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Daisy de Melker: Hiding Among Killers in the City of Gold; by Ted Botha (Jonathan Ball Publishers)
Ted Botha’s work of true crime takes the reader back to when the wealthiest city in Africa was a den of drunken debauchery — and home to notorious murderer Daisy de Melker. Enter a deep-dive into De Melker’s story, alongside Botha’s exploration of fellow criminals, shysters and colourful characters who prowled the streets of early 20th century Johannesburg.
Domestic Terror: Intimate partner violence in South Africa; by Nechama Brodie (NB Publishers: Kwela)
In a country permeated by the scourge of femicide, writer and academic Nechama Brodie’s book exploring domestic violence by looking at stories of South African women subjected to unspeakable physical, emotional and psychological harm at the hands of their male partners, is a crucial read. Brodie looks at decades of domestic violence and coercive control, and the changing nature of women’s rights and judicial protection.
The Thabo Bester Story: The Facebook Rapist, the Celebrity Doctor and the Escape from Cell 35; by Marecia Damons and Daniel Steyn (NB Publishers: Tafelberg)
Investigative journalists Marecia Damons and Daniel Steyn’s exposé of how murderer and rapist Thabo Bester escaped from a Mangaung prison by faking his own death — aided by his social media celebrity girlfriend Dr Nandipha Magudumana — is as informative as it is riveting. From Bester’s early life to his nascent criminal activities and the devastating aftermath experienced by his victims’ families, Damons and Steyn succinctly summarise his story.
Truth to Power: My Three Years Inside Eskom; by André de Ruyter (Penguin Nonfiction)
Corruption, political interference, sabotage, espionage, looting, pillaging, poisoning: former Eksom CEO André de Ruyter’s literary divulgence about the systemic atrophying of South Africa’s main supplier of electricity — and the aftermath he faced following his whistleblowing — reveals how the rapaciousness of the powers-that-be has resulted in a country robbed of its power supply.
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Coloured: How Classification Became Culture; by Tessa Dooms & Lynsey Ebony Chutel (Jonathan Ball Publishers)
A celebration of — and reflection on — Coloured identities as much as an investigation into the historical background of the designation “coloured” as an ethnicity and racial demographic as shaped by colonialism, slavery and racial hierarchies, Tessa Dooms and Lynsey Ebony Chutel’s book invites the reclamation of coloured identity and its space in South African history.
Capture in the Court: In Defence of Judges and the Constitution; by Dan Mafora (NB Publishers: Tafelberg)
Senior editor at NB Publishers Mbali Sikakana says: “[T]his book is not about state capture. No, this is about a new, more insidious, form of capture. It is about the ascendant anti-constitutionalism of our present moment. Lawyer, legal researcher and commentator Dan Mafora looks at how populist rhetoric has entered the South African legal arena, and why this is happening now. What does this mean for the future and stability of our democracy and our ability to hold politicians accountable? Mafora illuminates the true dangers of this moment and proposes ways in which we can change course. Before it is too late.”
The Race To Be Myself; by Caster Semenya (Jonathan Ball Publishers)
From her upbringing in rural Limpopo to her illustrious career as a record-breaking Olympic gold medallist, and the humiliation, dehumanisation and scrutiny she was subjected to owing to her high testosterone levels — labelled “intersex” by the media and medical professionals alike — Caster Semenya’s life story is one of reclaiming her agency, overcoming challenges, and the significance of community and family.
