Black and white lantern Slide of Kaffir doctors - British South Africa. Part of Box 288, British South Africa. Boswell Collection. Slide number 49 Kaffir doctors - The word kaffir, sometimes spelled kaffer or kafir, is an offensive term for a black person, most common in South Africa and other African countries. Generally considered a racial or ethnic slur in modern usage, it was previously a neutral term for black southern African people. The Kaffirs raided the farms of the colonists, lifted their cattle, and proved a general menace to peace. Under the influence of their witch-doctors they believed that, when they had killed every head of cattle the white man possessed, all the ancient warriors of their tribe would rise from the sea and help to drive the hated invader into it.