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One of the reasons I wrote this book was the Fees Must Fall activists: Rehana Rossouw at the launch of her new novel New Times
 More about the book!

Rehana Rossouw launched her new novel New Times at a packed-out Love Books yesterday evening.

New Times is a portrait of life on the Cape Flats during the ‘Rainbow Nation’ days of the mid-1990s, drawing on Rossouw’s experiences as a journalist.

Click on the link above for more about the book!

In a wide-ranging conversation with Heather Robertson, Rossouw spoke about the genesis of her book, including Fees Must Fall, journalism in the 1980s, same-sex relationships, the Bo Kaap community and the idea that Nelson Mandela was a ‘sell-out’.

The launch conversation began with a discussion of the post-traumatic stress disorder suffered by those South Africans involved on both sides of the Struggle.

Rossouw says she and many others suffer from PTSD, including those who served in the South African Defence Force during apartheid.

‘On both sides of the Struggle it is unaddressed, there’s very little support,’ the author says. ‘I feel especially for the SADF guys, because they were on the losing side, they were on the wrong side. At least we had the comfort of victory.

‘I saw people getting shot, getting badly hurt, I had to cover trials where people talked about being tortured. At least we were the victors. The guys in the SADF were left alone with their memories. And nobody wants to talk to them. I’ve become a person who talks to those who were in the SADF because I’m going through the same thing they are going through. And we’re so like-minded when we talk about it.’

Rossouw says another reason she wrote the book was her interaction with students in the Fees Must Fall movement.

‘The reason I wrote this book, also, was I had a lot of engagements with the Fees Must Fall activists two years ago, and they were arguing very strongly for violence, they were arguing that without the attendant violence there would be no press coverage, nobody would listen to their demands, they needed violence to show that they were serious. And I was like, guys, that’s a dangerous thing. If you’re going to use violence it’s going to have repercussions, it’s going to affect you for the rest of your lives, don’t do it.’

The third main theme of the book, Rossouw says, is the idea that Nelson Mandela was a sell-out. Watch the launch video below!

Rossouw was born in Cape Town, and lives in Johannesburg. She has been a journalist for three decades and has also taught journalism and creative writing. Her first novel, What Will People Say?, was shortlisted for the 2015 Etisalat Prize for Literature.

Rehana Rossouw in conversation with Heather Robertson at @LoveBooksJozi for the launch of #NewTimes

Posted by Jacana Media on Wednesday, November 22, 2017

 

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Categories Fiction South Africa

Tags Book events Book launches Heather Robertson Jacana Media Johannesburg Love Books New Times Rehana Rossouw


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