Decolonisation of Materialities or Materialisation of (Re-)Colonisation?

edited by Artwell Nhemachena, Jairos Kangira and Nelson Mlambo

Symbolisms, Languages, Ecocriticism and (Non)Representationalism in 21st Century Africa

Contemporary scholarly discourses about decolonising materialities are taking two noticeable trajectories, the first trajectory privileges establishing “connections”, “relationships” and “associations” between human beings and nature. The second trajectory privileges restoration, restitution, reparations for colonial dispossessions, lootings and disinheritance. While the first trajectory presupposes that colonialism was merely about “separation”, “alienation”, and “disconnections” between human beings and nature, the second trajectory stresses the colonialists’ dispossession, disinheritance and privations of Africans.

Drawing on contemporary discourses about materialities in relation to semiotics, (non-)representationalism, rhetoric, ecocriticism, territorialisation, deterritorialisation and reterritorialisation, translation, animism, science and technology studies, this book teases out the intellectually rutted terrain of African materialities. It argues that in a world of increasing impoverishment, the significance of materialities cannot be overemphasised: more so for the continent of Africa where impoverishment “materialises” in the midst of resource opulence. The book is a pacesetter in no holds barred interrogation of African materialities.

Artwell Nhemachena

Artwell Nhemachena holds a PhD in Social Anthropology from the University of Cape Town. He has lectured at a number of universities in Zimbabwe. Currently he lectures in Sociology at the University of Namibia. He has published journal papers, book chapters and books on violence and conflict, relational ontologies and resilience, environment, development, democracy, research methods, humanitarianism and civil society organisations, anthropological jurisprudence, mining, society and politics, religion, industrial sociology, decoloniality and social theory. He is a laureate and active member of CODESRIA since 2010.

Jairos Kangira

Jairos Kangira is Professor of Rhetoric Studies and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Namibia.

Nelson Mlambo

Nelson Mlambo holds a PhD and currently lectures in the Department of Language and Literature Studies at the University of Namibia.