Ubuntu: Imperative Social Imperative

By Vuyiswa Nodada

The aim of this book is to inspire readers to be social agents of what the author calls: a “new” virtuous cycle.

This book reveals in the most creative of ways, the beautiful mystery, the eternal secret of life, the missing glue for social cohesion, the great philosophy called Ubuntu. The portrait of Ubuntu painted on its pages leaves no room for this concept to be the next generation’s figment of imagination. This is done by means of poetry proven to be fluid and crafted effortlessly. Like any imperative, the discourse is urgent. To say this book is a must read would be an understatement. It leaves the reader enlightened and feeling well travelled.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris UK
• Release date: Dec 23, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664116382

Book preview

Copyright © 2021 by Vuyiswa Nodada. 663798

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or

transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,

including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage

and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the

copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents

either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used

fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or

dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Xlibris

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Rev. date: 08/25/2021

Contents

Part I

The Highest Calling

Cradle of Ubuntu I

Cradle of Ubuntu II

Cradle of Ubuntu III

Cradle of Ubuntu IV

Ubuntu Archives I

Ubuntu Archives II

Ubuntu Archives III

Ubuntu Archives IV

Ubuntu Archives V

Ubuntu Archives VI

Inimba

My Unpopular Cry—Ubuntu Questioned

The Phoenix down My Soul

Part II

Ubuntu Mocked I

Ubuntu Mocked II

Ubuntu Mocked III

Ubuntu Demands Courage

Ubuntu Eclipsed—Xenophobia in South Africa

Ubuntu in Full Bloom—9 June 2010

Ubuntu in Full Bloom—27 October 2013

Ubuntu in Full Bloom—‘#Stronger Together’ I

Ubuntu in Full Bloom—‘#Stronger Together’ II

Ubuntu in Full Bloom—‘#KFC Proposal’

Ubuntu Revived—Remember Mandela Day

Ubuntu Beckons—the Green Bank

Ubuntu Reimagined—Rewrite Tomorrow’s History I

Ubuntu Reimagined—Rewrite Tomorrow’s History II

Ubuntu Reimagined—Rewrite Tomorrow’s History III

Ubuntu Reimagined—Rewrite Tomorrow’s History IV

Ubuntu Reimagined—Rewrite Tomorrow’s History V

Ubuntu Reimagined—Rewrite Tomorrow’s History VI

Ubuntu Reimagined—Rewrite Tomorrow’s History VII

Ubuntu Reimagined—Rewrite Tomorrow’s History VIII

Ubuntu Reimagined—Rewrite Tomorrow’s History IX

Ubuntu Reimagined—Rewrite Tomorrow’s History X

Ubuntu Reimagined—Rewrite Tomorrow’s History XI

Ubuntu Reimagined—Rewrite Tomorrow’s History XII

Ubuntu Reimagined—My New Africa I

Ubuntu Reimagined—My New Africa II

Ubuntu Reimagined—My New Africa III

Part III

Ubuntu Disgusted—the Eternal Lament

Ubuntu Disgusted—When Silence Is Not Golden

Ubuntu Disgusted—Wage War

Part IV

Ubuntu Celebrated—Mama

Ubuntu Celebrated—the Supernova

Ubuntu Celebrated—the Candle That Illumined the Universe

Part V

Ubuntu—the Alpha African Theology I

Ubuntu—the Alpha African Theology II

Self-Ubuntu — My Holy Black Pride I

Self-Ubuntu — My Holy Black Pride II

Self-Ubuntu — My Holy Black Pride III

Self-Ubuntu — My Holy Black Pride IV

Dedicated to my mother, uMaNdaba,

who to me is Ubuntu personified

Preface

It seems that the centre that holds societies together is slowly disintegrating. Values that cement a healthy society are left at the mercy of social media–absorbed and self-absorbed individuals. Anti-social tendencies are becoming popular. Social ills are on an upward trend. It then makes it imperative for social values like Ubuntu to be revived.

The COVID-19 pandemic shrunk the world into a palpable global village. The ugly looked uglier, and societal vices seemed to have been placed under a microscope. Poverty and inequality flagged the results of a world bankrupt of Ubuntu. The absence of glue that is supposed to bind us human beings together for much-needed social cohesion became glaring. Had Ubuntu been exported to the United States successfully, the disintegration of races evidenced by 2020–2021 news headlines would not have been part of modern history during a supposedly ‘civilised’, ‘postmodern’ era. ‘KZN looting’ news headlines in South Africa would not have seen the light of day had Ubuntu been revived and practised. Ubuntu is an imperative for a holistic human experience.

I must confess it is a challenging task to fully explore a concept as cosmic as Ubuntu. I guess that is the reason my mind and soul employed poetry as means of communication. So this book is an offering of my anthology of poems. The poetry is akin a kaleidoscope that portrays Ubuntu in multidimensions, in 5D if you wish. The book is divided into five parts.

As much as I studied European tools and techniques for writing