Whiteness, racism, and Afrikaner identity in post-apartheid South Africa

Abstract

This article explores the production of post-apartheid Afrikaner identity in South Africa. Centred around the private sphere of the braai, the article draws on discursive psychology to investigate the participants’ dilemmas and struggles over their identity as Afrikaners, South Africans, and Africans, and the ways in which these identities are being redefined. The ‘backstage’ talk that is usually reserved for fellow whites or Afrikaners illustrates a clear difference between public and private constructions of Afrikaner identity. While the participants rejected many stereotypes of Afrikaner identity, they simultaneously recycled key discourses underlying apartheid ideology, particularly discourses of black incompetence and whites under threat. Participants generally claimed status as ‘Africans’ but strongly resisted assimilation with ‘Africa’ or a broader African identity. The article concludes that the construction of the Afrikaner community as embattled and systematically oppressed might provide powerful support for extremism. IN NOVEMBER 2010 THE AFRIKAANS AUTHOR Annelie Botes shocked South Africa when she said in an interview: ‘I don’t like black people [Ek hou nie van swartmense nie].’ She went on to say that ‘In my formative years in Uniondale there were no black people. If one was walking around it was a trespassing crook. And then you must run, because he’s going to catch you [In my grootwordjare op Uniondale was daar geen swartmense nie. As daar een rondloop, was dit ‘n bandiet wat dros. En dan moet jy hardloop, want hy gaan jou vang].’ Throwing caution to the winds she went on: ‘I know they’re just people like me. I know they have the same rights as me. But I don’t understand them. And then... I don’t like them. I avoid them *Cornel Verwey is a practising clinical psychologist working in Cape Town, South Africa, and was affiliated with the University of KwaZulu-Natal at the time that this research took place. Michael Quayle (quaylem@ukzn.ac.za) is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology in the School of Applied Human Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal. The authors would like to thank the editors and anonymous reviewers for their very helpful suggestions. 1. Hanlie Retief, ‘Hanlie gesels met Annelie Botes’, Rapport, 20 November 2010, (2 March 2011). African Affairs, 111/445, 551–575 doi: 10.1093/afraf/ads056 © The Author 2012. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal African Society. All rights reserved