There was this goat...

Authors Antjie Krog, Nosisi Mpolweni and Kopano Ratele met and decided on this project at UWC in the late 90s, and the result is a book that moves all who read it. It certainly had the audience at the Saturday morning session where this book was discussed, moved to tears.

"There was this goat" is the story of the TRC testimony of Notrose Nobomvu Konile, mother of Zabonke Konile, a young man killed in what has become known as the Guguletu Seven incident. Discussion moderator Duncan Brown rightly said of this book, "This book may prove to be one of the most significant texts of its time.”

I invite you to get hold of this book - it approaches Ms Konile's testimony from a range of angles. It makes sense of what was, according to the authors, sometimes a very incoherent testimony before the TRC which led to Ms Konile finding forgiveness for someone who did the unforgivable. It is a tribute to the (since deceased) Ms Konile and to what makes us all human. If I can paraphrase the book's ending tribute to Ms Konile, "You have spoken, and we have listened."

A copy of the book was symbolically handed over to Ms Konile's surviving daughter at the Cape Town Book Fair on Saturday morning.