What stood out most for me was the theme of integrity, and the reminder of why governance structures exist in the first place. State capture, as Maseko so clearly shows, takes root when people are driven by greed and disregard the rules.
He shares his journey with honesty and depth — from his early years as an activist, through the hopeful days of our new democracy, and into the harsh reality of state capture. I’m deeply grateful to him for having the courage to be the first whistleblower. It could not have been easy, especially being ostracised by former friends and social circles. His entire family felt the impact.
The book is sensitively written and genuinely moved me. It reminded me that there are still people who have fought — and continue to fight — for the soul of our beautiful country.
That said, I am still left wondering: how is it that the Guptas have not been brought to book?