De- ethnicisation, de-masculinisation and re-vitalization of the ubuntu paradigm for sustainable african development

Abstract

Africa is in dire need of sustainable endogenous development perspectives geared at addressing the plethora of development challenges on the continent. This is because the current development ideologies reinforced in Africa, such as nee-liberalism, are racist, imperialistic, and imbued with paternalism and white saviourism. Intrinsic development paradigms for African Development, however, ought to be cognizant of the existential peculiarities in Contemporary Africa, such as 'White Africanisation' and embracing postmodern ethos. This paper uses critical theory, de-colonial and post-colonial criticism to argue that despite the volatile and recalcitrant critiques of the Ubuntu African paradigm, the framework has remained indispensable in African Development debates. The paper contends that the Ubuntu model for human well-being ought to be deconstructed and resituated to align with the pertinent development sustainabilities such as ethical sustainability, gender sustainability, ecological sustainability, and human rights sustainability.