Being There: Backstories from the Political Front

‘On Sunday 2 June 2024, I received a phone
call that propelled me again into the swirl of
a political drama, with plenty of subplots and
prima donnas and lesser villains. In just four
weeks, it changed the course of the country.’
In Being There, Tony Leon goes behind the scenes, reflecting on
how history is made, both here and around the world, through
his unique mixture of anecdote and informed opinion.
His vantage point ranges from a ringside seat in the formation
of the government of national unity (GNU) – recounted in detail
here for the first time – to close encounters with the likes of Harry
Oppenheimer, Yasser Arafat and Boris Johnson, and reappraisals
of FW de Klerk, Nelson Mandela and Mangosuthu Buthelezi.
Leon writes of the dangers of modern politics, from the purgatory
of social media to the perils of political fundraising in tough times.
The challenge of leadership, in a world often led by populist
grifters, runs like a golden thread through the book.
Leon reflects on the nostalgia we often feel, through pain and
pride, for childhood and schooldays, and the many ‘what-ifs’ that
inform a well-lived and varied life on the frontlines of South Africa.
Written with his customary blend of humour and flair, and with
an eye to the future and what the present and the past can tell
us about it, Being There is both important and highly readable.