousness and Society 156 4.1 Introduction 156 4.2 Alitshoni lingaphumi 156 4.2.1 The Rise of Phangindawo 168 4.3 AmathoT eendaba 188 4.4 UDingezweni 201 4.5 Summary 214 5. Mtuze’s Spirituality and Anglicanism 215 5.1 Introduction 215 5.2 Xhosa Spirituality 215 5.2.1 Religion 215 5.2.2 Human Life 219 5.2.3 Oosiyazi 221 5.2.4 Land 224 5.2.5 Family and Clan Relationships 225 5.2.5.1 Relationships in Dingezweni 227 5.2.6 Education 230 5.2.7 Animals 232 5.2.8 Plants 235 5.2.9 Evil Spirits 236 5.2.10 Dreams and Visions 238 5.3 Mtuze’s Anglicanism 241 5.3.1 Mtuze’s Church Stories 248 5.4 Summary 255 6 6. African Humanism - A Future 256 6.1 Introduction 256 6.2 Self-awareness 257 6.3 Intelligence and open-mindedness 258 6.4 Soul Force 259 6.5 Africa-centredness 260 6.6 Conclusion 261 6.7 Bibliography 263 7 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Research Statement The research area to be addressed by this study is one of Literary Humanism in works written by Peter Tshobiso Mtuze. Literary Humanism creates linkages between the life of the author and their work. This concept will befully defined in Chapter 2. Research in this area pertaining to works of prominent and influential African writers who have lived their lives writing in African languages is not prolific in South Africa. This is confirmed by Dianne Shober who wrote on the life and works of Sindiwe Magona, a South African writer who is a woman, in her literary biography Climbing Higher - Sindiwe Magona. In a discussion paper delivered in 2012 Shober cites the Dictionary of African Biography, edited by E.K. Akyeampong and Henry Louis Gates as follows: ...the rich history of the African people has been unduly neglected in the scholarly literature, and reliable reference material is in short supply save for the known ... stars of the literary world, Achebe, Thiong’o, Soyinka and Mphahlele. Shober further notes that if such a text were to be developed, it would “serve as a corrective to the long tradition of inadequate treatment by scholars” (Shober, 2012:1). The literary exploration and the discussion of works in their place and time and their authorship, has not been fully realized with writers who write in their mother tongues in Africa. More and more scholarly attention is needed in this area. In fact, mistakes such as those that happened with early writings in Western literature must be avoided. Gerard (1971:9) writes about “irritation” and “frustration” caused by absence of scholarly literary treatments: ... we know nothing or next to nothing about even the most illustrious writers, their experience of life, their aesthetic and other purposes; very often, even their names are a mystery. 8 Commenting on African writers, Gerard (1971:10) writes: Of the early authors, many have remained anonymous, many are dead, and only their names survive on tattered front pages. Nothing is known that might help the historian to understand why they wrote, and why they wrote the way they did. Gerald Moser recently revealed that the first volume of poetry printed in Angola was Espontaneidades de Minha (Luanda, 1849), by one Jose da Silva Maia Ferreira. We do not know the author’s skin color, not to mention his birthdate, his education, his career, and all the elementary facts that the historian of any modern European literature takes for granted. Shober and Gerard are agreeing that books are an expression of a society from which the writer emanates.