Legends

Believe it or not, we have a lot to be positive about in South Africa. With corrupt politicians and institutional failures collapsing the country, it’s easy to get all depro. More so when you consider our ugly past: colonialism, slavery and apartheid. But hold those thoughts, because Legends might just inject you with the all-natural and organic anti-depressant you need. The book sheds light on the lives of a dozen remarkable people who changed South Africa for the better. Mandela, Biko and Gandhi (who spent almost twenty years here) might need no introduction. But it’s still worth being reminded of the extraordinary – and downright ingenious – measures they took to achieve freedom for all. Other incredible lives have been largely forgotten. There’s King Moshoeshoe, founder of the Basotho nation, whose humanity as well as his military and diplomatic strategies make him almost entirely unique. John Fairbairn, meanwhile, fought to end slavery and to introduce non-racial democracy – both of which were achieved by 1854! Then there’s Olive Schreiner, a bestselling author who fought racism, corruption and chauvinism, and Sol Plaatje, whose wit, intelligence, and tenacity in the face racial zealots made him truly remarkable. The same goes for Sailor Malan, who fought fascists in the skies of Europe and on the streets of South Africa. Also covered are writer and naturalist Eugène Marais, activist Cissie Gool, international singing sensation Miriam Makeba, and Thuli Madonsela, who quietly took on the most powerful man in the land. Of course, none of these people were saints. They had their weaknesses, their addictions, their skeletons. But they changed South Africa for the better, and this book celebrates them for it.