Es’kia Mphahlele was a South African novelist, essayist, short-story writer, activist and teacher. He was head of the department of African Literature at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.Es’kia Mphahlele was a South African novelist, essayist, short-story writer, activist and teacher. He was head of the department of African Literature at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.