In The Syndicate of Twenty-two Natives, Lindiwe Sangweni-Siddo offers an elegy to her father, the late Professor Stan Sangweni, which explores the personal saga of a family’s lineage rooted in Zuka on Suspence Farm, Newcastle, in what is now northern KwaZulu-Natal.

In turn, Prof Sangweni opens a window into a past where his grandfather, with foresight and ingenuity, became part of The Syndicate of Twenty-two Natives, a group that secured land for their families, including his family of seven wives, and for succeeding generations at a time when Black people in South Africa were being systematically dispossessed of their land.

While packing up her father’s study as her parents prepare to move from their home after 27 years, Lindiwe and her father uncover his lifelong collection of documents and pictures that detail the intricacies of his life as a devoted family man, an ANC veteran and anti-apartheid activist, a pioneer of public service excellence in post-apartheid South Africa and an inveterate stickler for detail in every aspect of his life.

Inspiring, often humorous, occasionally cataclysmically disruptive and generally victorious, this memoir is a tribute and a testament to the enduring legacy of those who paved the way amidst the trials of history for future generations.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lindiwe Sangweni-Siddo is a veteran hotelier who holds a BSc degree in Hotel Management from Penn State University. She is currently the chief operating officer and a board member of City Lodge Hotels. As the founder of Pronet, an intergenerational networking forum, Lindiwe fosters self-development and career progression for young people, with a particular focus on facing challenging business environments in various industries. She enjoys family time and travel with her husband Salif.

'The Syndicate of Twenty-two Natives: The Stan Sangweni Story' is published by Pan Macmillan South Africa