Rogues Gallery – An Irreverent History of Corruption in South Africa, From The Voc To The Anc By Matthew Blackman And Nick Dall

Rogues’ Gallery by Matthew Blackman and Nick Dall is an entertaining and sharply irreverent history of corruption in South Africa, tracing political skulduggery from the earliest days of the Dutch East India Company through to the ANC era. Published by Penguin in 2021, this 352-page work challenges the familiar idea that corruption in South Africa is a relatively recent phenomenon associated primarily with apartheid, the arms deal or Jacob Zuma. Instead, Rogues’ Galleryargues that questionable dealings, patronage and political manipulation have been recurring features of the country’s history.

The story begins with the VOC and colonial governors at the Cape, before moving through some of the most controversial figures and episodes in South African history. Cecil John Rhodes, Paul Kruger, the Broederbond, the apartheid-era Department of Information and the so-called independent homelands all feature in this wide-ranging account. The book also examines more recent examples of state capture and political corruption, placing contemporary scandals within a much longer historical perspective.

What distinguishes Rogues’ Gallery is its approach. Blackman and Dall combine extensive historical research with humour, colourful characters and remarkable episodes drawn from newspapers, memoirs and lesser-known historical sources. The result is neither a conventional political history nor a dry academic examination of corruption. Instead, Rogues’ Gallery uses the stories of individual “skelms” to explore recurring patterns in South African political and economic life.

Matthew Blackman has written extensively on South African art, literature and history, while Nick Dall is a journalist and author with a particular interest in unusual stories from the country’s past. Their collaboration gives Rogues’ Gallery an accessible narrative style while retaining a strong historical foundation.

For readers interested in South African history, politics, state capture and corruption, Rogues’ Gallery offers a provocative and entertaining perspective. It is particularly well suited to anyone who wants to understand how contemporary political scandals fit into the much longer history of power, patronage and corruption in South Africa. This Penguin edition is an engaging addition to collections of South African history, political books and contemporary African non-fiction.

Condition: Near Fine – Excellent condition with minimal wear.