The irony of the accusations
The irony here is that Simon, a Black gravedigger, gets accused of murdering Roelf, a white man, even though he attempted to defend Roelf from the amagintsa. Simon had warned Roelf not to go inside the cemetery, but Roelf had refused. Simon was then compelled to transport Roelf to his shanty for safety. Despite Simon's efforts to protect Roelf, the amagintsa shot and murdered him, and Simon is blamed for his murder. This is paradoxical because Simon was simply attempting to help Roelf, but he is the one who suffers as a result of his actions. Furthermore, despite his innocence, Simon is sacked from his work, leaving him unemployed and without a spade.
Irony of sympathy
The irony is that Roelf was resolved to find Red Doek in order to curse her and make her regret bringing him into her suicide, but in the end, he discovers pity and empathy for her and her life. Roelf was so filled with rage and loathing for Red Doek that he was willing to visit a dangerous area to find her, only to find that his rage and hatred melted away when he observed the poverty and despair in her life. It was never expected of him to find it in himself to comprehend Red Doek, so when he displayed empathy, it was a stark contrast to his prior fury.
The irony of Roelf’s death
The irony of Roelf's death is that he was looking for the woman he killed in an accident in order to properly bury her, yet he was shot and buried in an unmarked grave himself. He felt bad about killing Red Doek and her kid, and he wanted to make apologies by finding her body and paying his respects. Roelf felt that by excavating her tomb, he might symbolically bury his remorse and rid himself of his tormenting memories. However, while trying to find her, he was slain by the amagintsa, demonstrating the senselessness of death and the ultimate futility of Roelf's quest for forgiveness.
Irony of privilege
The irony of Roelf's story is that, as a white man, he has the privilege of entering a Black squatter camp to hunt for a deceased woman, while the Black people who live there do not. Roelf is able to gain entry to a location that would otherwise be inaccessible to him and use it to find what he seeks, whilst the Black people who dwell in the camp are condemned to live in poverty and anonymity, their graves unmarked and forgotten. Roelf's story emphasizes the contrast between white and Black life, as well as white people's contempt for those who are different from them.
The irony of the unmarked graves
It's ironic that Roelf is hunting for the nameless body of Red Doek, but her burial and the other graves in the Shukuma squatter camp's graveyard are all unmarked. Roelf is expressly seeking Red Doek, but she is simply one of the many nameless souls buried in this cemetery. Knowing that all of the graves are unmarked, he should have realized that there was no way he could identify the woman he was seeking for.
