The Consequences of Abandoning African Tradition Represented in Credo Mutwa's Play uNosilimela

Abstract

Abstract This research paper explores the impact of the European contact on African tradition in a colonial context. It focuses on the hazards of abandoning tradition and substituting it with the colonizer's alien culture. This is examined through a postcolonial reading of uNosilimela (1973) by the South African playwright Credo Mutwa (1921- ).This reading is guided by the works of Frantz Fanon (1925-1961) as a frame of reference. In the play, uNosilimela goes through a journey which represents the Africans' relationship with their tradition before and after the colonial impact. uNosilimela's abandoning of her African tradition exposes her to severe suffering. However, her final self-realization leads to a reunion with tradition. Therefore, the play's core is Mutwa's call for the Africans to reunite with their tradition and to defend it against the colonizer's attempts to alienate them from their identity.