Gallery

On 20 June 2019, I went back to Knysna to launch For the People in paperback with a reading and signing at the local yacht club, a stunning venue with the Knysna Lagoon as its backdrop. About 100 people came along on the night, including many of the surviving men and women I interviewed for the book, and it was an emotional experience being reunited with the people who trusted me with their stories. There were tears (mostly mine), laughter, thought-provoking discussions and many, many hugs. Here are some of the highlights…

All of these special people contributed to and/or are featured in the book. Standing (from L – R): my father, Theron Schutte; Lesley Satchell; Vivien Paremoer; Ben Demengo; my mother, Owena Schutte (aka Nobantu); Lawrence Oliver; Winile Joyi; Mr Guga from Tembelitsha School; Victoria Sigcu; Annette Smit (widow of Wiekie Smit); Trish Eustice; Marianne van Eeden (wife of Piet van Eeden, who couldn’t attend as he was ill); Johnny Oliphant. Seated (from L – R): Elizabeth Koti; Rhoda Hendricks; and me.
  • Sharing a joke with my mother, Owena Schutte (aka Nobantu)
  • Johnny signs my copy of the book
  • Mr Guga takes the stage, with Winile Joyi and Ben Demengo looking on
  • My mother’s famous cake
  • Rusks, baked by my mother
  • Johnny with his partner, Thandi
  • Reading
  • In our element
  • Elizabeth Koti receives her thank-you copy
  • My father entertains the ladies
  • Kobie from Bargain Books, who have been promoting and selling the For the People in Knysna
  • Vivien Paremoer (standing) and Lesley Satchel (seated)
  • Isabel Clark, who’s been tirelessly campaigning for the book in Knysna
  • Lawrence Oliver, retired policeman, shares his side of the story
  • With Lesley Satchel, my pre-primary school teacher and MC for the evening
  • With Corne Viljoen, who became a dear (and much needed!) friend when I moved back to Knysna for three months to research the book. Her late father, Wiekie Smit, gave me invaluable information about Knysna’s back story.
  • Victoria Sigcu reunited with Vivien Paremoer after many years
  • One of the more emotional moments
  • The sun sets over the Knysna Lagoon, with Thesen’s Island in the background
  • Marianne van Eeden receives husband Piet’s thank-you copy on his behalf
  • L-R: Victoria Sigcu, Johnny and his partner Thandi, Elizabeth Koti