Xenophobianization of "Makwerekwere” as Used against Foreign Nationals in South Africa

Abstract

Since the outbreak of May 2008 violent attacks of foreign nationals in some South African townships – and in particular in informal settlements, literature investigating such violence has been growing tremendously. From these literature, one word "makwerekwere” received much attention as some investigators and commentators of these tensions and violence concluded that the word denoted hatred of foreign nationls by South Africans. Obvious methodological and theoretical limitations are evident from the conclusions of most of these literature. This paper investigated the "real” and "actual” meaning of the word "makwerekwere” employing ethnographic and etymological approaches – and the results revealed that the word "makwerekwere” is instead an "old” word mostly used in townships and mine hostels against peoples perceived as foreign – regarless of geographical origin and nationality – and the word does not express any form of hatred to those used against despite it being derogative and demeaning amongst others. Makwerekwere is a social word expressing dominance of one group by another in the social space. The word has also been used by locals against locals to gain social advantage. It is recommended that social science research on makwerekwere and xenophobia in South Africa should improve methodological and theoretical approaches while studying issues of high controversy to avoid sending out to the public incorrect assuptions perceived as truth and correct; one case being the distortion of meaning and context of the word "makwerekwere” as used in South Africa.