The Azania Agora

‘I was happy when Sarafina! finally hit the stage at the Market Theatre and then immediately went to the United States. But for the play to reach the success it did, a part of me had to die.’

Xoliswa Nduneni-Ngema loved the theatre from a young age and always dreamed of being an actress. But she soon discovered that acting wasn’t for her – managing productions was.
After watching a Gibson Kente play, she meets rising-star Mbongeni Ngema and their relationship begins. With each of Mbongeni’s productions (Woza Albert! Asinamali!), his fame and success grew and together they started a production company, Committed Artists, that birthed the Broadway hit Sarafina!
There were lavish parties with South African legends like Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba, first-class flying to New York and shopping in Paris, but beneath the glamour, Xoliswa was starting to see a different side to her husband. What soon follows is constant fighting, cheating, abuse, polygamy and eventually – a traumatic divorce.
This is not only Xoliswa’s story. Heart of a Strong Woman also sheds light on an important part of South African theatre history. Together with Fred Khumalo, Xoliswa Nduneni-Ngema tells her powerful story of triumph and perseverance.

Order Heart of a Strong Woman by Xoliswa Nduneni-Ngema, as told to Fred Khumalo Books, from leading bookstores nationwide or online.

For most of its existence, the ANC Youth League has played a powerful role in the politics of the ANC, and therefore of South Africa. This book tells the history of the ANC Youth League, from its formation in 1944 to the present day.

The book explores the radicalising role played by its early leaders, such as Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu and O.R. Tambo; the formation of the ANC Youth and Students Section in exile, first led by Thabo Mbeki; the return from exile in the 1990s and the leadership of Peter Mokaba; the controversies around the appointment of Julius Malema and his subsequent sacking; and the absence of Youth League leadership in the movement and current South African politics. Finally, the book considers the role that the Youth League should play in the future.

A fascinating glimpse into a vital and volatile institution in South African politics. 'The Rise and Fall of the ANC Youth League' by Rebone Tau is now available from your nearest bookstore and online: https://bit.ly/3hfNAA2

‘This is truly an excellent book’ – Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, author of The Land is Ours

The Land Wars: The Dispossession of the Khoisan and AmaXhosa in the Cape Colony is now available at your nearest bookstore and online: https://bit.ly/32pzBTZ

About the book:
Perhaps the most explosive issue in South Africa today is the question of land ownership. The central theme in this country’s colonial history is the dispossession of indigenous African societies by white settlers, and current calls for land restitution are based on this loss. Yet popular knowledge of the actual process by which Africans were deprived of their land is remarkably sketchy.

This book recounts an important part of this history, describing how the Khoisan and Xhosa people were dispossessed and subjugated from the time that Europeans first arrived until the end of the Cape Frontier Wars (1779–1878).

The Land Wars traces the unfolding hostilities involving Dutch and British colonial authorities, trekboers and settlers, and the San, Khoikhoin, Xhosa, Mfengu and Thembu people – as well as conflicts within these groups. In the process it describes the loss of land by Africans to successive waves of white settlers as the colonial frontier inexorably advanced. The book does not shy away from controversial issues such as war atrocities on both sides, or the expedient decision of some of the indigenous peoples to fight alongside the colonisers rather than against them.

The Land Wars is an epic story, featuring well-known figures such as Ngqika, Lord Charles Somerset and his son, Henry, Andries Stockenström, Hintsa, Harry Smith, Sandile, Maqoma, Bartle Frere and Sarhili, and events such as the arrival of the 1820 Settlers and the Xhosa cattlekilling. It is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand South Africa’s past and present.

It's her first case, but could it be her last?
A young tech genius is thrown in at the deep end on her first case with the FBI in a gripping new stand-alone from the world's bestselling thriller writer. 1st Case by James Patterson is out now: https://bit.ly/2ZEgEKs

What really went on in Johannesburg's coalition government?

The Accidental Mayor: Herman Mashaba and the Battle for Johannesburg by Michael Beaumont is now available from all leading bookstores countrywide and online: http://bit.ly/2WpzWDj

About the book:
In August 2016, well-known South African businessman Herman Mashaba became mayor of Johannesburg, heading a razor-thin DA-led coalition in the city.

Three years later, in October 2019, he resigned from the party and from his position as mayor.

At the time, Mashaba’s approval rating stood at almost 70 per cent and there were calls in overwhelming numbers for him to stay. In this explosive tell-all, his chief of staff, Michael Beaumont, reveals the real story behind these events.

The Accidental Mayor considers the achievements, challenges and controversies of Mashaba’s time in office, and describes what went on behind the scenes in the city and in the multiparty coalition.

What was discovered about the previous government’s looting of Johannesburg? How did the ANC take to being in opposition? How challenging was it to work with the EFF? Which party proved the most difficult coalition partner?

All these questions and more are explored in detail.

At a time when the DA’s popularity is in decline, The Accidental Mayor highlights the infighting and factionalism within the party and questions whether South Africa’s official opposition has reached the end of the road.

Can Herman Mashaba, arguably one of South Africa’s most popular former mayors, offer an alternative for the future?

Herman Mashaba