We Are Fighting the World: A History of the Marashea Gangs in South Africa, 1947–1999 (New African Histories)

Name: We Are Fighting the World: A History of the Marashea Gangs in South Africa, 1947–1999 (New African Histories)
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4.5 of 5 Stars: Africa - We Are Fighting the World: A History of the Marashea Gangs in South Africa, 1947–1999 (New African Histories)

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Book Synopsis: Since the late 1940s, a violent African criminal society known as the Marashea has operated in and around South Africa’s gold mining areas. With thousands of members involved in drug smuggling, extortion, and kidnapping, the Marashea was more influential in the day-to-day lives of many black South Africans under apartheid than were agents of the state. These gangs remain active in South Africa.

In We Are Fighting the World: A History of the Marashea Gangs in South Africa, 1947–1999, Gary Kynoch points to the combination of coercive force and administrative weakness that characterized the apartheid state. As long as crime and violence were contained within black townships and did not threaten adjacent white areas, township residents were largely left to fend for themselves. The Marashea’s ability to prosper during the apartheid era and its involvement in political conflict led directly to the violent crime epidemic that today plagues South Africa.

Highly readable and solidly researched, We Are Fighting the World is critical to an understanding of South African society, past and present. This pioneering study challenges previous social history research on resistance, ethnicity, urban spaces, and gender in South Africa. Kynoch’s interviews with many current and former gang members give We Are Fighting the World an energy and a realism that are unparalleled in any other published work on gang violence in southern Africa.

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Discover the gripping and untold story of the Marashea Gangs in South Africa with "We Are Fighting the World: A History of the Marashea Gangs in South Africa, 1947–1999" (New African Histories). Unveil the hidden world of this violent African criminal society that operated in the shadows of South Africa's gold mining areas for over five decades.

Written by acclaimed author Gary Kynoch, this groundbreaking book sheds light on the Marashea's influence during the apartheid era. With a membership running in the thousands, they controlled the underbelly of society through drug smuggling, extortion, and kidnapping. Experience a narrative that vividly portrays the Marashea's impact on the lives of black South Africans, often playing a greater role than the state itself.

Unlike any other historical account, "We Are Fighting the World" delves deep into the combination of coercive force and administrative weakness that characterized the apartheid state. Through Kynoch's meticulous research, you'll uncover how the Marashea thrived within black townships, exploiting the segregated system's loopholes and leading directly to the violent crime epidemic that haunts South Africa today.

Be captivated by this highly readable and critically acclaimed work. Kynoch's interviews with both current and former gang members offer an unparalleled and gritty realism that brings "We Are Fighting the World" to life. By challenging existing social history research, this pioneering study explores resistance, ethnicity, urban spaces, and gender in South Africa, providing a comprehensive understanding of the country's complex past and present.

Don't miss out on this essential addition to your collection. Expand your knowledge of South African society and embark on a journey through the dark and fascinating world of the Marashea Gangs. Immerse yourself in "We Are Fighting the World" - the ultimate resource on gang violence in southern Africa.

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