Has any war in history gone according to plan? Monarchs, dictators and elected leaders alike have a dismal record on military decision-making, from over-ambitious goals to disregarding intelligence, terrain, or enemy capabilities. This not only wastes the lives of civilians, the enemy and one’s own soldiers, but also fails to achieve geopolitical objectives, and usually lays the seeds for more wars down the line. Conflict scholar and former soldier Mike Martin takes the reader through the hard, elegant logic to fighting a conclusive interstate war that solves geopolitical problems and reduces future conflict. In cool and precise prose, he outlines how to orchestrate military forces, from infantry to information, and from strategy to tactics. How to Fight a War explains the unavoidable, yet seemingly elusive, art of using violence to force your enemies to do what you want. It should be read by everyone seeking to understand today’s wars, as well as those wishing to lead us through the coming decades of conflict. An indispensable guide to understanding modern warfare, especially the decisions made by politicians and generals — both good and bad. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mike Martin is Senior Visiting Research Fellow in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London, where he speaks and writes on conflict. His previous books are ‘An Intimate War; Crossing the Congo’; and ‘Why We Fight’. He tweets about conflict and geopolitics as @Threshed Thought. How To Fight A War is published by Delta Books and republished in South Africa by Jonathan Ball Publishers

What can be learned from black South Africans who achieved success before South Africa became a democracy in 1994? What are the challenges they faced, and how did they overcome them? And, today, how have South Africans benefited from the country’s democratic system of governance? These are the questions Phumlani M. Majozi explores and attempts to answer in Lessons from Past Heroes. He traces black people’s success and political activity back to the early 1900s; successful men and women who spearheaded the struggle against the segregationist, colonialist government and devoted their lives to advancing the interests of their communities. Phumlani explores the careers, challenges, and successes of people such as Pixley ka Isaka Seme, John Langalibalele Dube, Sol Plaatje and Josiah Tshangana Gumede. During the apartheid years, South Africa produced black men and women who overcame the odds to succeed in their fields of business, entertainment, science, and politics. They excelled in the face of an oppressive government system, and their stories should inspire every South African today. After exploring the history of South Africa, Phumlani delves into the present and the future; evaluating the challenges South Africans face and proposes solutions that can speed up their economic progress. He argues that much of South Africa’s history has portrayed the majority as victims of the minority, and that the inspirational stories of those people who overcame adversity are not being told widely enough. These stories must be told to inspire future generations. If black South Africans could succeed in the pre-1994 era, what can stop them today? The answer is nothing, Phumlani writes. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Phumlani M. Majozi is a business and macroeconomics analyst, writer and commentator on economic, political and global issues. His writings have been published in City Press, African Liberty and News24 and he currently writes a weekly column for Politicsweb. In June 2018 he became a Senior Fellow at African Liberty and his appointment involves research and writing on African politics and economics. He sits on the boards of four organisations: Chartered Institute of Business Accountants (CIBA), South African Institute of Race Relations (IRR), Social Research Foundation (SRF) and Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA). Phumlani has given talks in South Africa and Kenya on South Africa’s macro economy and politics, and also moderates conference panel discussions. Lessons from Past Heroes: How the rejection of victimhood dogmas will save South Africa is published by Tracey McDonald Publishers

Shudu’s happy and carefree childhood seems very far away when she moves towns and is bullied by her new classmates for being an outsider. But her special friendships help her feel like she belongs. Deep inside, Shudu has a spark, a special kind of strength that she didn’t even know was there. She finds her voice and can be herself. I am Shudu is an empowering coming-of-age story that will inspire readers to celebrate who they are and to dream big dreams! “Your voice matters. You just have to be yourself.” Shudufhadzo Musida ABOUT THE AUTHOR Shudufhadzo Musida, crowned Miss South Africa 2020, holds a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Pretoria. She also earned her Honours in International Relations from the University of the Witwatersrand. During her reign, she focused on mental health and launched the successful online series, Mindful Mondays, with millions of viewers worldwide. Shudufhadzo published a children’s book called Shudu Finds Her Magic, addressing bullying in schools, which became a bestseller in South Africa. She advocates for mental health and works with global initiatives like Global Citizen and the United Nations Women’s Forum. As a Goodwill Ambassador for the Global Surgery Foundation, she promotes life-saving surgeries for women and children. Shudufhadzo was appointed Champion for Southern and Eastern Africa for the UNFPA, advocating for universal access to sexual and reproductive health and mental health for women and girls in the region. She received the Glamour Women of the Year Mental Health Game Changer Award in 2022. Additionally, she is a Nivea Brand Ambassador, TV host on Afrimaxx, and has been featured on the covers of Glamour Magazine South Africa, Vogue Italia and British Vogue, among others. 'I am Shudu: Finding my Voice, Knowing my Strength' is published by Jacana media

With South Africa’s democracy suffering from growing apathy with fewer eligible voters wanting to express themselves at the ballot box, award winning journalist Nickolaus Bauer notes that this apathy must be resolved with urgency or else South Africa will be faced with a situation where fewer and fewer people vote. Bauer published a handy election guide – South Africa's Easy Election Guide: Who To Vote For in 2024? – which aims to provide an easily accessible reference for South Africa’s eligible voters to refer to as they look for the political party that best represents their aspirations. This year’s upcoming elections are said to be a turning point in South Africa’s democratic journey and the high stakes pave the way for mis- and disinformation. Bauer said political parties were meant to be the custodians of the South African people’s wishes and desires and it would, therefore, make sense that all South Africans who were eligible to choose a political party at election time know which party best represented their personal mandate. As South Africa faces a downward trend in voter turnout, South Africa's Easy Election Guide: Who To Vote For in 2024? hopes to empower voters to make an informed decision. Bauer interviewed 14 political parties – those represented in the National Assembly and those polling to enter the National Assembly. In his book he summarises the major political parties’ standpoints on key issues in South African society, providing the reader with key insights into where they should leave their mark come election day. The book focuses on issues such as job creation and economic growth; safety and security; foreign affairs; mineral resources; housing; and energy. “We live in the most unequal society on earth, we have the highest rate of unemployed people and if we do not try and sort that out, as a matter of absolute urgency, we are on the road to chaos and consequence. Reading this book will not solve the problems you experience as a citizen; however, it will empower you to make an informed decision if you exercise your democratic right to vote in the upcoming 2024 general election,” said Bauer. COALITION GOVERNMENT There was speculation that the African National Congress (ANC) would not win an outright majority for the first time in democratic history, with Bauer saying the "magic number" was 45% or 46%. “If we see the ANC dropping below that then they will not be allowed to form a coalition government with smaller parties, the likes of the Patriotic Alliance (PA), which is already governing with the ANC in various councils, and then the ANC will have to start engaging with the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) for support in order to get across the 50% line. I think the conversation changes then in terms of what we can expect post the elections in 2024,” he said. He explained that the ANC governing with one of two smaller parties such as Al Jama-Ah, the PA or perhaps the Inkatha Freedom Party was a completely different kettle of fish from the ANC needing to rely on Julius Malema’s EFF to get into the National Assembly as the head of a coalition government. Bauer highlighted that the EFF had made no secret that if it were to go into coalition with the ANC, it would want to seek the nationalisation and redistribution of land, also looking to nationalise certain sectors of the economy. Click here to download 'South Africa's Easy Election Guide: Who To Vote For in 2024?'

'A gut punch of a collection...it astonishes as it reveals how malignant political forces can both ravage and vitalize the human spirit.' New York Times Set in Soweto, the urban heartland of South Africa, Innards tells the intimate stories of everyday black folks processing the savagery of apartheid. Rich with the thrilling textures of township language and life, it braids the voices and perspectives of an indelible cast of characters into a breathtaking collection flush with forgiveness, rage, ugliness and beauty. Meet a fake PhD and ex-freedom fighter who remains unbothered by his own duplicity, a girl who goes mute after stumbling upon a burning body, twin siblings nursing a scorching feud, and a woman unravelling under the weight of a brutal encounter with the police. At the heart of this collection - of deceit and ambition, appalling violence and transcendent love - is the story of slavery, colonization and apartheid - and it shows in intimate detail how South Africans must navigate both the shadows of the recent past and the uncertain opportunities of the promised land. Full to bursting with life, in all its complexities and vagaries, Innards is an uncompromising depiction of black South Africa. Visceral and tender, it heralds the arrival of a major new voice in contemporary fiction. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Magogodi oaMphela Makhene is a proudly Soweto-made soul, who now makes her home anywhere with sunshine and writing space. An Iowa Writers' Workshop alum, Magogodi is a Caine Prize, Hedgebrook, MacDowell and Rona Jaffe Award honoree. She leads immersive courses and experiences at Love As A Kind of Cure, a social enterprise she co-founded to dismantle white supremacy. 'Innards' is published by Atlantic Books and distributed in South Africa by Jonathan Ball Publishers

As a disillusioned young lawyer dealing with the debts, deaths and divorces of his firm’s clients, the negativity of the profession slowly starts to poison his soul with cynicism. He quits the profession and joins the diplomatic corps instead arriving in New York and immediately being thrust into the high-stakes world of international politics. He returns to South Africa after his diplomatic post and realises that working as an international advisor is not for him. He moves to Hout Bay where he buys a run-down pub set in a historic hundred-year-old farmhouse on the beach. He shuts down the pub, renovates and converts it into his dream restaurant, Lemonia Greek Taverna, at a location where many have failed. The local barflies and village idiots predict his demise in a notoriously fickle seasonal town. Costa is determined to prove them wrong. This book is dedicated to all those brave souls yearning to escape from it all. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Costas Ayiotis is a former lawyer, UN diplomat and restaurateur. He obtained a BA LLB and MA in Applied Ethics from Wits. He represented South Africa at the United Nations in New York where he reported on the Iraq war in the Security Council. He is Joburg based and loves writing, travelling and cooking to relax. 'My Big Fat Greek Taverna: From Diplomacy to Ouzo' is published by Melinda Ferguson Books, an imprint of NB Publishers

Ramapocalypse Now is the 28th annual collection from South Africa’s legendary cartoonist, Zapiro. And it’s set to be yet another bestseller as his award-winning cartoons continues to uncannily reflect the wild ride of life in this country. ‘For a cartoonist South Africa is the gift that keeps on giving,’ Zapiro says. ‘It’s been another crazy year with more ANC shenanigans, never-ending loadshedding, Zuma Stalingradding, Cyril’s Putin butt-kissing, Juju grandstanding and Steenhuisen moonshotting. We also had the deputy president thinking his VIP officers were taking a leak when they were brutally beating up citizens on the side of the highway plus Joburg having even more mayors than potholes and Bree Street exploding!’ The rest of the world is not much better Zapiro reckons: Trump’s having more court time than Djokovic, the UK changes prime ministers like nappies and the Ukraine war is now a fixture and so is Zanu PF’s election theft just across our border. Ramapocalypse Now captures history in a unique way and is a brilliant gift for anyone wanting to laugh and cry about the past 12 months. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Zapiro is Jonathan Shapiro. Born in 1958, he went through school in Cape Town, architecture at UCT, conscription, activism, detention and a Fulbright Scholarship to New York before establishing himself as South Africa’s best-known cartoonist. He is editorial cartoonist for the Daily Maverick. Previously he was published in Mail & Guardian, Sowetan, Sunday Times, Independent Newspapers and The Times. As an activist in the 1980s, he drew for the UDF and for South (1987–88). He has published 27 best-selling annuals and four special collections. He has won numerous international and South African awards and has two honorary doctorates. 'RamApocalypse Now' is published by Jacana Media

Bush Brothers is not about special forces or heroic, secret missions. Instead, it is an intimate look at the daily life of ordinary soldiers – and the unbreakable bonds they formed under fire. This is the story of thousands of infantry men who were deployed in the SADF, on or across the Border. Colourful characters and wild partying are interspersed with the life-and-death choices troops were forced to make as they sacrificed life and limb, not so much for their country, but for each other. ABOUT THE AUTHOR As an 18-year-old, Steve de Witt was conscripted into the South African army, a life-changing experience that he has always wanted to write about. De Witt has lived in Los Angeles, where he launched a successful IT firm, and has since retired to Cape Town. He traced many of his erstwhile ‘bush brothers’ via social media, and arranged a recent in-person reunion. The other members of this group have encouraged him to publish a book on what it was like to serve as an ordinary conscript in the South African Defence Force during the Border War. 'Bush Brothers: Life and Death Across the Border' is published by Tafelberg, an imprint of NB Publishers

The Sheriff of the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg descended on the African National Congress's Luthuli House headquarters on Monday morning in search of assets. This was after events company Ezulwini Investments attached the party's accounts and other physical assets, in an effort to recover more than R100-million the party owes it for work done during the 2019 elections campaign. A truck of the Sheriff was seen outside the party's headquarters in Johannesburg. It is understood that assets have not yet been removed from the building. A security guard who witnessed the arrival said the truck arrived early on Monday morning. "We saw the truck arrive and the Sheriff went inside the building. They stayed inside for a while before leaving. Nothing was taken," he said. Another security guard stationed inside Luthuli House explained that the Sheriff had asked to speak to a person in charge. Peter Fernando of Ezulwini told News24 that a writ of execution was served on the ANC, and that the Sheriff had subsequently attached the party's bank accounts and assets. He said the company was determined to recover money owed to it by the ANC. Fernando said: "We can see that they don't want to pay, they don't respect the judgment given by the High Court. They are undermining the justice system and we are disappointed that the ruling party is behaving in that manner. We see they want to prolong this." The writ of execution reads: "You are hereby directed to attach and take … the movable goods of the execution debtor African National Congress at Chief Albert Luthuli House and of the same cause to be realised by public auction R102 465 000, 10% interest per annum from 1 September 2019 to 29 February 2020, 9.75% from 1 March 2020 to 30 April 2020 and 8.75% per annum for 9.75% from 1 March 2020 to 30 April 2020 and 8.75% per annum from 1 May 2020 until the date of payment in full." The notice of execution, seen by News24, lists assets including desks, chairs, laptops, plasma TVs, lounge suites, fridges, microwaves, and couches. The assets are listed as from floors four to six, and also include boardroom tables, a round glass chair, and a water cooler. Their value ranges from as little as R200 up to R5000. Physical assets have not been removed, but rather catalogued by the Sheriff. Among these are laptops, couches and printers used at the ANC headquarters. The Supreme Court of Appeal dismissed, with costs, the ANC's appeal against a High Court judgment that the party was responsible for the outstanding amount owed to Ezulweni. ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri was not immediately available for comment.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed concern that the developed economies are still not meeting their obligations to support developing countries with the finance, technology and capacity building needed for effective climate actions. In his weekly newsletter, following his attendance at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai, known as COP28, he said, "the operationalisation at COP28 of a fund to help vulnerable countries with loss and damage caused by climate change is a step in the right direction, but it will need substantial funding if it is to fulfil its purpose". He stated that funding through entities such as the Green Climate Fund and Adaptation Fund had been negligible. He is mindful that the discussions at COP28 have significant implications for South Africa. The impact of climate change is a measurable reality in South Africa, with poor, rural communities in particular bearing the brunt. "For the transition to lower carbon economies to be just, affected communities cannot live on promises. Workers and communities currently dependent on coal and other fossil fuel industries need viable alternative livelihoods," he said. He outlined that as a country "in the midst of an energy crisis", South Africa was aware that the pace of the just energy transition would be guided by developmental priorities. He believes that South Africa's JET Implementation Plan can ensure that effective action against climate change, while pursuing energy security for all, is possible. "But if we are to implement these and the other actions outlined in the JET Investment Plan we - like all other developing economies - will require massive financial support from those countries whose development has been the primary cause of climate change. The countries that have contributed most to global warming must support those countries that now bear the brunt of its effects," he said. The plan announced at COP27 last year, outlines South Africa's path towards reducing carbon emissions in the energy sector, which is the largest contributor towards the country's total greenhouse-gas emissions. The plan focuses on investment in electricity infrastructure, new energy vehicles, green hydrogen, skills development and municipal electricity distribution. Ramaphosa stressed that the transition must be underpinned by engagement and partnership with workers, communities, business and civil society. It also includes interventions to support affected communities, notably in Mpumalanga, "where most of our country's coal-fired power stations are located". The President emphasised that the overriding message the South African delegation took to COP28 was that "our climate commitments will be implemented in a manner that both addresses our current energy crisis and strengthens our efforts to reduce poverty and unemployment".