Bulelani Ngcuka: The Sting in the Tale

By Marion Sparg

“Highly relevant today as prosecutors deal with the aftermath of State Capture. Fascinating from the first page to the last.” - Albie Sachs, Former Justice, Constitutional Court

Courageous, yet contested, Bulelani Ngcuka has always stood up for what he believes in. His decision in 2003 as National Director of Public Prosecutions not to prosecute then deputy president, Jacob Zuma, is a decision he still stands by to this day.

In this sweeping biography, based on many hours of interviews with Ngcuka, author Marion Sparg uncovers the roots of his fearless activism and tells his side of the story. She goes back in time to his modest beginnings in the Eastern Cape, to his lawyering years with the formidable Griffiths Mxenge, his various periods of detention, exile, and his homecoming.

Ngcuka played a critical role in establishing the National Prosecuting Authority, the elite crime-busting unit the Scorpions, and other mechanisms to tackle the country’s crime and corruption problems. Soon he faced one of his most difficult tasks – confronting former comrades who had become involved in illegal activities.

The Sting in the Tale is a first-hand account of our most recent legal and political history. It is also an intriguing story about political manoeuvrings, bombings and hijackings, urban-terror and “whispering” campaigns, lies, murder, alleged spies, intrigue, family, and love.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jonathan Ball
• Release date: May 23, 2022
• ISBN: 9781776191987

Marion Sparg

MARION SPARG obtained a Bachelor of Journalism Degree from Rhodes University in 1979 and worked briefly as a journalist at the Sunday Times before leaving the country in 1981. She joined Umkhonto We Sizwe, and in 1986 was given a 25-year prison sentence for High Treason. She worked for the ANC as publicity secretary and then coordinator of Cyril Ramaphosa’s office from 1991-1994. She was Deputy Executive Director of the Constitutional Assembly, then CEO of the National Council of Provinces.