Neville John Herrington

Growing Old in 'Black' South Africa Neville John Herrington

Growing Old in 'BLACK' South Africa is a sequel to Neville Herrington's successful earlier book Growing Up in 'WHITE South Africa, and is a continuation of his life's journey against the backdrop of a changing socio-political, and at times turbulent landscape as the country transitioned from nearly half a century of enforced segregationist policies to the inclusive democratic society it is today. Written in the same fresh, humorous style that is the hallmark of his earlier book, it takes the reader into a very personal experience of his years as an SABC journalist, city councillor, university lecturer, playwright and TV documentary producer during this period of radical change in which he did what he could to challenge the barriers created by the apartheid regime. His idealistic vision of the kind of society that a new dispensation could deliver in its promise of a better life for all its citizens has, however, been severely challenged along the way. The spirit of Ubuntu promoted by struggle heroes like Steve Biko and Nelson Mandela, in which there is a recognition of the interdependence of all South Africans as a single nation, has dissipated over time as racism and corruption have taken a grip on the country, dividing its people and creating large pockets of civil unrest among those whose expectations have not been met