The prosperous Mbeki clan lost everything to apartheid. Yet Thabo Mbeki rose to become president of South Africa in 1999. A decade later, Mbeki was ousted by his own party and his legacy is bitterly contested.

Through the story of the Mbeki family, Gevisser tells the gripping tale of the last tumultuous century of South Africa life, following the family’s path to make sense of the liberation struggle and the future that South Africa has inherited. At the centre of the story is Mbeki, a visionary yet tragic figure who led South Africa to freedom but was not able to overcome the difficulties of his own dislocated life.

It is 15 years since Mbeki was unceremoniously dumped by the ANC, giving rise to the wasted years under Jacob Zuma. With the benefit of hindsight, and as Mbeki reaches the age of 80, Gevisser examines the legacy of the man who succeeded Mandela.