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Papers by LUNGILE MPETSHENI

University of Pretoria, 2019

This thesis proffers Ubuntu as a soteriological ethic for the liberation of an effaced umntu in... more This thesis proffers Ubuntu as a soteriological ethic for the liberation of an effaced
umntu in the post 1994 South Africa from a black perspective. The post 1994 South
African socioeconomic policies perpetuate the effacement of umntu and are, thus, a
manifestation of ukunxaxha (hamartos – missing the mark) and an assault to the
image of God. Umntu continues to be undermined, marginalised and denigrated.
Umntu is wounded and broken.
The objective of the study is achieved by investigating hamartiological factors,
ukunxaxha, in the South African socio-economic situation and by analysing the
soteriological aspects of Ubuntu, approaching soteriology from a liberation
perspective.
Ubuntu is an African philosophy – ontology and ethics – that is as old as African
humanity. It is a progression towards wholeness – ingqibelelo and it guarantees
personhood, a sense of identity and human dignity. Ubuntu has stood against the
onslaught of European modernity, which fosters individualism and capitalism, which
have been the cause for ukunxaxha. Ubuntu fosters communalism,
interconnectedness and interdependence, emphasising the three dimensional
relationships, which include the living dead, the living and the yet-to-be-born. These
relationships need to be kept intact for a balanced life to continue in an African
worldview, so that there is reconciliation and harmony in the universe. The fulcrum of
Ubuntu is umntu ngumntu ngabantu and this guarantees that Ubuntu allows for abantu
to draw from the experiences and best practices of others, including the modern
technological advancements.
European modernity has influenced ukunxaxha and has contributed to genocides,
epistemicides and spiritualicides. In South Africa, Europeanism was styled as
colonialism, apartheid and racism and it caused much suffering, brokenness and
disfigurement of the bodies of the indigenous people, with the dispossession of the
land as the worst form of ukunxaxha. It perpetuated slavery and oppression. Ubuntu
has been undermined. The church and some of the missionaries also participated in
the undermining of Ubuntu and oppression of abantu.
xiv
The epistemology of Black Consciousness and Black Theology of Liberation shows
that Ubuntu remains a relevant soteriological ethic for the liberation of umntu. Ubuntu
buyahlangula, buyakhulula. Salvation is liberation and liberation is salvation. Salvation
is intended for every sphere and area of life and it takes place in history, in space and
time. Liberation is an effort of the underdeveloped to break out of that situation to
become fully human. Salvation does not dichotomise human life into body and soul,
material and spiritual, but is concerned about the entire context. God suffers with the
suffering and is oppressed with the oppressed.
Ubuntu is at the heart of the struggles for the liberation of umntu out of prison. It forces
the poor and the oppressed to deny the denial of oppressive systems. The ethic of
imago Dei is a liberative tool, as it encourages the poor and the oppressed to be happy
that God created them black and not accept the state of poverty and oppression as
their portion. Salvation is achieved by knowledge. Knowledge helps the oppressed
masses to deny the innocence of modernity to discover the other side of modernity,
which is denial to life.
In the post 1994 South African society, Black Theology of Liberation and the Black
Consciousness have been conspicuous by their silence.There is need to strengthen
the use of the hermeneutical tools that were brought about by Black Theology of
Liberation, to convey the message of salvation as liberation and the reading and
interpretation of the bible in the manner that the poor and the oppressed would identify
with the message of the bible and use the bible for the liberation of the masses.
The dissertation proposes a new community of Ubuntu that will promote human
dignity, equality, peace, justice and prosperity. That community is based on the three
pillars of just socioeconomic order, unshackled church and academia. That is a
revolution. The Accra Confession provides the basis to deal with the empire towards
the establishment of a just socioeconomic order. There is need to lift up the poor for
them to stand up against empire in all its manifestations. There is need for decolonising
the mind in all the three spheres – society, church and academia. Black Theology of
liberation has a big role to play in this venture. The expropriation of land should be
done with the main motive being to promote the dignity of the effaced people.

University of Pretoria, 2019

This thesis proffers Ubuntu as a soteriological ethic for the liberation of an effaced umntu in... more This thesis proffers Ubuntu as a soteriological ethic for the liberation of an effaced
umntu in the post 1994 South Africa from a black perspective. The post 1994 South
African socioeconomic policies perpetuate the effacement of umntu and are, thus, a
manifestation of ukunxaxha (hamartos – missing the mark) and an assault to the
image of God. Umntu continues to be undermined, marginalised and denigrated.
Umntu is wounded and broken.
The objective of the study is achieved by investigating hamartiological factors,
ukunxaxha, in the South African socio-economic situation and by analysing the
soteriological aspects of Ubuntu, approaching soteriology from a liberation
perspective.
Ubuntu is an African philosophy – ontology and ethics – that is as old as African
humanity. It is a progression towards wholeness – ingqibelelo and it guarantees
personhood, a sense of identity and human dignity. Ubuntu has stood against the
onslaught of European modernity, which fosters individualism and capitalism, which
have been the cause for ukunxaxha. Ubuntu fosters communalism,
interconnectedness and interdependence, emphasising the three dimensional
relationships, which include the living dead, the living and the yet-to-be-born. These
relationships need to be kept intact for a balanced life to continue in an African
worldview, so that there is reconciliation and harmony in the universe. The fulcrum of
Ubuntu is umntu ngumntu ngabantu and this guarantees that Ubuntu allows for abantu
to draw from the experiences and best practices of others, including the modern
technological advancements.
European modernity has influenced ukunxaxha and has contributed to genocides,
epistemicides and spiritualicides. In South Africa, Europeanism was styled as
colonialism, apartheid and racism and it caused much suffering, brokenness and
disfigurement of the bodies of the indigenous people, with the dispossession of the
land as the worst form of ukunxaxha. It perpetuated slavery and oppression. Ubuntu
has been undermined. The church and some of the missionaries also participated in
the undermining of Ubuntu and oppression of abantu.
xiv
The epistemology of Black Consciousness and Black Theology of Liberation shows
that Ubuntu remains a relevant soteriological ethic for the liberation of umntu. Ubuntu
buyahlangula, buyakhulula. Salvation is liberation and liberation is salvation. Salvation
is intended for every sphere and area of life and it takes place in history, in space and
time. Liberation is an effort of the underdeveloped to break out of that situation to
become fully human. Salvation does not dichotomise human life into body and soul,
material and spiritual, but is concerned about the entire context. God suffers with the
suffering and is oppressed with the oppressed.
Ubuntu is at the heart of the struggles for the liberation of umntu out of prison. It forces
the poor and the oppressed to deny the denial of oppressive systems. The ethic of
imago Dei is a liberative tool, as it encourages the poor and the oppressed to be happy
that God created them black and not accept the state of poverty and oppression as
their portion. Salvation is achieved by knowledge. Knowledge helps the oppressed
masses to deny the innocence of modernity to discover the other side of modernity,
which is denial to life.
In the post 1994 South African society, Black Theology of Liberation and the Black
Consciousness have been conspicuous by their silence.There is need to strengthen
the use of the hermeneutical tools that were brought about by Black Theology of
Liberation, to convey the message of salvation as liberation and the reading and
interpretation of the bible in the manner that the poor and the oppressed would identify
with the message of the bible and use the bible for the liberation of the masses.
The dissertation proposes a new community of Ubuntu that will promote human
dignity, equality, peace, justice and prosperity. That community is based on the three
pillars of just socioeconomic order, unshackled church and academia. That is a
revolution. The Accra Confession provides the basis to deal with the empire towards
the establishment of a just socioeconomic order. There is need to lift up the poor for
them to stand up against empire in all its manifestations. There is need for decolonising
the mind in all the three spheres – society, church and academia. Black Theology of
liberation has a big role to play in this venture. The expropriation of land should be
done with the main motive being to promote the dignity of the effaced people.