Awaiting payment Prophetic Witness in a Divided Land: Reincarnating Simon Maimela’s Theological Voice in South Africa

This article reports on a study that examined the theological contributions of Simon Maimela (1944–), highlighting his prophetic witness against apartheid, inequality and ecclesial complicity. Situated within liberation theology, Maimela’s work was explored as a form of resistance theology affirming the dignity, agency and spiritual integrity of oppressed Black South Africans. Using a liberation theology as a theoretical framework, the study analysed the intersection of theology, social context and political praxis in Maimela’s thought, particularly his emphasis on humanisation, divine justice and contextualisation. Central to his theology is a critique of Western paradigms and a call for an African-centred, praxis-oriented approach. Methodologically, the study employed a qualitative, hermeneutical approach, drawing on Maimela’s writings, sermons and public addresses, supported by historical-critical analysis and secondary literature. While Maimela’s bold contextualisation, critique of injustice and synthesis of African and Christian thought are considered to be his strengths, his relatively limited published output and occasional rhetorical style have led to his underrepresentation in global theological discourse. The present study utilised Creswell and Poth’s qualitative research design as a methodological approach.