Lecture | The Thing About Nongayindoda; Kweer possibilities from the South by zethu Matebeni

This presentation develops ways of queering in Africa, paying particular attention to African terms and concepts that express fluidity and diversity in the African context. In revisiting existing work on the concept nongayindoda previously offered (Matebeni 2021), Zethu Matebeni moves away from the focus on gender, and argues for a version of existence that is non-tangible, speculative and more imaginative. To do this, Matebeni interrogates artistic works on nongayindoda that illuminate a Black African aesthetic that simultaneously negates and affirms the possibilities of being in and out of existence.

zethu Matebeni holds the National Research Foundation (NRF) South Africa Research Chair in Sexualities, Genders, and Queer Studies at the University of Fort Hare. Matebeni has been a catalyst in African queer studies, working at the intersections of race, class, gender diversity, and sexuality in post-colonial Africa. Collaborating with activists, scholars, and artists, they have produced innovative research and interventions on queer issues, critical race studies, and decolonization, including involvement in the #RhodesMustFall Movement and #AlternativeInclusivePride. zethu has received several awards, including the African Humanities Program Fellowship and the African Studies Association’s Presidential Fellowship by the American Council of Learned Societies. Matebeni’s notable works include “Reclaiming Afrikan: Queer Perspectives on Sexual and Gender Identities” (2014), and co-edited volumes “Queer in Africa: LGBTQI Identities, Citizenship, and Activism” (2018), and “Beyond the Mountain: Queer Life in ‘Africa’s Gay Capital'” (2020). In this presentation, Matebeni develops the concept of Nongayindoda, published in the Journal of Contemporary African Studies in 2021, to illuminate possibilities of queering that are not limited to gender and sexuality. Professor Matebeni is a Visiting Professor at Nelson Mandela University and a Senior Fellow at University Alliance Ruhr, Germany.