It took 350 years to come up with the list of shame for the original best-selling 50 People Who Stuffed Up South Africa, published to critical acclaim in 2010. But it's taken only ten more years to come up with the next 50... From Shaun Abrahams to Mosebenzi Zwane, 50 People Who F***ed Up South Africa is shot through with the architects and beneficiaries of state capture who have defined The Lost Decade. There's Dlamini, there's Zuma and there's Dlamini-Zuma. There are the Guptas, Geoghegan and Gigaba. There's a malady of "M"s - Mabuza, Magashule, Mahumapelo (and many more mofos). There are the crony-corporate enablers and big business abusers. Importantly, there are clean takedowns of those who represent the scandals that will live in infamy when the history of this time is written: Eskom, Nkandla, Marikana, Life Esidimeni, Steinhoff, Bosasa, VBS Mutual Bank... And then there is the joker in the pack (Niehaus), the naked emperor (Survé), the zombie killer (Pistorius), the Twittering twit (Zille) and the twit who got past security (Thamsanqa Jantjie). The end result is a readable, accessible, entertaining overview of South Africa's recent political and socioeconomic landscape. Because sometimes humour (along with a clearly painted picture) really is the best coping mechanism...

Graybill (mind and human interaction, U. of Virginia) provides students not only the facts about the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, but also the broader context in which it operated. She asks whether it led to reconciliation and healing, what criteria were used to decide whether to pardon or punish, whether politics necessitated the compromise, and other questions. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

50 People Who Stuffed Up South Africa, originally published in 2010, is the original book in the best-selling and critically acclaimed 50 People series. Part history, part social commentary, 50 People Who Stuffed Up South Africa is an engrossing and edifying read that delves into South African politics, war, sport and culture, and answers the question, who are the greatest villains, the direst leaders, the foulest corrupters and the most offensive personalities to have spread their regrettable influence through our fine and glorious land? From Jan van Riebeeck in 1652 to Jacob Zuma in 2016 - via Basson, Botha, Shaka and Shaik - it is filled with the nastiest names to have besmirched our past. These are men of infamy (and three women) who have steered the good ship South Africa firmly in the wrong direction by virtue of their ruinous megalomania (Mbeki, Rhodes), foul convictions (Verwoerd, Terre'Blanche) or general idiocy (Malema, Erwin). But the obvious political gangsters and historical heavy-hitters are just the half of it: there's also the colonial warmonger (Lord Milner), the national embarrassment (Rudolf Straeuli), the societal delinquent (The minibus taxi driver), the unexpected sports villain (Richie Benaud!), the Euro-chancer (Mark Thatcher), the traitor (Kevin Pietersen) and the twat (Kevin Pietersen).'A well-researched, considered look at those who have had an influence on South Africa's progress; or rather, have hindered it.' - City Press 'Entertaining... enlightening... comes highly recommended.' - Business Day 'The writing is sharp and the scope impressive... provides some great moral sword fights and it's worth reading for the cartoons alone.' - Rapport Short-listed for the Nielsen Booksellers' Choice Award 2011 The other books in the 50 People series are: - 50 Flippen Brilliant South Africans (2012)- 50 People Who Messed Up The World (2017)- 50 Who F***ed Up South Africa: The Lost Decade (2020)

In Africa Unchained , George Ayittey takes a controversial look at Africa's future and makes a number of daring suggestions. Looking at how Africa can modernize, build, and improve their indigenous institutions which have been castigated by African leaders as 'backward and primitive', Ayittey argues that Africa should build and expand upon these traditions of free markets and free trade. Asking why the poorest Africans haven't been able to prosper in the Twenty-first-century, Ayittey makes the answer obvious: their economic freedom was snatched from them. War and conflict replaced peace and the infrastructure crumbled. In a book that will be pondered over and argued about as much as his previous volumes, Ayittey looks at the possibilities for indigenous structures to revive a troubled continent.