an afrocentric enquiry on lived experience of ubuntu among isizulu-speaking persons from different

140 Pages·2017·1.91 MB·English

AN AFROCENTRIC ENQUIRY ON LIVED EXPERIENCE
OF UBUNTU AMONG ISIZULU-SPEAKING PERSONS
FROM DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHIC AREAS, SOUTH
AFRICA

by

Shayne de Bruyn
(208505473)

Supervisor: Thabo Sekhesa
February 2017

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master
of Social Science, Counselling Psychology, in the School of Applied
Human Sciences at the University of KwaZulu- Natal, Pietermaritzburg,
South Africa

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DECLARATION

I ................................................................................declare that
(i) The research reported in this thesis, except where otherwise indicated, is my original
work.
(ii) This thesis has not been submitted for any degree or examination at any other university.
(iii) This thesis does not contain other persons‟ data, pictures, graphs or other information,
unless specifically acknowledged as being sourced from other persons.
(iv) This thesis does not contain other persons‟ writing, unless specifically acknowledged as
being sourced from other researchers. Where other written sources have been quoted,
then:
a. their words have been re‐written but the general information attributed to them has
been referenced
b. where their exact words have been used, their writing has been placed inside
quotation marks, and referenced.
(v) Where I have reproduced a publication of which I am author, co‐author or editor, I have
indicated in detail which part of the publication was actually written by myself alone and
have fully referenced such publications.
(vi) This thesis does not contain text, graphics or tables copied and pasted from the Internet,
unless specifically acknowledged, and the source being detailed in the thesis and in the
References sections.

Signed: ……………………………
Shayne de Bruyn
February 2017

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First and foremost, I would like to thank my father who has worked hard to provide his children
with opportunities that he never had. Without you I would never have received the amazing
education I have had. I hope I have shown you how much I have valued it.

To my mother, for always expressing an interest in my work, thank you. You have been my
companion throughout this process. Your open ears have allowed to bounce countless ideas off you
and helped me to untangle the chaos of information in my head. The time you‟ve taken in helping
me edit and improve my work has made a world of difference to me.

To my fiancé, Adam Green, I can‟t express how much I appreciate your unfailing love and
acceptance. You have been consistently supportive of me in this process in every way. Thank you
for you perpetual patience, as well as your enduring belief in me.

Thabo Sekhesa, my long-suffering supervisor and friend, thank you for your guidance, support and
encouragement. Your words, “Sha, just do you”, have echoed in my head during this whole process,
especially during mini meltdowns, and have not yet failed to calm me. Thank you for being so
understanding of my slow ways, need for independence and fears of evaluation. I have the utmost
respect for you and so I hope my work meets your standards and does justice to this subject. Your
passion for Ubuntu and Afrocentric thought has inspired the same passion in me, and for that, I am
forever grateful.

Last, but certainly not least, thank you from the bottom of my heart to the people who participated
in this study. Thank you for your time, expertise, considered opinions and for opening up my eyes
to new possibilities, ideas and ways of thinking. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of working
with each of you, and your accounts will resonate with me always. Thank you too for your hope. If
we have hope, we have a bright future worth fighting for.

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ABSTRACT

In post-apartheid South Africa, the term Ubuntu has come to be popularised and thus politicised by
the governing party (Coertze, 2001; Dolam, 2013). This has been done in an effort to evoke a sense
of unity in the South African populace and thus aid in nation building (Nkondo, 2007). However, in
order for Ubuntu to be a governing value embraced by South Africans and assimilated into South
African society, a clear definition and understanding is required so that it may have practical
application in day to day life. Such practical information seems to be largely missing in literature. It
was therefore the objective of the following Afrocentric, explorative study to investigate how the
concept of Ubuntu is subjectively defined, understood and applied by people in everyday life. In an
effort to gain detailed data, the study focussed on eight isiZulu-speaking persons from two
geographic areas in KwaZulu-Natal – the suburban areas surrounding Durban, and an informal
settlement in Pietermaritzburg. Both commonalities and discrepancies were discovered and
explored in the narratives of Ubuntu between the two areas under study. In addition, a multiplicity
of insights into the nature and practice of Ubuntu were discovered. It was found that Ubuntu
denotes the quality of being a person made possible through humane relationships with other
people, and that being a person simultaneously implies interconnection and morality. In addition, it
was found that participants conceptualised Ubuntu as inclusive of all human-beings, but practiced
Ubuntu in a more exclusive manner. Such discoveries facilitated a comprehensive discussion
around Ubuntu – the positives, potential downfalls, affecting variables and possibilities. The aim of
this work is to continue both the development of Afrocentric research in South Africa, as well as the
body of knowledge around Afrocentric topics such as Ubuntu, thus assisting in the effective
application of African knowledge in Africa.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION..............................................................................................................................i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................................................ii

ABSTRACT……..............................................................................................................................iii

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................1

1.5. Rationale for the Study...............................................................................................................1

1.4. Objectives of the Study..............................................................................................................2

1.3. Research Questions....................................................................................................................2

1.4. Definition of Terms....................................................................................................................3

1.5. Delimitation and Scope of the Study..........................................................................................4

CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF LITERATURE................................................................................5

2.1. The Afrocentric paradigm………………………………………………………………..…..5

2.2. Ubuntu……………………………………………………………………………………..…10

2.3. African personhood………………………………………………………………………..…11

2.4. Social morality………………………………………………………………………….….…23

2.5. Past, present and future…………………………………………………………………...…..31

2.6. Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………...….40

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY………………………………………………………….…..42

3.1. Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..…42

3.2. Research design and methodology……………………………………………………..…….42

3.3. Sampling…………………………………………………………………………………..….46

3.4. Instruments………………………………………………………………………………..….49

3.5. Data collection process…………………………………………………………………..…...52

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3.6. Data analysis and interpretation…………………………………………………………..….54

3.7. Validity, reliability and ethically sound research………………………………………..…...57

3.8. Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………..…..62

CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION…………………………………………….…..63

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………..…...63

Overview of the research participants…………………………………………………….….…...63

4.1. Defining Ubuntu………………………………………………………………………..….…64

4.2. Personhood……………………………………………………………………..…………….68

4.3. Being a person – demonstrating qualities of Ubuntu……………………………..……….…81

4.4. Ubuntu across place and time……………………………………………………..………….92

4.5. Reflexive account…………………………………………………………………….……...102

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSIONs AND RECOMMENDATIONS………………………………104

5.1. Implications and conclusions …………………………………………………………….…..104

5.2. Limitations……………..………………………………………………………………….…..105

5.3. Recommendations for improved policy and practice……………………………………...….107

REFERENCES……………………………………………………………………………..……109

APPENDICES………………………………………………………………………………...….115
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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

The aim of this study was to explore and understand the lived experiences of Ubuntu in suburbia
and in an informal settlement in KwaZulu-Natal. Literature indicates that Ubuntu is an African-
based life philosophy and culture to which numerous African communities and societies have
adhered: a collective way of being where interdependence is essential and inevitable (Dolam, 2013;
Nkondo, 2007, Ramose, 2001). Although such a description provides an abstract idea of Ubuntu, it
fails to provide a subjective, detailed or applied understanding of this term, or how the
conceptualisation and experience of Ubuntu may be affected and by what variables. The dearth of
information in these areas regarding Ubuntu therefore provided the focus and objectives for this
study. These objectives were achieved through an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA)
of eight isiZulu-speaking persons‟ personal narratives, and from within an Afrocentric paradigm.
The Afrocentric paradigm is a philosophical framework and worldview that centralises the African
perspective (Asante, 1991; Schreiber, 2000), and is therefore in keeping with the way this study is
to be conducted, as well as the subject of study – Ubuntu.

1.1. Rationale for the study
Although existing literature is able to provide descriptive definitions of Ubuntu, such definitions are
often abstract and sometimes vague (Dolam, 2013; Lutz, 2009). Accordingly, they do not delineate
how Ubuntu is understood, practiced or experienced in day-to-day life by lay people. This is
problematic if one acknowledges Mkhize‟s (2008) argument that Ubuntu is (or should be) an
applicable way of life that has relevance in reality, not a mere abstraction. In addition, it has been
argued that Ubuntu is a dynamic concept which adapts according to time, place and context
(Mkhize, 2008). The meaning of Ubuntu has therefore been transformed over the course of history,
undergoing multiple shifts in meaning (Coertze. 2001; Louw, 2010; Gade, 2011). Imposed
westernisation, apartheid policies and Christian influences have had an impact on how Ubuntu is
conceptualised and practiced (Coertze, 2001).

However, it seems that little attention has been paid to the context-dependent nature of Ubuntu or
how this impacts its real-world application. While traditional notions of Ubuntu are given
consideration, as well as its theoretical roots and core ideas, the lived experience of Ubuntu in
current-day South Africa has been largely overlooked. This is despite the conviction that the
majority of South Africans are brought up with Ubuntu and socialised in accordance with this way
of life (Ramose, 2001). It is therefore essential that Ubuntu, as it is understood and experienced by
people in present-day South Africa, is given due attention. Research needs to be done to find out
more about the dynamic nature of Ubuntu – if and how it has been adapted and used by people
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across different contexts, the impact this has on its meaning, definition, experience and application,
and how context-dependent differences and similarities effect Ubuntu in South Africa today. It is
expected that an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) of participants‟ experiences will go
some way to answer such questions, thus providing a more concrete understanding of Ubuntu in
present times. In addition, such a study is important in the South African context where research has
been largely dominated by Westernised approaches imposed on the Black population of South
Africa, and where Afrocentric investigations of important concepts such as Ubuntu are somewhat
underdeveloped.

1.2. Objectives
This study aims to explore the concept of Ubuntu as it is subjectively understood, experienced and
practiced by isiZulu-speakers from two different geographical and socio-economic backgrounds.
Through this exploration, it is hoped that this study is able to contribute to and expand on existing
literature on Ubuntu and Afrocentricity. In addition, a more defined and practical understanding of
Ubuntu may assist in navigating a path forward for Ubuntu in South Africa, both in academia as
well as in our everyday lives. With these broad aims in mind, the constituent objectives of this study
are as follows:
1) To explore how Ubuntu is subjectively defined, described and understood.
2) To learn if and how Ubuntu is practically experienced and exercised in every-day life.
3) To discover both the positives and potential shortcomings of Ubuntu according to
participants‟ personal perspectives.
4) To compare and understand commonalities and differences between the narratives on
Ubuntu across different geographical and socio-economic contexts thereby enhancing an
understanding of the dynamic, context-dependent nature of Ubuntu and the potential impact
this may have in South Africa.
5) To gain information on participants‟ views regarding the future of Ubuntu in South Africa.

1.3. Research questions
1) How is Ubuntu subjectively defined, described and understood by a sample of Zulu persons
living in two different geographic and socio-economic contexts in KwaZulu-Natal?
2) What do participants‟ narratives reveal about how Ubuntu is practised and experienced in
their day-to-day lives?
3) What are the positive and potentially negative aspects of Ubuntu according to participants‟
personal views?
4) How do the narratives regarding the experience of Ubuntu compare across the two chosen
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contexts, and what can such comparisons tell us?
5) What are participants‟ views regarding the future of Ubuntu in South Africa?

1.4. Definition of terms
There are five key concepts in this study which need to be expanded on: Afrocentricity or
Africentricity, Ubuntu, Zulu, peri-urban and suburban.

Afrocentricity or Africentricity is a philosophical framework and worldview that centralises the
African perspective (Asante, 1991). This includes African culture, history, beliefs, experiences
and aspirations (Asante, 1991; Schreiber, 2000). The Afrocentric stance therefore reveals a move
away from individualistic and isolated understandings of people, particularly people of African
descent, towards a collective and contextual understanding of human beings (Schiele, 1990).
Although “Afrocentricity” and “Africentricity” are interchangeable, (Nobles, 1985), the word
“Afrocentricity” or “Afrocentric” will be used from here on out.

Ubuntu is a derivative of the Nguni language and can be simplistically translated to mean being a
human-being (Ramose, 2001) or “the essence of being human” or “humaneness” (Coertze, 2001,
p. 113). However, it is perhaps more aptly defined by Ramose (1999a) as: “being human and
having a humane (respectful and polite) attitude towards other human beings” (p. 97).

The Zulu people are part of the larger African Nguni ethnic group who live in South Africa and
speak a derivative of the Bantu-language, isiZulu (Afolayan, 2004). They constitute the largest
cultural group in South Africa, and although widespread, predominate in KwaZulu-Natal (Wilkes
& Nkosi, 1998).

Informal settlement is the name given to “An unplanned settlement on land which has not been
surveyed or proclaimed as residential, consisting mainly of informal dwellings (shacks)”
(Statistics South Africa, as cited in the HDA, 2013, p. 6). Subsequently, an informal dwelling or
shack, is a structurally unapproved building made out of improvised materials (HDA, 2013).

Suburban areas are formal residential areas outside of the central city or town but still within the
confines of the city or town (Statistics South Africa, 2012). Historically speaking (under
apartheid policies), the suburbs referred specifically to typically official dwellings within White
inhabited areas (Statistics South Africa, 2012).

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1.5. Delimitation and scope of the study
The aim of this study was to explore in-depth the topic of Ubuntu according to the personal
perspectives of eight isiZulu-speaking participants in KZN – four from Hlalakahle, an informal
settlement in Pietermaritzburg, and four from the suburban areas surrounding Durban. This study is
therefore restricted to the narratives of these young adult participants, living in present-day South
Africa, within the specific aforementioned environments. The detailed, idiosyncratic data gained is
not meant to be generalised, but instead used as an preliminary exploration of what Ubuntu means
to this sample of lay people who are experts regarding their personal understandings and
experiences of Ubuntu in their own lives. The aim is to learn from them and illuminate their insights
into this topic. It is hoped that such information will open avenues for further areas of study, while
adding to already existing literature on Ubuntu.

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