The Plot to Save South Africa by Justice Malala

--:--
In this episode, journalist and author, Andrew Harding interviews Justice Malala about his new book – The Plot to Save South Africa.

Today it seems as if the defeat of apartheid was inevitable, but Chris Hani’s assassination on the Easter Weekend of 1993 nearly tipped the country into all-out war. Now, bestselling Justice Malala tells the story of the week that followed the ANC firebrand’s murder by Janusz Waluś in riveting, cinematic fashion.

In this meticulously researched new book, the reader is taken into the thought processes and consequential actions of the key players – from Nelson Mandela, FW de Klerk, the police investigating the murder, dangerous right-wingers like Clive Derby-Lewis, and leaders such as Cyril Ramaphosa, Bantu Holomisa and Tokyo Sexwale. On the 30th anniversary of Hani’s death, this book tells us just how close South Africa came to civil war and how Mandela and De Klerk – despite provocation and despite their own fears, failures and doubts – chose the path of peace.

We hope that you enjoy the episode.
24 Apr 2023 English South Africa Books · Society & Culture

Other recent episodes

The Paris Muse by Louisa Treger

Paris, 1936. Dora Maar, a talented photographer and painter, meets Pablo Picasso and is instantly drawn to his intense creativity. Their passionate relationship, marked by love, sadism, and Picasso's infidelities, pushes Dora to the edge. The Paris Muse, by Lousa Trejar is a fictional retelling of Dora's journey, set against…
21 Oct 34 min

Nomad heart by Ian Roberts

Actor and musician Ian Roberts is something of a South African icon, renowned for his roles as the rugged Boer fighter Sloet Steenkamp in the TV series Arende and as Boet in the immortal and immensely popular Castrol advertisements. His book, Nomad Heart, offers a highly entertaining glimpse of how actors make…
14 Oct 36 min

Breaking Bread by Jonathan Jansen

Professor. Pundit. Public nuisance. In his columns, books and on social media, Jonathan Jansen is prolific, and he likes to speak his mind about schools and universities, race, politics and our complex South African society. He has brought incisive analysis, compassion and a sense of humour to some of the…
7 Oct 41 min

Beeld 50: Samesteller Erika de Beer

In Beeld 50 samesteller Erika de Beer, vertel dié geliefde koerant se joernaliste hoe hulle juis dit gedoen het deur die dekades en wat hulle steeds bybly van daardie ervaring. “Nooi, ek praat nie met julle nie. Julle lieg van bladsy een tot die einde . . . maar ek…
30 Sep 35 min

The Super Cadres by Pieter du Toit

The ANC has ruled South Africa for three decades during which time the country has gone from the promise of the Rainbow Nation to disfunction and despair. In The Super Cadres, bestselling author Pieter du Toit examines this legacy from the early halcyon days through to the disappointment of the…
23 Sep 36 min