The Devil In The Detail: How The Arms Deal Changed Everything SALE

Title : The Devil In The Detail: How The Arms Deal Changed Everything
Category: African
Brand: Jonathan Ball Publishers
Item Page Download URL : Download in PDF File
Rating : 3.5
Buyer Review : 2

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The South African 'Arms Deal' was never a single event. Rather it was, and still is, a series of scandals and outrages, all contributing towards a dubious momentum that takes South Africa further away from transparent democratic practice. The Devil in the Detail, written by two of South Africa's leading researchers on the subject, takes the reader on a journey of insight. Witness at close hand the breaking open of State secrets, with tales of outrageous personal enrichment. Explore how the Arms Deal emerged out of the criminal networks of both the old SADF and the ANC's security apparatus, raising questions as to whether South Africa's remarkable transition was not oiled, at key points, by criminal intent and collusion. Follow the trail of the various offset deals done after the Arms Deal - cumulatively worth just as much as - and discover that corruption continues to impact on defence spending in South Africa. Examine the economics and witness how the Arms Deal was not only economically irrational, but virtually suicidal, almost single-handedly derailing the post-apartheid economic project. Finally, read about the rise of the 'shadow state', the politicisation of prosecutions, and the rise of the 'spooks'. The remarkable conclusion of this landmark study is that years after the deal took place, the forces that drove its decisions have only grown in strength, further blighting South Africa's prospects for a future in which all may have a share.The South African 'Arms Deal' was never a single event. Rather it was, and still is, a series of scandals and outrages, all contributing towards a dubious momentum that takes South Africa further away from transparent democratic practice. The Devil in the Detail, written by two of South Africa's leading researchers on the subject, takes the reader on a journey of insight. Witness at close hand the breaking open of State secrets, with tales of outrageous personal enrichment. Explore how the Arms Deal emerged out of the criminal networks of both the old SADF and the ANC's security apparatus, raising questions as to whether South Africa's remarkable transition was not oiled, at key points, by criminal intent and collusion. Follow the trail of the various offset deals done after the Arms Deal - cumulatively worth just as much as - and discover that corruption continues to impact on defence spending in South Africa. Examine the economics and witness how the Arms Deal was not only economically irrational, but virtually suicidal, almost single-handedly derailing the post-apartheid economic project. Finally, read about the rise of the 'shadow state', the politicisation of prosecutions, and the rise of the 'spooks'. The remarkable conclusion of this landmark study is that years after the deal took place, the forces that drove its decisions have only grown in strength, further blighting South Africa's prospects for a future in which all may have a share.


Review :
The Aficionado's Guide to the "Arms Deal"
Few non-South Africans have heard of the "Arms Deal," but it is THE great political scandal of post-1994 democratic South Africa. The rotten story began with a decision by the new ANC government to procure super-expensive high-tech weapons. Not only were these weapons not needed for the defense of the nation, but the tenders were hijacked by crooks who paid bribes to ANC pols and fixers. Even the current President, Jacob Zuma, took money. Given the country's crying social needs, the revenue wasted on these weapons was a mockery of the ideals of the liberation struggle. Yet the scandal has never been properly investigated, and it continues to fester in South Africa's collective political consciousness, undermining confidence in democratic institutions and leaving the ANC fearful of future disclosures.

"The Devil in the Detail" is a detailed reconstruction of the complex scandal. It is filled with information about the manipulation of tenders and it offers...

Essential reading, but also horribly flawed
This book is an important and timely contribution to the maturing genre of post-Apartheid scholarship that is more comfortable breaking several taboos about the New South Africa. It stitches together an untold number of threads from various scandals, investigations, snippets and reports to produce a compelling indictment of South Africa's leaders. More importantly, it confirms the failure of South Africa's political system and structures which are the result of a failed constitutional process.

However, the book also suffers from several serious flaws that will result in limited distribution and very few readers bothering to go cover-to-cover, which is why I cannot award it more than three stars.

Firstly, the editing was disastrous. Unfortunately, we are now accustomed to South African publishers doing as little editing, fact-checking and quality control as possible. They are not so much publishers as printing and marketing intermediaries these days. Given the...