Category Archives: Africa

Vertiginous Africa

Tourist images of the African continent are dominated by scenes of safari adventures. While these entail their own colonial associations – Africa as nature rather than culture – there is a more phenomenological dimension to the African experience for westerners. This suggests a continent that we look down to. Virgin Airlines have just released their [...]

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Zimbabwe: The Colossus from the North Finds Ruins in the South

If I had a mother, Oh Time, leave me alone. She would offer me food when she ate herself, Oh Time, leave me alone. It’s only the gods who know, Oh Time, leave me alone. She would say, ‘Here you are my child’. Patrick Chakaipa[1] Now we take a sideways leap from the South Pacific [...]

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Voices from South Africa

It’s rare to hear voices out of South Africa, other than those that confirm northern stereotypes of violence and disorder. If you are seeking an alternative view, then I would recommend the Victor Dlamini interviews. Dlamini talks with some of the lions of the South African literary scene, including Mbulelo Mzamane, Njabulo Ndebele, Breyten Breytenbach [...]

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