ABSTRACT
Anyone familiar with the South African cultural scene will immediately be struck by the dearth of non-white novelists. Mphahlele has openly conceded that, within the South African context, the white absence is unthinkable. The work of the black artist in South Africa has, as has been overtly clear, been permeated with the stench of colour. The autobiographical novel in South Africa has done much to acquaint the outside world, with the horror of apartheid. The most difficult transition for the black artist was from the autobiographical half-way house to the novel proper. Abrahams had his reputation firmly established by the time the Ekwensis and Achebes appeared on the African literary scene. Politics and the political situation in South Africa must be a major preoccupation for the black artist — a ready-made theme. African writers themselves have grappled with the particular role of the writer in Africa.
