A very disturbing story today: a non-South African African who works in our group was in Shoprite-Checkers in Mowbray today, with his wife, doing their regular grocery shop. The till operator spoke to him in isiXhosa, and he asked her to speak in English as he could not understand what she was saying.
Instead of doing so, she spoke loudly in isiXhosa across him to her colleague on another till, with the word "makwerekwere" prominent in the dialogue.
This exchange went on until the manager interevened, asking what the problem was. Our colleague's wife said "They are more interested in talking about makwerekwere than serving us". The manager instructed the till operator to serve them, then, as they were leaving, was seen to call the till operator into his office, presumably to tell her off.
This is blatant xenophobia in action - and not 2 km from two UCT campuses, in the heart of the southern suburbs.
Personally I think this warrants a communication to Shoprite-Checkers head office: one, to commend the manager; two, to demand that their staff be instructed to smile and greet EVERYONE who comes to be served, regardless of what they look or sound like.
We are ALL makwerekwere - or we should be prepared to be.
26/05/2008, 23:36
And tonight, the dismissed cashier will go home and tell her husband how the makwerekwere cost her her job. And he will pass the story on to his friends. And three days later, more shacks will burn.
How do we break the cycle?
27/05/2008, 09:23
If only people would treat each other the way they would like to be treated ...
27/05/2008, 09:57
Well, hopefully the cashier will be humbled, not fired - and will learn that not all black people have to speak isiXhosa if addressed in the language(I still reply in English when addressed in Afrikaans - I can't speak the language).
27/05/2008, 12:03
Right, so humbled cashier goes home and grumbles to husband about the makwerekwere who got her into trouble at work. Same scenario as above, but perhaps a few more beers involved. Still not an encouraging prospect.
27/05/2008, 12:05
As a makwerekwere myself, my sympathy levels are low...but people have to realise there are consequences to casual bigotry.