NATIONAL CONSCIOUSNESS, COMMITMENT, AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF A ROBUST MULTIRACIAL DEMOCRACY: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF NICHOLAS MHLONGO’S DOG EAT DOG AND AFTER TEARS

Abstract

Emerging from the historic 1994 elections that dismantled apartheid, post-apartheid South Africa continues to grapple with profound socio-economic and political challenges that threaten the consolidation of its multiracial democracy. This article critically examines Nicholas Mhlongo’s Dog Eat Dog (2004) and After Tears (2007), exploring how the novels articulate national consciousness, individual and collective responsibility, and the moral obligations required to strengthen the nation’s democratic project. Through a postcolonial lens, drawing on concepts such as the centre/margin dynamic, the Self/Other binary, hybridity, irony, and civic responsibility, the study argues that Mhlongo positions both citizens and the ANC-led political leadership as co-architects of a robust multiracial democracy. The analysis demonstrates that national consciousness, rooted in ethical conduct, attitudinal transformation, and civic engagement, is essential for addressing the intertwined challenges of crime, corruption, poverty, racial chauvinism, and youth mediocrity. Ultimately, the paper contends that the sustainability of South Africa’s democratic aspirations depends on the reciprocal commitments of both citizens and political elites to uphold the constitutional values that define the Rainbow Nation.