The African Renaissance: Myth, Mask or Masquerade?

Abstract

The African Renaissance, now a familiar theme in South Africa, has a longer history than general discourse seems to suggest. In the past, it has been approached from different perspectives: the political, ideological, and cultural. The African Renaissance was originally the ideology of Pan-Africanism. It was an ideological weapon used to wage the struggle against colonization and cultural alienation. It also helped to consolidate African independence after it was achieved. However, it subsequently waned as the fervour of independence lost impetus, perhaps mainly due to the weakness and decadence of African
leadership. Today, it seems to be reinvented in order to combat recurrent social, economic and political problems, which afflict the African continent.