These Are Not Gentle People: A True Story by Andrew Harding is out in August from Pan Macmillan SA.

PUBLICATION DELAYED TO INCLUDE THE JUDGEMENT IN THE CASE

‘Look what the fucking dogs did to them, someone muttered. No one mentioned the rope, or the monkey-wrench, or the gun, or the knife, or the stick, or the whip, or the blood-stained boots. In fact, no one said much at all. It seemed simpler that way. There was no sense in pointing fingers.’

These Are Not Gentle People is a murder story, a courtroom drama, a profound exploration of collective guilt and individual justice. The story of the brutal beating and death of two young men and those accused of committing the crime.

Set in the small farming community of Parys in the Free State it is a true story of crime, punishment and redemption. When a whole community is on trial, who pays the price?

Award-winning foreign correspondent and author Andrew Harding traces the impact of one moment of collective barbarism on a fragile community – exposing lies, cover-ups, political meddling and betrayals, and revealing the inner lives of those involved with extraordinary clarity.

The author says:

‘This is a peculiarly South African tale about a frenzied double murder and its bitter aftermath. But These Are Not Gentle People is also, I hope, a thriller, an exploration of rage and betrayal, and a twisting human story that will appeal to a wide audience.’

Categories Non-fiction South Africa

Tags Andrew Harding New books New releases Pan Macmillan SA These Are Not Gentle People