"Policing Borders": Extermination and Relocation of Insects in Three South African Texts

Abstract

Borders between states are spaces of aggression and anxiety about ownership, inclusion, exclusion and group identity, and they are often reinforced by shows of force that can yield to violence. Apartheid in South Africa was primarily and explicitly an attempt at controlling who could occupy space. The erection and maintenance of borders within the country, between spaces, became more aggressive and rigid as the era progressed and it became apparent that the Nationalist dream of racially pure spaces was not going to be feasible. Since the transition to democracy in 1994, borders have remained contested since different areas have continued to be apportioned, albeit informally, for different racial groups. Confident assertions of white supremacy yield to anxiety and even paranoia when owners feel that their borders are not secure.  In this article, I explore the use of monstrous insect imagery in three post transitional South African texts - The Ugly NooNoo (Buckland and Kani, 1994); District 9 (dir. Blomkamp, 2009) and Nineveh (Rose Innes, 2011). In each of these texts, insects serve as metaphors for aggressive bordercrossing by racial others, who are figured as undesirable and myriad.

Opsomming

Daar kan aangevoer word dat die grense tussen state kan funksioneer as ruimtes van aggressie en angs rondom eienaarskap, insluiting, uitsluiting en groepsidentiteit. Grense word dikwels versterk deur magsvertoon wat op geweld kan uitloop. In Suid Afrika was apartheid hoofsaaklik en eksplisiet gemoeid met die poging om te bepaal wie welke areas kon bewoon. Die oprigting en onderhoud van grense tussen verskillende areas van die land het deur die loop van die era aggressief toegeneem, en dit het duidelik geword dat die nasionalistiese droom van rassige suiwer areas nie haalbaar was nie. Sedert die oorgang na ’n demokratiese bestel in 1994 bly grense betwis, aangesien verskillende areas steeds toegewys word vir afsonderlike rasgroepe – al geskied dit op informele wyse. Selfversekerde aannames oor wit opper-mag het angs en selfs paranoia tot gevolg wanneer eienaars voel dat hulle grense onveilig is. In hierdie artikel ondersoek ek die gebruik van beelde van monsteragtige insekte in drie post-oorgang Suid Afrikaanse tekste, naamlik The Ugly NooNoo (Buckland and Kani, 1994), District 9 (reg. Blomkamp, 2009) en Nineveh (Rose Innes, 2011). In elkeen van hierdie tekste dien insekte as metafore vir aggressiewe grensoorskryding deur die rassige ander, wat as ongewens en talloos voorgestel word.