kwerekwere

English

Alternative forms

• kweri-kweri
• kwiri-kwiri (less common)

Etymology

Onomatopoeic. Foreigners who came to the townships could not speak the local languages. One theory on the origin of this term is that their own languages sounded like kwirikwirikwiri to the locals. A more plausible theory is that this term was a corruption of the word "korekore". The Korekore are a sub-group of the Shona people in neighboring Zimbabwe. (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “But what language is it: Xhosa? Zulu? The ama- plural prefix looks distinctive”)

Noun

kwerekwere (plural amakwerekwere)

1. (South Africa) A foreign visitor to a township.
   • 2000, Nigerian man, interviewed by Zaa Nkweta for Carte Blanche, “Fighting a stereotype”:

     We came here just like every other nation. Just like Indians, Asians, Europeans. But we are the only people they call ‘kwerekwere’. They call the blacks ‘kwerekwere’, they don’t call the whites ‘kwerekwere’.

   • 2003, a refugee in Cape Town named Hélène, quoted in “Living with prejudice - xenophobia and race”:

     If they see you are foreigner, you are “kwerekwere”. [They] give the name for all foreigners, “kwerekwere”.

   • 2006 Weekend Argus May 13/14 2006 p.1:

     the township residents involved in the attacks invaded the homes and businesses owned by 'amakwerekwere' and stole their money and other property.