The objective of this paper is to show the danger caused by

abandoning African tradition. This is explained through uNosilimela's

journey to self-realization. The paper is divided into two sections. The
first section deals with the term tradition and how it is applicable to
Africa's reverence to the past. The researcher then surveys the threats that
African tradition was exposed to by the European colonialism. This leads
the way to the second section in which uNosilimela is being discussed. In
the play, Mutwa traces the Africans' fluctuating relationship with tradition
through uNosilimela, the play's heroine. In her journey to self -realization,
Mutwa presents a clear picture about the difference between traditional
Africa and the one polluted by Europe's colonial impact.

The research paper's frame of reference depends on the works of

Frantz Fanon (1925-1961). His books The Wretched of the Earth (1963),
Black Skin, White Masks (1967) and Toward the African Revolution
(1988) are essential for revealing the cultural and psychological effects of
colonialism on the Africans and their tradition. Several questions are
answered throughout the paper: What is the importance of preserving
African tradition? How do the colonizers try to uproot Africans from their
identity? How does uNosilimela’s abandoning of tradition lead to her
suffering? How does uNosilimela reach her self-realization?

I. African Tradition Before and After Colonialism

Tradition is derived from the Latin word "tradere" which means

to "deliver" or "hand over" (Fornas 22). Therefore, tradition "hands
something over through time, from one generation to another" (22). This
shows that it is the essential link between the ancestors who represent the
past and their descendants who represent the present. Together, they

1
complete the process of transmission in which "a set of beliefs, customs,
knowhow, attitudes, psychological mindsets, etc." (Diop 223) secure the
unified cultural identity that the members of a certain nation usually share.

From this perspective, African societies are traditional as they adopt

specific "patterns, customs, beliefs and rituals inherited from the past and
orally transmitted through generations . . ." (Omeje and Kwaja 95).
Among these traditional features that give Africa its specificity are the
Africans' strong belief in their traditional religion, their sense of solidarity
as well as their loyalty to the tribe.

African traditional religion can be defined as the "religious beliefs

and practices of the Africans. It is the . . . heritage from the past . . . which
connects the past with the present and the present with eternity" (Awolau
1). In this deep rooted religion, the Africans' reverence to the past
becomes clear in the respect and honour they give to their ancestors.
While they are alive, the ancestors are regarded as "the guardians of the
existing social order, the custodians of tradition …" (Schapera 30). After
their death, they become the "intermediaries" between their descendants
and God (Mangany and Buitendag 1).

Another remarkable aspect of the African traditional society is the

concept of solidarity which forms the bases of the Africans' lives. In this
collaborative society, Africans are taught that they are all members of a
big family which is the tribe. Based on this strong sense of belonging, the
members of the tribe provide "love, attention, and care" for each other
(Some`301). This means that under this communal system, no one has to
suffer from the shortage of "food, shelter or love as long as there is a
relative or tribal brother with anything at all to share" (Lamb 33).

2
 Africa's unique traditional identity remained intact until its contact
with Europe through colonialism. It was an abusive relationship in which
Europe used its military and economic power to declare its superiority
over Africa as one of "those pre-modern societies and cultures that were
'locked' in the past . . ." (Ashcroft, et al. 145). In their claims, European
powers were mainly pushed by their need for "sources of raw materials"
(Patke 7) as well as "markets supporting the economic expansion" that
they were going through at that time (7). This qualified Africa to become
the perfect candidate for colonial exploitation. However, this exploitation
needed a cover which was labeled, the "civilizing mission" (Mignolo 14).

This sacred mission revolved around imposing "Western

civilization by celebrating its achievements" (2-3) in addition to "saving
the souls through conversion to Christianity" (14). Under this moralistic
cover, Europe embarked on its brutal exploitation to Africa's economic
"resources in the form of minerals, agricultural produce and land" (Diop
227).

European colonialism to Africa was not only destructive in its

military form but also in its cultural one. This form of "cultural
imperialism" (Iweriebor 469) was based on substituting the African
traditional culture, language and religion which were considered inferior
to those of superior Europe. The result of this cultural uprooting was that
many Africans began to suffer from "cultural estrangement" (Fanon,
Wretched 210). Fanon believes that through this process:

Colonialism is not satisfied merely with holding

a people in its grip and emptying the native's
brain of all form and content. By a kind of
perverted logic, it turns to the past of the

3
 oppressed people, and distorts, disfigures, and
destroys it. (210)

This highly destructive role was carried out by the European

missionaries in Africa. They were Europe's colonial agents who began to
erase Africa's traditional identity and religion by replacing them with
those of the colonizers. This was done through education and Christianity.

Regarding education, it was a necessity to breed a new generation

of African youth who were to become followers to "the values of western
society . . ." (Khapoya 156). Moreover, it was a tool for increasing the
number of "African workers (both semiskilled and clerical) without
necessarily empowering them sufficiently to challenge colonial rule"
(156).

As for Christianity, it was wickedly turned from a heavenly religion

that was based on "love and equality between men" (Ngugi 31) into a
colonial religion which preached "inequality . . . and the consequent
subjugation of the black race by the white race" (31). Eventually, many
Africans became victims of this cultural sabotage. They began to believe
that "mimicking and assimilating values set before them by missionaries"
(Sindima 124) would make them equal to their superior oppressors.
Consequently, they "turned their backs on their own traditions, calling
them heathen practices, superstitions, and work of the devil" (124).

European colonialism knew how African traditional religion was

not only Africa's faith, but also its identity. Therefore, colonialism used its
brain-washed Africans in persuading their brothers to convert to
Christianity and forsake "the religion of their forefathers" (Bascom and

4
Herskovits 3). Nevertheless, many Africans did not respond to these calls
and continued to believe in "African deities, the homage to the ancestors,
and the recourse to divination, magic, and other rituals"(3).

African tradition was not only subjected to the assaults of Europe's

colonial religion, it was also attacked by a series of European ills which
were alien to the African traditional society. The most prominent were
urbanization and individualism. According to Nugent, urbanization was
related to "the city, with consumption for its own sake and with individual
self-expression" (127). This contrasted with the African traditional
societies which were "associated with the countryside, with ritual
practices and with communal norms . . ." (127).

Though the difference was obvious, colonialism succeeded in

creating urban centers all over Africa. This encouraged many Africans to
forsake their rural tribal life and to migrate to the cities in search for
money (Dubb 444). They were easily lured by the big cities' "modern
amenities like electric lighting, large stores and shops, cinemas, bars and
dance halls" (Little 11) which separated them from "the bush enclosing
their village" (11). This physical and mental separateness from the tribe
led to the growth of a strong sense of individualism. The result was
"fragmenting community life and making each person think in terms only
of his or her own interests without any commitment to a shared social life
that characterizes the traditional society" (Gyekye 276).

As a result of these colonial influences and their impact on the

African traditional identity, many voices began to call for a return to
African tradition. Among these voices was Frantz Fanon who believed
that the return to tradition was the only way to cure the Africans' sense of

5
inferiority that was caused by colonialism. In Black Skin, White Masks,
Fanon wrote that the more the African embraced his tradition, the more he
acknowledged that the "white man was wrong, I was not a primitive, not
even a half-man, I belonged to a race that had already been working in
gold and silver two thousand years ago" (130).

Fanon even spoke about the African intellectuals who re-embraced

their tradition and wished that others would follow them:

. . . the native intellectuals . . . decided to back

further and to delve deeper down; and let
us make no mistake, it was with the greatest
delight that they discovered that there was
nothing to be ashamed of in the past, but
rather dignity, glory, and solemnity. (Wretched
210)

These words typically apply to Credo Mutwa who uses his work,
uNosilimela as a means for reminding the Africans of the importance of
sticking to their tradition in a world infested by destructive colonial
influences. In Mutwa's play, uNosilimela is not only the heroine, but she
is also a symbol of Africa. She goes through a journey which begins with
her alienation from tradition and ends with re-embracing it.

II.uNosilimela's Reaction to Tradition from Rejection to Reconciliation

The first stage in uNosilimela's journey which the paper discusses is

her traditional environment. This is intended to show how her sense of
power and security later disappears when she is banished from her home.
The second stage concentrates on uNosilimela's deterioration after turning
against tradition. She becomes vulnerable to betrayal, injustice, racist

6
Christianity and death threats by murderers. This is contrasted with the
positive aspects that tribal tradition offers including fidelity, justice,
spirituality of African traditional religion and safety of family ties. The
last stage represents the end of uNosilimela's journey. In it, she re-
embraces her traditional identity when she discovers tradition's power in
ending her suffering.

1.uNosilimela's Sacred Birth and Early Life within Tradition

uNosilimela is the amaQhashi's princess. She is half human from

her father, king Magadlemzini's side and half goddess from her mother
Kimamireva, who is the "princess of the stars" (Mutwa, uNosilimela 16).
When Magadlemzini and Kimamireva got married, Mangothobani, the
high diviner, predicted that the fruit of this marriage will be a child who
"will one day save the amaQhashi from destruction, a child whose
greatness will be the talk of the future ages" (18).

After uNosilimela was born, she was named after "the Silimela
constellation" (18) which her mother used to watch every night when she
was pregnant. When Kimamireva died during childbirth, the amaQhashi
were summoned to declare uNosilimela as "a goddess who was to be
worshiped and to whom marriage and love were to be denied" (19). This
explains the 'u' in her name which the Zulu usually use for praise to a
sacred figure (Mzolo 214).

uNosilimela grows up to become a rebellious young woman who

defies all rules set up for her especially by tradition. She begins
to gradually violate traditional rules until she finally declares her
rejection to it. This drives her father to call her a "child of rebellion!"

7
(Mutwa, uNosilimela 20) .uNosilimela's first sign of her refusal to her
sacred position in tradition appears in her sister's wedding. She is
shown lamenting her destiny saying, "[o] god, why god, why am I denied
love? . . . Am I not a woman? All my sisters are married but I'm left
behind like a broom. Why, god, why? "(20).

uNosilimela's envious feelings towards her brothers and sisters who

can live a normal life, push her to make love to a young man called
Jabulani. With this act, uNosilimela defiles her divinity by involving in a
physical relationship. The shame that she brings to herself increases even
more when she later suffers from a miscarriage. As a result of her hideous
acts, her father, Magadlemzini gives her the punishment she deserves
according to tradition. He tells her:

. . . it is the law of your forefathers that if a

child has done what you have just done,
her father must not talk to her for three
months. From this moment I shall no longer
call you to my side nor eat the food you give
me nor drink the water you offer me. I shall
treat you as one dead. Sengikhulumile! [ I
have spoken !]. (23)

Here, Mutwa shows how punishment is applied in traditional

societies. There is no difference between people because of their status or
origins. All are equal when it comes to abiding to traditional laws. The
same applies to uNosilimela who gets to be punished by her father.
This traditional justice is contrasted with the European injustice which
uNosilimela later experiences during her exile.

In spite of all these hardships, uNosilimela continues her defiance

to tradition. The climax of her rebellion appears when Namdozolwana,

8
her stepmother, proudly confesses that she has killed Jabulani to avenge
uNosilimela's honour. As a result of this confession uNosilimela "strikes
the older woman an open-handed blow with the back of her hand" (25).
With this incident, uNosilimela declares her complete abandoning to
tradition including her respect for one of the tribe's elders who represents
traditional authority.

The humiliation that uNosilimela directs to tradition becomes so

severe to the extent that the Earth Mother, uNamkhumbulwana descends
to announce that the "hand that strikes the mother is cursed throughout the
land!" (25). Inspite of his love to his daughter, king Magadlemzini honors
the gods by declaring uNosilimela's exile saying:

My child, the ancient law of your fathers

says that if a child strikes its parent that
child shall be exiled from the land of its
people for fifteen years . . . . And, when
your period of exile is over, you will
find me waiting here in the Great Place of
your fathers, waiting to welcome you with
open arms once more. I have spoken. (25)

In African tradition, exile is usually given as a punishment to the

most horrific crimes. This stems from the fact that exile "ruins both body
and soul" (Nnam 71). However, this punishment for uNosilimela becomes
her chance to escape from the prison of her people's tradition. Therefore
she celebrates her freedom saying:

A dark cloud of shame hangs over my head.

[she brightens up] But it has bright silver
edges! I am now free, free to live, to learn
and free to love! Farewell, tribal stuffiness
and restriction! And welcome life and
endless joy! (Mutwa, uNosilimela 26)

9
 Fanon writes about a similar situation to that of uNosilimela when
the black man dreams of the paradise that Europe has established beyond
his place of belonging:

There is a psychological phenomenon that

consists in the belief that the world will
open to the extent to which frontiers are
broken down. Imprisoned on his island,
lost in an atmosphere that offers not the
slightest outlet, the Negro breathes in
this appeal of Europe like pure air.
(Black Skin 21)

Nevertheless, this illusion soon disappears when he is subjected to the

racist behavior of the colonizer that does not change by changing his
place. The situation is the same for uNosilimela who begins her journey of
suffering the moment she leaves her land where tradition dominates.

2.uNosilimela's Deterioration in Exile

This part traces uNosilimela's suffering outside the protection of her

traditional environment. Here, the focus is on uNosilimela's relapse which
increases the more she detaches herself from her traditional identity. This
is crucial in contrasting the values of traditional societies with the
corruption that exists beyond them.

-Marriage outside the Sacredness of Tradition

10
 uNosilimela experiences deceit in the most sacred relation in life
which is marriage. This occurs when she meets Alpheus Mafuza and
marries him. After moving to his house, Alpheus leaves to Johannesburg
and abandons her for "a rich man's daughter" (Mutwa, uNosilimela 27).
To secure his new marriage, Alpheus plots with his mother to get rid of
uNosilimela. Therefore, she accuses uNosilimela of witchcraft and sends
her to court for trial.

This is a strong evidence of how marriage is viewed in a society

alienated from tradition. Marriage is no longer a sacred relationship, but
rather a materialistic one. This is highly contrasted with the sacred value
of marriage in African tradition which is shown in the marriage of
uNosilimela's sister. Mutwa describes the ceremony of her sister's
marriage as a communal celebration in which all the amaQhashi
participate. When Magadlemzini presents his daughter to the groom, he
makes him swear by the gods that he will "love and cherish my child,
Bagangile, to the end of your days …" (19). In this traditional context,
marriage becomes a sacred bond which is based on trust rather than
deceit. Unfortunately, uNosilimela realizes the difference after it is too
late.

-The Injustice of Modern Courts

uNosilimela witnesses another form of corruption when she is sent

to court by her mother in-law. Though it is supposed to be a place where
justice is given to those who deserve it, the court is headed by a drunken
judge who cannot even stand on his feet. Without inspecting the unjust
accusation against uNosilimela, he ends the trial considering her guilty.
He even begins to sexually harass uNosilimela telling her, "you would

11
make a delicious breakfast. . . . I want you in bed one day, uyandiva ke?"
(28).

This scene is the exact opposite of the traditional trial which ruled
to banish uNosilimela. In it, the king's verdict is against his own daughter.
This proves that in African traditional law, justice prevails. The verdict is
also merciful as the exile is for a specific time and once it is finished,
uNosilimela can go back. As for the law outside tradition, it is represented
by lustful drunken men. In such conditions, uNosilimela begins to miss
the safety of her land where she was protected by both her people as well
as her sacred status which was given to her by tradition.

-The Misrepresentation of Christianity

In exile, uNosilimela is not only estranged from her tribal bonds but
also her traditional religion. This occurs when she is introduced to
Christianity. In this episode, Mutwa criticizes the role of Western
Christianity in turning the African against his traditional religion and
consequently his identity. This is clear through the character of Sister
Veronica. She is a black nun who teaches uNosilimela how to read and
write. In return, Sister Veronica converts her to Christianity and therefore
becomes uNosilimela's link to the Europeans' religion.

Sister Veronica symbolizes the brain washed Africans who fully

accept the colonizers' subjugating views and even spread it among their
people. This appears when she insists that uNosilimela must be baptized
or else she will be condemned to Hell. She takes uNosilimela to church
and shows her how the Bible portrays the white Adam and Eve in
the presence of a black Satan. Nevertheless, uNosilimela refuses to

12
believe that "all the great chiefs of the past who died before the coming of
Christianity"(32) have gone to Hell. She even draws Sister Veronica's
attention that if Adam and Eve were white, "where did we the black
people originate?" (33).

uNosilimela's inquiries begin to reveal the shallowness of Europe's

racist Christianity. In this incident, the colonial role of the missionaries
becomes clear in using Christianity as a weapon to turn Africans against
their culture. According to Fanon:

The customs of the colonized people, their

traditions, their myths . . . are the very sign
of that poverty of spirit . . . . That is why we
must put the DDT which destroys parasites,
the bearers of disease, on the same level as
the Christian religion which wages war on
embryonic heresies and instincts, and on evil
as yet unborn. (Wretched 42)

It is noticeable how uNosilimela fails to understand the kind

of Christianity that Sister Veronica offers her. This indicates how African
traditional religion is an inseparable part of the African identity. However,
it is the price that they must pay to acquire missionary education.

-uNosilimela in Johannesburg

The most difficult stage in uNosilimela's journey is when she

reaches Johannesburg. In this part, Mutwa portrays Johannesburg as the
center of violence and corruption. It is the place where organized crimes
prevail through gangs, criminals and where immoral activities are the
norm through the shebeens. In the middle of this poisonous atmosphere,

13
uNosilimela laments the purity of the rural life that she was living in
among her people.

Through Johannesburg, Mutwa directs a sever attack to European

urbanity which changed the nature of the traditional African societies.
During the colonial presence, many Africans turned to the big cities
searching for better economic opportunities that were not available in
their small villages. The result of this migration was the formation of
crowded slums where poverty and unemployment prevailed. In this alien
setting, the rural Africans found themselves isolated from the tribal bonds
that gave them solidarity. They became brutal to each other as they were
competing for material gains. Fanon describes a typical African urban
setting saying:

The town . . . is a place of ill fame,

peopled by men of evil repute. They
are born there, it matters little where
or how; they die there, it matters
not where, nor how. It is a world
without spaciousness; men live there
on top of each other, and their huts
are built one on top of the other.
(Wretched 39)

In Johannesburg, uNosilimela meets Mamoloi, the owner of a

shebeen. The moment she sees uNosilimila, Mamoloi decides to take
advantage of her beauty by making "money out of her" (Mutwa,
uNosilimela 36). This reflects the corruption of this society in which
humans are regarded as commodities who can be sold to the highest
bidder.

14
 In the city, Mutwa writes about another form of violence, but this
time it is against oneself. This is in the form of assimilation. It occurs
when a

racialized social group tries to imitate the

oppressor and thereby to deracialize itself. The
"inferior race" denies itself as a different race.
It shares with the "superior race" the convictions,
doctrines, and other attitudes concerning it.
(Fanon, Toward the African Revolution 38)

Mutwa represents assimilation through the character of Alpheus

Mafuza, uNosilimela's husband. He reappears in the play but this time
under the name of Mr. Jackson Makudula. He visits Mamoloi's shebeen in
the white man's clothes accompanied by his new wealthy wife. Alpheus's
new name and clothes are a symbol of his betrayal not only to
uNosilimela who represents tradition but also to himself. He gives up his
own sense of belonging for a subjugating identity which is based on
materialism and fake appearances. People like Alpheus are described by
Fanon in his book Black Skin, White Masks as follows:

For him there is only one way out, and it

leads into the white world . . . his concern
with being powerful like the white man,
his determined effort to acquire protective
qualities that is, the proportion of being
or having that enters into the composition
of an ego . . . . From black to white is the

course of mutation. One is white as one

is rich, as one is beautiful, as one is
intelligent. (51 - 52)

15
 Alpheus's selfishness reaches its extreme when he sees uNosilimela
in the shebeen and ignores her. He prefers his new status to his former
wife and therefore he refuses to save her from what she is in. Even when
uNosilimela recognizes him, he insults her saying:

You see, if you're man-crazy, just go to

Dube hostel: You'll find plenty men there.
[furtively he takes out his wallet and offers
Nosilimela some banknotes] . . . . Go
and bark at somebody else, baby.
(Mutwa, uNosilimela 44)

His wickedness does not stop at this point. He realizes that

uNosilimela's presence in Johannesburg will jeopardize his new marriage.
Therefore, he hires a murderer to get rid of her. It is clear that Alpheus is
seeking to secure his individual interest by any means. This strong sense
of individualism is seen by Fanon as a direct result to assimilation. He
explains that the African who submerges himself into the oppressor's
culture "has clothed his aggressiveness in his . . . desire to assimilate . . . .
He has used his aggressiveness to serve his own individual interests"
(Wretched 60).

3. uNosilimela's Reconciliation with Tradition

Fearing for her life, uNosilimela escapes to the northern part of

Transvaal. In her loneliness and fear, uNosilimela pleads for deliverance.
However, the religious perplexity that she experiences through her
journey makes her incapable of choosing a god to direct her prayers to. At
that moment, uMvelinqangi, the Earth Mother's son appears.

16
 Through this confrontation, uNosilimela finally embraces her
previously rejected tradition. She realizes the authenticity of African
tradition which she was not able to find in European culture.
uMvelinqangi teaches her about Africa's belief in a universal God who
does not belong to a certain race or colour. He even asserts that Africa
was the cradle of the entire humanity as well as the place where "Man first
discovered God" (Mutwa, uNosilimela 51). uMvelinqangi ends his lesson
to uNosilimela by pointing to the reason behind Africa's deterioration
which is the advent of the white man with his new culture and religion.
This represents the core of the play. He tells uNosilimela :

[. . .[ your people always held the belief that

a race is only as great as the gods it believes
in and when they saw the guns of the
whiteman, they wrongly assumed therefore
that his religion was different and superior
to theirs . . . There lay the tragedy. (53)

In return for giving uNosilimela the knowledge that she needs,

uMvelinqangi takes away her eyesight leaving her blind. Inspite of her
pain, uNosilimela shows her acceptance of uMvelinqangi's verdict. She
reaches a stage of self-realization and states that "]a[fter what I have seen,
after the miracle my eyes have beheld, I seek not to look upon this
evil world again"(53). Therefore, uNosilimela's blindness is significant. In
losing her eyesight, she gains her insight about the uniqueness of her
traditional identity as well as her role in securing its continuity to the
future generations of the amaQhashi.
With uMvelinqangi's punishment, uNosilimela ends her exile and
returns home. On her return, uNosilimela is warmly welcomed by her
father and the entire tribe. The amaQhashi's celebrations become symbolic

17
of uNosilimela's re-adoption of her role as their savior. When a
destructive series of "bombs and explosions are heard" (58), uNosilimela
reaches full realization of the role prescribed to her by tradition and which
was stated many years back in Mangothobani's prophecy. As the fire
spreads throughout the place, uNosilimela directs the amaQhashi to the
Earth Mother's cave where they take shelter. The fire consumes
everything around them to indicate that all what is corrupt is vulnerable to
destruction. As for the amaQhashi, they are saved because of their belief
in their tradition.

The play ends with a futuristic scene which shows the amaQhashi's
descendants celebrating the historical day when their ancestors were saved
from the destructive fire five hundred years back. This optimistic scene
reflects Mutwa's vision that the day Africa regains its tradition, peace and
prosperity will prevail. However, re-embracing tradition can only occur
when Africa sheds away the destructive influence of the West. According
to Mutwa:

The only thing that can save us is to tell

the foreigners openly that we do not
wish to have their alien creeds, dogmas,
beliefs . . . . The sons of Africa must
let the world know that we can well
do without civilisation if this means
that we have to throw our own
culture, beliefs and way of life
overboard . . . . You must bring out
the many things hidden in your
villages – things that whisper of
Africa's not – yet – forgotten past.
(Indaba, My Children 692 - 693)

18
Conclusion

To sum up, tradition is part and parcel of one's identity. It is the

bridge that connects the past to the present in order to secure the future.
Based on that function, tradition has been the core of the African identity
which has given it its uniqueness. However, this distinct identity has been
threatened by Europe's intervention through colonialism. This craving for
Africa's riches has been disguised as a noble cause which aimed at
civilizing Africa. The mission of saving the Africans from their
primitiveness has turned into an act of sabotaging their sense of belonging
to their traditional culture and religion. Consequently, this has led to
alienating the Africans from their own identity replacing it with that of
their oppressors.

From that perspective, Mutwa has written uNosilimela as a warning

against the destructive results of forsaking African tradition. He has
focused on uNosilimela who has symbolized Africa's estrangement in
a world governed by colonial norms. Mutwa has traced uNosilimela's
journey including her life within traditional rules. Then he has shifted to
her revolt against tradition. There, he has concentrated on the colonial
ills that swept the African society. Mutwa has ended the play by
uNosilimela's reconciliation with tradition which consequently has saved
her people from the destruction which has been created by colonialism.
Mutwa's play has become a plea for re-embracing African tradition which
he believes to be Africa's weapon against the colonizer's attempts to
annihilate the African identity.
Thus, the research questions that have been raised at the beginning
of the paper have been answered through tracing uNosilimela's journey to
self-realization. Mutwa's message therefore, has centered on raising the

19
Africans' awareness about the importance of preserving their tradition as
the strongest defense against the colonizers' wicked strategies to uproot
them.

Works Cited

20
Ashcroft, Bill, et al. Post-Colonial Studies: The Key Concepts. Routledge,
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Awolau, J.O. "What is African Traditional Religion?" Studies in

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Bascom, William R. and Melville J. Herskovits, editors. Continuity and

Change in African Cultures. U of Chicago P, 1998.

Diop, Samba. "African Elites and Their Post-Colonial Legacy: Cultural,

Political and Economic Discontent by Way of Literature." African
Development, vol. xxvii, no.4, 2012, pp. 221-235. CODESRIA
Accessed 6 June 2016.

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