Being black in the world: a tribute to SA psychologist Chabani Manganyi
Mpho Mathebula
Professor Noel Chabani Manganyi, who died last month at the age of 84, was a torch-bearer in psychology, literature and African intellectual thought.
He was the first registered black clinical psychologist trained in apartheid South Africa, and among the first black South Africans to achieve this level of academic qualification in psychology. At the time, access to higher education for black South Africans was severely limited.
Manganyi was known for his commitment to the advancement of psychological sciences and fight for justice during apartheid.
As a thinker, scholar and activist, Manganyi has left an indelible mark. His work highlights the intersections of identity, race, psychology and politics. His insights continue to influence scholars, students and activists.
Manganyi’s legacy is one of resilience, courage and egalitarianism. He brought a humanistic perspective to the study of mental health and urged his peers to confront the realities of racial oppression.
As a biographer and intellectual, Manganyi celebrated African creativity and thought. He helped preserve the stories of those who dared to challenge oppression. As a leader, he used his influence to open doors for future generations, believing in the power of education to transform society.
One of his most significant contributions was his focus on the concept of “the wounded psyche” which he used to explore apartheid’s dehumanising effects. He suggested that mental health could not be separated from the violence and racial trauma imposed on black South Africans.
His pioneering work opened doors for later generations of psychologists and social scientists. This was especially so in developing frameworks to understand psychological resilience, self-determination and identity within oppressive contexts.
He is credited with having helped lay the foundation for the Black Consciousness Movement. Its leader Steve Biko’s emphasis on mental liberation and self-determination aligns with Manganyi’s exploration of identity and resilience.
As a psychologist, I have always been in awe of Manganyi’s intellectual sharpness and clarity of thought. Now as a research psychology lecturer, my teaching and writings draw from his philosophy and principles in life and psychology.
He was a man whose dedication to social change and intellectual freedom helped shape South African academia and society.
Born on March 13, 1940 in Louis Trichardt, Limpopo, Manganyi grew up in an era of colonial and apartheid oppression.
This context shaped his early life and career. It inspired his dedication to understanding the psychological effects of oppression on black South Africans. His work sought to reclaim black South Africans’ sense of self and agency, in a society that systematically devalued their lives.
The first two decades of Manganyi’s life were marked by the deep injustices like the Group Areas Act of 1950 and the Bantu Education Act of 1953.
This experience of oppression, discrimination and exclusion profoundly influenced Manganyi’s world-view and work.
His academic journey began with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Africa (Unisa) in 1962, followed by an honours degree in psychology in 1964 and a master’s degree in 1968. He earned his PhD in clinical psychology from Unisa in 1970.
His doctoral work was groundbreaking. His PhD research focused on the intersections of psychology, identity and the impact of social structures on the self — topics that would remain central throughout his career.
South African psychology at the time largely overlooked this broader socio-political context. Manganyi’s insights provided a nuanced understanding of the complex relationship between racial identity and mental health. He pioneered an approach that recognised the impact of systemic oppression on psychological well-being.
Manganyi argued that psychology could not remain neutral in the face of the brutality of apartheid, and called for a socially responsive psychology. Under apartheid, brutality was an everyday reality, manifesting in both overt state violence and pervasive social injustices.
This violence created existential crises for black South Africans, Manganyi argued. Their very identity and humanity were continuously undermined by a regime that sought to control and dehumanise them. Psychology, he believed, had an ethical responsibility to recognise the trauma, resilience and complex identities shaped within this system.
Beyond psychology, Manganyi’s contributions to literature are equally notable. He wrote several works on the intersections of psychology, politics and culture.
Notably, his biographical studies of prominent South African figures such as artist Gerard Sekoto and literary giant Es’kia Mphahlele showcase Manganyi’s dedication to preserving and celebrating African voices in history.
These biographies are not just accounts of individual lives. They are profound reflections on the broader African experience of striving for dignity, self-expression and justice in a world structured to deny them.
His biography Gerard Sekoto: I Am an African is particularly significant. It highlights the artist’s exile in France and his contribution to African and global art. Sekoto, like Manganyi, grappled with questions of belonging, identity and displacement.
Manganyi’s life and career were inseparable from the political struggles of his time. As a vocal opponent of apartheid, he became a key figure in South Africa’s intellectual resistance against the regime. His work was often informed by his belief in the power of knowledge and education to liberate people.
His quest for justice led him to take on different roles within academic and public institutions in South Africa. He used his position to advocate for social change.
During his tenure as the vice-chancellor of the University of the North (now University of Limpopo) from 1989 to 1998, Manganyi prioritised the education of black South Africans. He aimed to cultivate critical thinkers who would lead the country towards a more just future.
He believed that higher education was a tool of liberation. He emphasised the need for an inclusive academic curriculum that spoke to the experiences of all South Africans. His leadership during those turbulent times at the university not only expanded access to education, it also helped dismantle racial and colonial biases embedded in South African academia.
Manganyi’s courage in challenging the status quo has inspired psychologists, scholars and activists who continue to draw on his ideas in their own work. His insistence on connecting psychology with social justice has led to a richer understanding of mental health, one that values human dignity and resilience.
His notable works, especially in the field of psychology, include Being Black in the World and Apartheid and the Making of a Black Psychologist. His impact is seen in the growing interest in community psychology, trauma studies and decolonial approaches to mental health.
Manganyi’s vision has spurred a rethinking of how psychology can serve as a tool for healing in post-apartheid South Africa. The growing emphasis on African-centred psychology, which considers cultural, historical and social factors, is a testament to his foresight.
Today, as South Africa continues to grapple with the legacies of apartheid, Manganyi’s work serves as a beacon and a call to action. It reminds us of the ongoing struggle for dignity, equality and human rights.
Etlela hi ku rhula (Rest in peace).
The Conversation
Mathebula is a lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand