The Plot to Save South Africa by Justice Malala

Loading player...
In this episode, journalist and author, Andrew Harding interviews Justice Malala about his new book – The Plot to Save South Africa.

Today it seems as if the defeat of apartheid was inevitable, but Chris Hani’s assassination on the Easter Weekend of 1993 nearly tipped the country into all-out war. Now, bestselling Justice Malala tells the story of the week that followed the ANC firebrand’s murder by Janusz Waluś in riveting, cinematic fashion.

In this meticulously researched new book, the reader is taken into the thought processes and consequential actions of the key players – from Nelson Mandela, FW de Klerk, the police investigating the murder, dangerous right-wingers like Clive Derby-Lewis, and leaders such as Cyril Ramaphosa, Bantu Holomisa and Tokyo Sexwale. On the 30th anniversary of Hani’s death, this book tells us just how close South Africa came to civil war and how Mandela and De Klerk – despite provocation and despite their own fears, failures and doubts – chose the path of peace.

We hope that you enjoy the episode.
24 Apr 2023 English South Africa Books · Society & Culture

Other recent episodes

Pagecast at OBF 2026: Athi-Patra Ruga and Lethogonolo Mokogroane in conversation

For the final episode of Pagecast at the 2026 Open Book Festival, Letlhogonolo Mokgoroane is joined by Athi-Patra Ruga. Athi-Patra Ruga is a South African multidisciplinary artist whose work explores archives, spirituality, colonial histories and speculative world-building across performance, film, tapestry, sculpture and installation. He is also the co-founder of…
6 Sep 11 min

Pagecast at OBF 2026: Natalie Sifuma and Alma-Nalisha Cele in conversation

Natalie Sifuma is a Kenyan writer, researcher, and consultant currently based in Cape Town. She is the founder of Sisters in Climate — a Pan-African climate initiative — and is completing an MPhil in Inclusive Innovation at UCT’s Graduate School of Business, with a focus on social impact, climate, and…
6 Sep 11 min

Pagecast at OBF 2026: Sahra Noor and Lethogonolo Mokogroane in conversation

On this installment of Pagecast at the 2026 Open Book Festival studio, Lethogonolo Mokogroane is joined by Sahra Noor. Sahra is a Somali-American writer whose work explores belonging, migration, and the complicated work of building a life across cultures. Alongside her writing, she works in global health, supporting efforts to…
6 Sep 16 min

Pagecast at OBF 2026: Faraaz Mahomed and Alma-Nalisha Cele in conversation

Kicking off Sunday at Open Book Festival 2026, Faraaz Mahomed joins Dr Alma-Nalisha Cele in the Pagecast studio. Faraaz is a researcher in the field of mental health and human rights, based between New York and his native South Africa. His short stories and travel writing have appeared in Granta,…
6 Sep 15 min

Pagecast at OBF 2026: Kirsten Deane and Letlhogonolo Mokgoroane in conversation

For the final recording on Saturday, Kirsten Deane joins Letlhogonolo Mokgoroane in the Pagecast studio at Open Book Festival 2026. Kirsten Deane is the lead editor of English Alive, South Africa’s oldest publication for high school students. Her writing has been published in journals nationally and internationally, and her debut…
5 Sep 16 min