Decolonising the Mind by Translingual Design: Pedagogy and Epistemic Justice in the Neoliberal South African University

Abstract

The promotion of quality higher education through decolonising pedagogical practice remains a primary concern in higher education contexts. However, the contemporary neoliberal university project reinforces Eurocentric cultural standardisation through the continued hegemony of colonial languages that prioritise global marketability over local epistemic relevance. This critical decolonial conceptual article explores the structural relationships among language intellectualisation, classroom translanguaging and the broader mandate of epistemic justice in South African higher education. Drawing on Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s conceptualisation of decolonisation and scholarship on decoloniality, the article analyses how indigenous languages can be conceptually reconstructed as essential pedagogical interventions to confront market-driven standardisation of knowledge that systematically marginalises the cultural identities of African students. Moving beyond an empirical critique of Eurocentric practices, the article theorises a framework for a transformative, translingual pedagogy to delineate how bridging the gap between students’ indigenous linguistic repertoire and academic discourses fosters cultural heritage. Ultimately, the article provides a conceptual synthesis demonstrating that a multilingual shift can challenge the market-driven logic that views language as a commodity. Such a shift is necessary for fostering social equity and ensuring that the higher education sector serves as an emancipatory, pluriversal space that provides epistemic access for all students.