The quest for a reconciled South Africa : political transformation in Zakes Mda's The Madonna of Excelsior

Abstract

This article explores the quest for political transformation in South Africa as depicted in Zakes Mda's The Madonna of Excelsior (2002). It is underpinned by the Immorality and Prohibition of Marriage Act as a legislative framework that adversely impacted both black and white racial groups during apartheid rule. The article further traces aspects of reconciliation from the apartheid era to the democratic dispensation as portrayed in the novel. It presents how Mda applies a retrospective nation-building narrative that fuses historical descriptions with fiction to satirise and subvert colonial nationalism for a prospective South African political unity. Similarly, he deconstructs manifestations of corruption of state resources by the black elite. The narrative of transition in South Africa does not only pertain to historical accounts, it also serves as an instrument to contrast the two administrations as they resume duty in the new South Africa, fictionalised as Excelsior, shortly after the elections. This article, thus, examines political transition in retrospect in order to project an inclusive future. It excavates historical accounts that can contribute to a deeper understanding of current events to assist South Africa re-imagine a transformed and peaceful future.