Some background on this. RAKA is probably the most famous poem by Afrikaans poet NP van Wyk Louw.
From a Goodreads poster: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2784360-raka
"I read this book during matric as a compulsory reading and have re-read it since from time to time. The epos is only understandable when you read between the lines and understand the deeper meaning. As I understand it, Raka represents the strange/new/unknown aspect in our culture and out lifes. When a person first sees Raka, he is a stranger, the unknown factor. The people/culture gradually becomes more accustomed to this strange “character”. The strong one tries to fight him, to get rid of him, but does not succeed. The people “in the kraal” become more accustomed to this stranger, begin to praise him, until he is part of them.
The question is: Is Raka in the midst of this culture good or a bad phenomenon? The answer may vary from Raka tot Raka: There is no need to be wary of all strange things and customs, but sometimes we do allow Rakas in our midst which can be very bad. Especially if those Rakas lead to the erotion of our values, believes and good customs. "
Van Wyk Louw could well have been writing about the influence of Europeans on African culture in South Africa, or the influence of British colonialism on Afrikaners. Van Wyk Louw was a staunch Afrikaner nationalist and at first pro apartheid - in fact arguably its earliest intellectual long before the National Party got hold of the idea - and later passionately argued against it.
