A Simple Man

Kasrils and the Zuma enigma

Plot

Ronnie Kasrils's insights into Jacob Zuma, both shocking and revelatory, are vividly illuminated through this story--from their shared history in the underground to Kasrils's time as minister of intelligence and his views on South Africa now. This fast-paced, thriller-style memoir outlines the tumultuous years that saw Mbeki's overthrow and replacement by Zuma, Nkandlagate, the growing militarization of the police and the Marikana Massacre, the outrageous appointment of flunkies to high office, the "state capture" report and his relationship with the Guptas. We relive the Schabir Shaik corruption trial, Kasrils's relationship with Fezeka Kuzwayo (Khwezi), Zuma's rape trial accuser, the email and spy tapes saga, conspiracy, and betrayal. While Kasrils explains the enigmatic contradictions of Jacob Zuma, he also explains that corruption and the abuse of power did not begin with him. His story points to the compromised negotiations of the 1990s, which he refers to as a "Faustian Pact." This is a story told from the inside, exploring the many machinations of power and how one man's struggle for the truth can have such an impact on the political outcomes of a nation.