We are not kaffirs

The name kaffir is a derogatory name that Afrikaners used to call Africans during the era of apartheid racialism. Some racist elements still use the name but apparently the incidents are isolated. One can compare this to the situation in the United Sates when white Americnas used to insult African Americans by calling them niggers.

Although some African Americans have accepted the name nigger to refer to themselves, we South Africans have not and we will never embrace the kaffir name. Who knows, maybe after 100 centuries?

When Arthur released the song "Kaffir" in the mid 1990's I thought the name would find appeal among the youth kwaito generation. Being part of this generation then, we tried using the name with my friends but it simply didn’t stick. It is an ugly name and there is nothing cool about it.

When Irvin Khoza told an African journalist to stop thinking like a kaffir I was baffled. He went on to claim that Africans in the townships use the name to refer to themselves. That is a blatant lie. Perhaps he considers himself a kaffir, but he must not think we are also kaffirs.

All I can say is that the man does, after all, talk like a kaffir.