ABSTRACT
In his essay, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, one of Africa’s most eminent and celebrated writers, explains the historically dynamic strategies and wide-ranging effects of the extensive delegitimization of African languages as credible sources and basis of knowledge, which began during the colonial period and was completed and normalized in the post-colonial era. Explaining that struggles between European and African languages prevail in all African countries, Ngũgĩ argues against a fundamentalism of national monolingualism, which de facto promotes Europhonity across the African continent. Moreover, he offers arguments and suggestions for a comprehensive African language policy that recognizes multilingualism as the founding social reality of African nations. Continuously stressing that African languages can and, indeed, must work against the ongoing project of linguistic delegitimization, Ngũgĩ’s article highlights the vital importance of inter-African language translations in that process.
