In the Heart of Darkness

"There was a contingent of about ten police officers in several vehicles, led by Detective Sergeant Maluleke. The cracking sound coming from communications apparatus in police vehicles had woken up the neighbours who got out of their houses and lined the street in pyjamas. As Zakes was led to the waiting police pickup in handcuffs, like a lamb to the slaughter, Palesa cried out so loud her screams pierced the middle of the night and easily drowned out the noise made by surprised neighbours and police officials on the scene. Minutes later a police siren wailed out so loud as the convoy of officers took off and drove in the direction of Khoza Street before leaving Atteridgeville. One by one the neighbours went back to their houses except for Palesa's colleague who lived nearby. Young Samuel, who was in his pyjamas, witnessed without knowing what emotion to show, his dad being driven away in a sea of blue lights normally seen in movies they watched together; something within him had ripped apart and shredded to pieces. His mother was crying uncontrollably and her colleague Mampe had struggled to calm her down."

This is the story of Zachariah Mthembu, Zakes for short, and the man who worked himself hard to the middle level of society. He led a comfortable life; married to a school teacher, had one child and was a model factory worker. He got to the middle class by hook and crook too, supplementing his earnings from underworld activities. Everything about his life was enviable, until Captain Blom from Brixton Murder and Robbery unit came knocking on his front door...

It is also the story of The General; the prison head who commanded the most ruthless criminal syndicate from one of South Africa's notorious prisons. A man of split personality who read Bible verses to prisoners during the day and ordered the elimination of targets when the fee was good at night, he also had a vision of who should become the future president of the country, a country with a dark past itself.

It too is the story of Mokgadi; Zakes's sister-in-law, the woman who came to stabilise Zakes's family after his wife died in a hail of bullets whilst he sat in prison. She was a woman of high moral values, values which were threatened by forces beyond her control. She did not come to Pretoria out of choice but forced by circumstances, and dark secrets which threatened her existence.

From the pen of the author of "The Harvest of my Times", "In the Heart of Darkness" is a story of ordinary men and women who came to South Africa's cities from rural areas to make a living, to survive. It is a story of courage, pain, greed, and power!

Author: Malose Godfrey Nyatlo

Publisher: Independently Published

Publication Date: Dec 09, 2020

Number of Pages: 176 pages

Binding: Paperback or Softback

ISBN-10: NA

ISBN-13: 9798578791345