Action-packed edgy story with a surprising twist takes readers into the dark confines of the tsotsi underworld. (Review by Caroline Smart)
African Cookboy is 2009 EU Award-shortlisted author, David Dinwoodie Irving’s first published novel. This well-written action-packed edgy story takes readers into the dark confines of the tsotsi underworld, “tsotsi” being the slang name for a township gangster.
The hero is one Dhlamini “Shatterproof” Bhekuzulu whose life starts off on the wrong foot and thereafter he battles to stay off the crime wagon. Admittedly, waves of conscience strike him occasionally – particularly when he becomes a father and his son becomes his greatest and proudest creation. However, the old ways pull him back and good intentions go out of the window until he reaches the stage where is no longer “shatterproof”.
Following Dhlamini’s nefarious activities as he flies dangerously under the radar of the law, the story takes readers through South Africa’s apartheid history, as seen from the eyes of a determined and wily black man out to make the most of flouting the system and the authorities. He lives through a litany of disasters and, while he makes a lot of money, fate has a way of taking it away from him. The brooding character of The General hovers over everything he does.
He courts and marries Zsa-Zsa and, although he goes through other sexual relationships – one quite hectic- Zsa-Zsa is the love of his life. However, his lifestyle forms a major barrier between them and she eventually leaves him forever. His one solid and loyal friend is the outspoken Cockney restaurateur Howard Postlethwaite and together they ran an upmarket restaurant, which kept Dhlamini on the straight and narrow for a while.
The book contains much humour and it’s easy to be drawn to this impossibly unprincipled rogue. Although Dhlamini would no doubt argue that his success was founded on high principles. After all, you can’t conduct any well-run business – even it it’s an illegal alcohol factory - without trusting your staff and distribution process. He describes his delivery schedule as running “as smooth as cream blended with imported Chivas Regal”.
There is a surprising twist at the end and, unless you clearly remember his early days, you may find yourself having to read the opening chapters again in order to work out who’s who.
There’s a helpful glossary translating terms that could be unfamiliar – like ezzies (backside or bottom), gattes (derogatory tsotsitaal for the police), gologo (booze), malgat (crazy) and rawurawu (callous robber). Regularly appearing is the word “amarands” (plural of South African’s currency, the Rand) which are what drive our hero’s activities.
Phrasing, vocabulary, descriptions are of a very high quality and herein lies my problem. The book is written in the first person. There is no indication where Dhlamini could have picked up his skills, apart from being in contact with a doctor at Baragwanath Hospital for a time. Would a self-acknowledged tsotsi boy with the black education of the times, speak with the richness of English you’d expect from an academic, experienced poet or highly skilled scriptwriter?
African Cookboy is published in paperback by Jacana Media EAN/ISBN-13: 978-1-77009-869-5. Recommended Retail Price R180. – Caroline Smart
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