South Africa’s struggle for liberation was not an easy one. Many people lost their lives, while many sacrifices were made so we can have a democratic South Africa. As much as homage is paid to the likes of Chris Hani, Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu, there are other freedom fighters who also played a pivotal role in the struggle for freedom such as Mike Maphoto or otherwise known as Bra Ike.
In this autobiography Tlou Setumu pays homage to the life and times of this unsung hero. The book does not follow the normal autobiography trend of starting with biographic background. Setumu jumps straight into the subject matter when Bra Ike was already in exile, which is a bit of a disappointment. All eight chapters of the book fairly depicts Bra Ike at different stages of his life, yet the author failed to capture Bra Ike’s life before he left the country.
One expected a bit of biographical background, helping the reader to get know the man before his freedom fighting mission. This book is also not an easy read as it is filled with jargon, but the author makes up for it by having a glossary to explain the jargon. If one is looking to get to know more on Bra Ike’s political career, then this is a book for you. However, if you are hoping to better understand the personal life of Bra Ike before the struggle days, then this autobiography is not for you. Setumu really failed to capture the entire life of this struggle hero.
– By Regomoditswe Mputle
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