‘Rebellion, religion and reason’ in Iman’s story
● It might have been the stomping ground for the Rolex Gang, who had a predilection for robbing the wealthy of their luxury timepieces and cars, but Joburg’s Hyde Park Corner shopping centre is also a fave spot for book launches.
On Thursday night it was the turn of that bubbly broadcast journalist Iman Rappetti, whose book, Becoming Iman, hit the shelves at the centre’s Exclusive Books.
“I didn’t have a wedding, as you will know in the book. This is akin to a wedding for me tonight,” quipped the award-winning journalist, who dressed for the occasion in a black dress with an African trim, her blonder locks all curled up like a Hollywood starlet’s.
Touted as “an adventure through rebellion, religion and reason”, the former eNCA newscaster’s memoir features stories from her life, including growing up and how she came to abandon journalism to live as a devout Muslim in Iran for two years.
Interviewed by her mate Khadija Magardie, who witnessed an incident described in the book when Iman decided to shear off her locks with a razor, Iman told us how she resolved to leave the Islamic republic after falling pregnant with her second daughter, Leila, who is now 11.
When I meet her two daughters, I ask them if they plan to follow in Mom’s reporting footsteps, to which Maryam, 17, quickly replies: “Definitely not!”
Guests included Iman’s former News Night co-host Jeremy Maggs, Ursula Chikane, and industrialist and author Letepe Maisela.
Also there was Iman’s Power 98.7 boss, Given Mkhari, who said that he was aware that we were instructed to wear something African inspired or traditional, but his blue suit “was the most African I could do”.