“Pappa wag vir djou” (Daddy is waiting for you).
For those on the receiving end of this taunt, it implies impending harm, often of a violent nature. It’s a threat that you or someone else will get back at the person you’re beefing with later. Like, I can’t get you right now, but just you wait…pappa wag vir jou!
This common Kaaps expression has an interesting origin story.
It all started with an infamous TV ad meant to deter drunk driving. The ad was dubbed “love to meet you” and has won two awards — the Silver Lion award for best TV and radio advertisement at the Cannes Advertising Awards in France, and a Silver Pencil award at another award ceremony.
The ad featured a rough-looking prison inmate leering at the camera and warns motorists that if they drive drunk, they’ll end up behind bars with him. And that’s when he delivers the now-infamous line “Pappa wag vir jou” with a creepy stare.
What he was implying was that if you get locked up, you can expect some unpleasant business in the prison showers. This sparked outrage among some viewers who felt the ad went too far. But the Advertising Standards Authority dismissed the complaints, so “Pappa wag vir jou” entered the pop culture lexicon.
The actor who played the foreboding inmate was none other than a real-life ex-con named Francois Tiemie. As a former gang member who did hard time for various crimes, Tiemie knew the prison shower implication of “Pappa wag vir jou” firsthand.
“When people – and especially children – see me, they always stop me. It was my first time doing something like this and after the advert, almost every child would say ‘Pappa wag vir jou’,” says David.
Even though he passed away in 2011, Tiemie’s legacy now lives on in the streets of the Flats, where his viral catchphrase is still used to promise retaliation.
You can watch the ad below:
Author: Editorial Team
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