Award-winning columnist, journalist, satirist and author of three books, Bhekisisa Mncube,
will be the guest speaker at The Valley Trust fundraising business breakfast to be held at Fig
Tree Farm in Hillcrest at 8am on Friday 21 October. The theme for his address is “SA at a
Crossroads…. with Potholes.”
Mncube has no holy cows as he sets his sight on the malaise that bedevils our republic and
confronts those responsible for the political decay.
The breakfast to raise funds for The Valley Trust – a registered non-profit and public benefit
organization, founded in 1953. The Valley Trust uses health promotion and other means to
improve the wellbeing of the rural communities of the Valley of 1000 Hills.
The breakfast will be attended by captains of industry, prominent church leaders and
community stalwarts who keep the fires burning at the homes of vulnerable citizens.
Mncube is author of the best-selling memoir The Love Diary of a Zulu Boy. He recently
launched his new book titled The Ramaphosa Chronicles, to critical acclaim. In this book,
Mncube seeks to unravel the Ramaphosa administration egging on the President on structural
economic reforms and begging him to grow a robust spine.
This profoundly personal reflection uses an interesting literacy device, letter writing, to
conduct an open–ended dialogue with the President. “I call it an intergenerational public
discourse, the key to a country with the ageing crew of leaders and young voters,” he says.
Furthermore, he tackles heavy subjects such as the bizarre prohibition of booze and cigarettes
in recent times, Covid-19 PPE criminal misdemeanours, Zuma, Nkandla and of course, his
first love, Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane and her unusual court losing streak. He does so
with literacy wittiness and rare courage.
But, he does pats the President on the back for rebuilding the justice and security
administration institutions such as the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and its’s new
Investigative Directorate (ID), Special Investigative Unit (SIU) and Special Tribunal,
amongst others.
In his preview, one of SA’s foremost political analysts, Ebrahim Fakir says: “Mncube
meanders through policy by pun and pursues political criticism through literary witticism.
This is a rollicking frolic through the twists of politics & policy – with a delicious turn of
phrase.”
“Mncube has thrown a hilarious net of irony over politician’s pompousness and exposed the
flaws in their arguments with brilliant insight and wit that makes you wince with glee,” says
the Witness Editor Stephanie Saville.
“I use humour and irony to unpack the Ramaphosa administration. This helps me to lose less
hair every time a political figure associated with Ramaphosa messes up. I laugh it off, but not
without a net of irony thrown in for good measure,” Mncube insists.
After two years of incessantly writing to the President weekly, Mncube says he deserves to
have at least tea with him at Mahlamba Ndlopfu (the official residence of the President),
perhaps at Phala Phala farm. Perhaps. Mncube’s prognosis of SA is that our homeland is slowly
and steadily on the road to recovery after the nine ruinous years of uBaba, characterised by low
growth, low tax collections, and poor political morality resulting in unbridled levels of corruption
and malfeasance. At the breakfast, Mncube will share the basis of his optimism.
∙Tickets for breakfast with Bhekisisa Mncube are R290 pp / R2 500 per table of 10,
and are available through Quicket or The Valley Trust on 031-716 6800.
∙Fig Tree Farm is at 57 Inanda Rd, Hillcrest, Durban.
∙His latest book, The Ramaphosa Chronicles, will be available for sale at breakfast.
∙The Valley Trust and Fig Tree Farm are both members of the 1000 Hills Community
Tourism Organisation.
