Satirical Chroniclers of Xenophobic Attacks in South Africa

Authors

Keywords:

Bakhtin, carnivalesque, humour, South Africa, xenophobia

Abstract

In the months of May 2008 and February 2015, South Africa was plagued with xenophobic attacks that affected migrants from African countries such as Malawi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique (Steenkamp, 2009: 441). These xenophobic attacks quickly became an ethnic, racial, economic and structural issue. Satirical cartoonists in South Africa reacted to this epidemic by publishing an array of editorial cartoons. This study focused on analysing two South African editorial cartoons, which were created by two prominent South African cartoonists viz. Zapiro and Jerm. Bakhtin’s theory of the Carnivalesque was employed, together with the elements of cartooning, in the analysis of the selected cartoons. The application of Bakhtin’s Carnivalesque to the analysis of the cartoons emphasised how the cartoonist can be likened to the Jester of the medieval carnival, as they mock and debunk the hierarchical structures that exist. The cartoonist is thus revealed as a powerful figure who holds the ability to effect change through cartooning. 

Author Biography

Rosaline Govender, Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, Durban University of Technology

Rosaline Govender has been working within the field of Academic Development since 2011. Her experience in academic development spans across student, staff and curriculum development. At institutional level, she has served as a member of several task teams including General Education and Siyaphumelela. She was a member of the core team which developed the Cornerstone 101 module (compulsory Institutional General Education module). She is also an accredited facilitator and assessor.

At faculty level, Rosaline serves as the coordinator of the Faculty General Education (FGE) modules and under her leadership four FGE modules were developed and implemented. She also convenes the annual Faculty eLearning Faculty Symposium and is the Coordinator of the Decolonisation and Scholarship of Learning and Teaching (SoTL) Projects in the faculty. She supervises postgraduate students and serves as a reviewer on the Faculty Research Ethics Committee. Rosaline is the present Chairperson of the Gender Forum at DUT and the Secretary of the Institutional Forum. Dr Govender is also the Coordinator of the Learning, Teaching and Assessment in Higher Education module on the PG Dip in HE at DUT. At national level she previously served as the convenor of the HELTASA’s, Professional Development Collaborative Learning Community (PDCLC).

Rosaline is presently the project manager of the HELTASA Professional Learning Project. At an international level she is the convenor of the International Teaching and Learning Collaboration between DUT and Dr.SNS Rajalakshmi College of Arts and Science (India). MShe is also a member of the LCT Centre for Knowledge Building. Rosaline’s research interests include student success, professional learning, teaching and learning, academic development and gender issues.

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Published

05-12-2025

How to Cite

Govender, R., & Govender, S. (2025). Satirical Chroniclers of Xenophobic Attacks in South Africa . African Journal of Inter Multidisciplinary Studies, 7(2), 1–10. Retrieved from https://ojs.sabinet.co.za/index.php/ajims/article/view/2952

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 2 (2025): African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies (AJIMS)

Section

Special Issue 1

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