When the land spewed fire – e-Book

Description

This is a brilliantly crafted story of four farm workers, later known as the Perdekraal Four. The author succeeds, admirably, in raising the story to a level above polemic when he weaves into its plot the actions of a white advocate, Moolman, who leaves no stone unturned to clear the naïve but innocent farm workers of a serious crime. He takes the case on appeal and wins. The question of “race equals prejudice” is once again pushed out of the equation when the advocate solicits help from his philanthropic aunt in England to raise funds to buy a farm for the homeless workers. Our destiny is intertwined. It all depends on what we make of it in our lifetime.

P T Mtuze, King William’s Town

This story makes for good compelling reading. It is free-fl owing, fascinating and intriguing. It is filled with poignancy that strikes deep into the human soul. It brought tears to my eyes and a smile to my heart as it stirred precious memories. Very nostalgic! It is the kind of writing that speaks powerfully to our post-apartheid sensitivities.

Andrew Lewin, Pretoria

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Charles Nqakula was born at a small Karoo town in South Africa on 13 September 1942. After leaving school in 1963, he took up journalism and between 1966 and 1969 wrote a regular column for the Midland News. This weekly newspaper was printed and published in Cradock and circulated in the Midlands region, an area that covered the towns of Cradock, Somerset East, Graaff -Reinet, Adelaide, Bedford, Fort Beaufort and Middleburg. Nqakula later joined Imvo Zabantsundu (1973–76), which was based in King William’s Town, where he covered politics and sport. He left Imvo in mid-June 1976 to join the East London Daily Dispatch, but left in 1981 after being banned by the National Party government in July that year. He was a political activist involved in the underground activities of the African National Congress. At the time of his banning order, he was the Vice-President of the antigovernment Union of Black Journalists. He left the country for exile in 1984 and trained in 1985 in Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing of the ANC. After the advent of democracy in South Africa, Nqakula became Minister of Police in 2002 and Minister of Defence in 2008 but left government after the 2009 elections.