kameraad mhambi

If your on London tonight there’s a talk featuring Mark Gevisser and Alec Russell, author of the acclaimed book “After Mandela”. Both these gents are eloquent and knowledgeable commentators on South Africa.

Ferial Haffajee former editor of South Africa’s Mail & Guardian said of Russel’s book:

“After Mandela: The Battle for the Soul of South Africa (Hutchinson) by Alec Russell, world editor of the Financial Times, breaks the mould. It is pacy and well written, but, more vitally, it is rooted in real research among real people.

Moreover, it is authoritative, because Russell draws on interviews with both of South Africa’s post-apartheid presidents, Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki, and also with Jacob Zuma, the man who will be our president by this time next month. Russell was part of the corps of foreign correspondents who worked here as freedom came: he knew our nooks and crannies from the hideaways of right-wing secessionists to the self-defence units of the Vaal townships.”

Mark Gevisser is the writer of the mighty fine tome on Thabo Mbeki. But although a great read he never managed to quite explain our ex president. Still Gevisser is a great intellect and it should be good to see these two gents together.

Here is the invite:

Royal African Society & Global South Africans network

On the anniversary of South Africa Youth Day,

invites you, to a panel discussion:

‘South Africa: Development and Democracy’

With highly acclaimed authors:

Alec Russell, author of After Mandela

Mark Gevisser, author of A Legacy of Liberation

Chair: Audrey Brown, presenter BBC World Briefing

6-8pm, 16 June, SOAS, Khalili Lecture Theatre, WC1H 0XG

South African leadership requires a skilful balancing of four interlinked imperatives: Political stability, Economic growth, Legitimacy and Redistribution.

How will the government of Jacob Zuma fare?

Alec Russell is World News Editor at the Financial Times, and former Johannesburg bureau chief. He was nominated by the Financial times for a Pulitzer Prize in 2008 and Britain’s Foreign Correspondent of the Year for his reporting from South Africa in 2007.

Mark Gevisser is one of South Africa’s leading journalists whose book Thabo Mbeki: The Dream Deferred won the Sunday Times 2008 Alan Paton Prize and the NB Books 2008 Recht Malan Prize.

Please RSVP to palesa.madumo@omg.co.uk/ 0207 002 4095

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