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The Conundrum of Decolonisation and Afrophobia: A Case for South African Higher Education

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Education for Decoloniality and Decolonisation in Africa

Abstract

In this chpater, Joseph Hungwe and Joseph Divala present an exposition of the contradictory interplay between decolonisation and afrophobia in South African higher education. They argue that afrophobia encumbers the envisioned objectives of decolonisation of higher education in Africa. Decolonisation of higher education ultimately seeks to establish a dispensation that is underpinned by ideals of non-discrimination along race, ethnicity, nationalities and other forms of social diversities that characterise social composition of African higher education. It can therefore be claimed that decolonisation of higher education is tailored towards the promotion and sustenance of equal social relations in higher education, on the one hand. On the other hand, afrophobic practices and attitudes entrench and maintain perceptions of a society structured along cultural superiority and marginalisation. The concurrence of afrophobia and decolonisation of higher education in South Africa brings to the fore a conundrum, which this chapter exposes.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Joseph Pardon Hungwe & Joseph Jinja Karlos Divala

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  1. Joseph Pardon Hungwe
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  2. Joseph Jinja Karlos Divala
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education, Chancellor College, University of Malawi, Zomba, Malawi

    Chikumbutso Herbert Manthalu

  2. Department of Education Policy Studies, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa

    Yusef Waghid

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Hungwe, J.P., Divala, J.J.K. (2019). The Conundrum of Decolonisation and Afrophobia: A Case for South African Higher Education. In: Manthalu, C.H., Waghid, Y. (eds) Education for Decoloniality and Decolonisation in Africa. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15689-3_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15689-3_12

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-15688-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-15689-3

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