Arts at the University of Stellenbosch.

I, the undersigned, hereby declare that the work contained in this thesis is my own original work and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it at any university for a degree. Signature:………………..Date: ……………….. 3 This thesis analyses Zakes Mda’s The Madonna of Excelsior from three different points of view, namely post-colonial, feminist and satirical. The latter constitutes the main interpretation of the novel and serves as a link with the other two discourses – the key argument being that satire is not a solipsistic form of art, and thus a satirical text should not be considered on its own, but should rather be interpreted in conjunction with other cultural discourses. This thesis is of the opinion that one needs all three of the named viewpoints in order to fully comprehend and appreciate the depth of Mda’s satire and his comments on South African society. His novel contain