The struggle continues in an ephemeral freedom

MEMOIRS OF A BORN FREE, by Malaika Wa Azania. Published by Jacana. Reviewed by Azola Dayile MALAIKA Mahlatsi, better known as Malaika wa Azania, always wanted to write a letter to the ANC. There were two reasons why. The first was to express her gratitude for its role in the liberation struggle; the other to address societal issues that the ANC had failed to deal with. This book is that letter. Published 20 years into the democratic dispensation, it begins with a chapter titled Letter to the ANC which gives an overview of why Malaika wrote the book.

What follows is a short biography of the author growing up on the streets of Soweto. She traces how her mother, a young activist at the time, met a young man at political rallies, and how their romance led to the birth of Malaika a few months after Nelson Mandela was released from prison.

The author looks critically at the much-feted born-free and rainbow nation dichotomy, centring it on her own struggles as a black woman.

In a forthright way she argues that, although blacks can now attend previously exclusively white institutions, the former are still not born free. African passport on him.

The book details hard-hitting exposés which he has written and co-written with his colleagues. This is juxtaposed by the humane and lucid telling of his life story in which he also shares his passion for music.

Not surprisingly, his pursuit of the truth has made Wa Afrika an unpopular journalist among politicians; he has even been declared persona non grata in Zimbabwe. This book is a refreshing must-read.