Black diamond

About this book

"Kristin Uys, a tough magistrate, goes on a one-woman crusade to wipe out prostitution in her town. Her reasons are personal and her zeal is fierce. Her main targets are the Visagie Brothers, Stevo and Shortie, who run a brothel, and although she fails to take down the entire establishment, she manages to nail Stevo for contempt of court. From Diepkloof Prison, the outraged Stevo orchestrates his revenge against the magistrate, aided and abetted by his rather inept brother Shortie and his erstwhile nanny, Aunt Magda. As Kristin faces menacing phone calls and vandalism, the chief magistrate has no choice but to assign a bodyguard to protect her. To Kristin's consternation, security guard Don Mateza moves into her home and trails her everywhere. This new arrangement doesn't suit Don's longtime girlfriend Tumi, former model and successful businesswoman, who is intent on turning Don into a Black Diamond, a member of the wealthy new black South African middle class. And Don soon finds that his new assignment has unexpected complications which Tumi simply does not understand. In Black Diamond, Zakes Mda tackles every conceivable South African stereotype, skillfully turning them upside down and exposing their ironies, often hilariously. This is a clever, quirky novel in which Mda captures the essence of contemporary life in a fast-changing urban world"--