Abstract:
Deon Opperman’s latest published play, Kaburu (2008), can be said to have the identity of the Afrikaner, past and present, as a central theme. In this article, the topic of identity in the play is approached by making use of Stuart Hall’s (1996) notion of identities being constructed within discourse. Consequently, a number of varying discourses about Afrikaner identity functioning in Kaburu are identified and explored. Significantly, these discourses include and interact with the current phenomenon of the Afrikaner diaspora and the complicated relationship Afrikaners living abroad have with their heritage, language and South Africa itself.
