In an Age of Unreason
‘BREXIT means Brexit’; except that for Theresa May it failed spectacularly to do so. It could yet elude Boris Johnson, too. At a superficial level the June 2016 referendum result reflected English nostalgia for a […]
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The Enforcers: Inside Cape Town’s Deadly Nightclub Battles
Caryn Dolley, The Enforcers: Inside Cape Town’s Deadly Nightclub Battles (Jonathan Ball, 2019) RATIONAL people might assume that there is a clear fault line between police and criminals; yet even in the best-ordered societies the […]
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The Stellenbosch Mafia: Inside the Billionaires’ Club
Pieter du Toit, Stellenbosch Mafia: Inside the Billionaires’ Club (Jonathan Ball, 2019) THE term ‘Stellenbosch Mafia’ was concocted, it seems, by two well-known financial journalists by way of wry commentary. Appropriated by interests such as […]
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Tobacco Wars: Inside the Spy Games and Dirty Tricks of Southern Africa’s Cigarette Trade
Johann van Loggerenberg, Tobacco Wars: Inside the Spy Games and Dirty Tricks of Southern Africa’s Cigarette Trade (Tafelberg, 2019) SMOKING is considered by many a filthy habit, but according to Johann van Loggerenberg it is […]
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For the People: A Small Town’s Struggle against Apartheid
Anelia Schutte, For the People: A Small Town’s Struggle against Apartheid (HQ, 2019) MUCH of the struggle against apartheid took place in dorps like Cradock and Oudtshoorn, their particular histories overshadowed by the main centres, […]
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The SABC8
Foeta Krige, The SABC8 (Penguin, 2019) BOOKSHOP shelves are weighted with tales of anti-apartheid activism. And the number of titles recording the struggles of post-liberation human rights activists grows steadily. Foeta Krige’s book considers the […]
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SONA and the State of the Nation: ‘System Down’
SURPRISINGLY, there was a well-timed reminder by snail mail: my driver’s licence was due for renewal on 29 April. Surprising because officialdom has publicly said it’s not responsible for reminding us about anything and then […]
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Holding the Fort: A Family Torn Apart
Toni Strasburg, Holding the Fort: A Family Torn Apart (Kwela Books, 2019) LIONEL (Rusty) and Hilda Bernstein were among several couples prominent in the South African liberation struggle. When detained on 8 April 1960 during […]
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Reflections on D-Day after 75 years
‘DESPITE appalling weather conditions, we were given the go-ahead. We left harbour in failing light and picked up our group of landing craft. They fell into line behind us, twelve ships enormous in bulk compared […]
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Which General – Which ANC?
AT the time of the May 1987 South African general election, when the apartheid government was on its last legs, stickers were distributed reading ‘The trouble … is we don’t know which general we are […]