Justice Malala recently invited Onkgopotse JJ Tabane onto the Justice Factor where he spoke about his book, Let’s Talk Frankly: Letters to Influential South Africans About the State of Our Nation.

Malala asks: “Why did you write a book that says, Let’s Talk Frankly? What is it about?” Tabane says the book contains a selection of letters that he wrote to 21 influential South Africans, and an extra letter to “the signal jammer, whoever that is”.

Tabane decided to write the book for two reasons. First, he says, “citizens must get in the habit of getting leaders to account directly”. “If you write a letter to a minister they’re obliged to respond as servants of the people.”

The second reason is to stimulate a culture of debate, of “flourishing, divergent views”, which in Tabane’s opinion has deteriorated since 1994.

“Onkgopotse, I totally disagree with you,” Malala interjects. “You write for the Daily Maverick, I sit here calling people losers of the week.”

“You’re an exception, Justice, that’s the trouble,” Tabane objects.

Malala continues: “So many of us are speaking very eloquently and we are not being stopped.”

“That’s true, but you see it’s the quality of that debate that worries me,” Tabane insists.

Watch the passionate discussion between the two commentators:

• Watch on eNCA

Book details

• Let’s Talk Frankly: Letters to Influential South Africans About the State of Our Nation by Onkgopotse JJ Tabane, illustrated by Sifiso Yalo
  Book homepage
  EAN: 9781770104327
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!