Makwerekwere, Theatre
Venue: Dicks, Monument Building
Next performance: 27 June 10:00
Preview Interview
By Thubelihle Mathonsi
The production Makwerekwere, written by Solly Hlabirwa Malaka and directed by Thatale Klaas Motebejane, is a powerful reflection on the brutality of xenophobic attacks witnessed in 2008. While studying in Benoni, Malaka saw firsthand the violence: “Our fellow country people were coming into Actonville and Wattville searching for Makwerekwere,” he says. It was there that he witnessed a young boy trying to flee, only to be caught and set alight.
The play also draws from Malaka’s observations of how differently Black and white foreign nationals were treated in South Africa. “We, as Africans, were unkind to each other, while white foreigners were respected,” he says. Even as a Pedi man, he faced unfair treatment. “They’d ask you what an elbow was in isiZulu. I couldn’t say it at first, but I had to learn. Meanwhile, we were being called Makwerekwere in our own land, while they were welcomed as tourist.”
For director Motebejane, Makwerekwere is ultimately a call to recognise the power of unity. “Apartheid divided us by race, and now we face another problem, xenophobia,” he says. “Europeans are welcomed, but people from Malawi, Namibia, or Zimbabwe are treated with suspicion.”
At its core, Makwerekwere urges its audience to look beyond borders. “As Africans, we are the same. The hate we have for each other doesn’t help us,” Motebejane adds. “For some of us, our genealogy might even be the same.”
