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The Stellenbosch Mafia - a review By Sampa Kabwela I was dreading my nearly ten-hour long Cape Town-Dubai flight. I had with me two books: Notes from the Underground, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and The Stellenbosch Mafia, by Pieter du Toit, which I had just bought a day earlier. I decided on the latter. It was unputdownable until the flight landed—to my irritation. Twenty-four hours later, I was done, and I am not the fastest of readers. “Comrade President, Stellenbosch is a big problem. We know your proximity to Stellenbosch…We have not elected Stellenbosch here…We have not elected the Ruperts here.” — Julius Malema to President Cyril Ramaphosa in the National Assembly on 22 May 2019. I have always been fascinated by the arresting beauty of Stellenbosch, surrounded by mountains, picturesque architecture, and Wine Estates without an end. The opulent Stellenbosch University is clearly the jewel and center of the town. I was starstruck during my first visit three years ago. A further drive to Franschhoek—French Town or French Quarters—with its imposing and tantalizing colonial architecture, left me wondering if the residents even knew that Mandela had long left prison. Three years later, Stellenbosch in its entirety, including its troubling history, has become something of an addiction to me. Its beauty does not mask or hide its dark past; it relishes it. The author, Pieter du Toit, tries to answer whether a ‘mafia’ exists—white, rich, old and all male—who effectively run South Africa from wealthy Stellenbosch. And if so, with what implications? The result is a history of a country told through a town, delivered in razor-sharp prose, buoyed by solid research and paced like a thriller. Du Toit, an award-winning Journalist, has an admirable ability to observe and render even the minutest details with a sense of detached precision. He is an impartial observer, but certainly not neutral. I now realize just how little I know (but tend to make assumptions) about South Africa and all its complexities. The sheer balancing of centres of power, the history, the present—add in the brewing impasse with the US—makes running South Africa one of the near-impossible jobs out there. Going forward, I will comment on South Africa with more thought, more reading and fewer assumptions—like ANC’s decision to partner with DA in the government of unity (which I didn’t understand (now I do). Much more, I enjoyed reading about familiar landmarks, streets and my favorite places such as the Tokara Wine Estate. I now understand the crown that Stellenbosch University is, and what it really means to the culture and history of the city and its people. I couldn’t recommend the book more. After all, what happens in #SouthAfrica has an impact on us all. Du Toit does a stellar job on every level.