Vernacular discourse, emergent political languages and belonging in Southern Africa

Abstract

Although academic debates and conversations on the subject of identity formation are numerous and too well known to rehearse, much of their focus has generally been on the discourse of the empowered; that is the discourse of those who control, design and create the public space. Such a focus overlooks the fact that identities are multi-layered, self-imposed and contested just as they are ascribed by others and, therefore, require a critical analysis to avoid essentialism that has bedevilled most mainstream academic debates and conversations on belonging and identity formation. This article uses the concept of vernacular discourse to examine emergent political languages that have shaped and continue to mediate everyday narratives about identity and belonging in southern Africa. The specific focus is on the post-apartheid South African context with some passing remarks on Zimbabwe and Botswana.