The telling of too many of our stories as black South Africans is often done by people who have not experienced the life we have lived, and the avoidable difficulties to which we have been subjected.

Even the stories of Nelson Mandela (South Africa’s first President under the first universal franchise), Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (his wife and a fiery socio-political activist in her own right dubbed “Mother of the Nation”) and Steven Bantu Biko (leader of the Students’ movement in the 1960s and 1970s and a Black Consciousness Movement advocate and leader) have been told largely by people who have not walked one mile in their shoes. And so in all three cases, the lack of authenticity is palpable.

#BlameMeOnApartheid is a welcome departure from that mould. Mr Thamsanqa D. Malinga, a child of South Africa’s townships, tells his own story from his own perspective and in his own words. No interpretation required. Even this review does not seek to water down the substance of the book by interpreting it for you. It simply seeks to pay tribute to a project well-executed.

Read the full review here #BlameMeOnApartheid – A Book by Thamsanqa D Malinga

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