A SOUTH AFRICAN SATIRIST

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30448, 23 May 1964, Page 4

A SOUTH AFRICAN SATIRIST

The Day Natal Took Off. By Anthony Delius. Published by Pall Mall. 168 pp.

Anthony Delius is well known in South Africa as the leading Parliamentary correspondent of one of the main English language newspapers. Much of his serious political comment is often satirical in vein and, while good journalism from the reader’s point of view, it is often regarded as irreverent by the Nationalist Government. So much so that he was recently banned for a year from the precincts of Parliament. This unlookedfor sabbatical resulted in “The Day Natal Took Off”—a story which is political satire at its best. Much of which is contentious in South African politics also borders on the ridiculous. The much publicised Immorality Act which attempts to prevent inter-racial cohabitation is morally contentious and made ridiculous by the incapability of the government to rigidly enforce it. The pro-British province of Natal has often, when the going has become tough, threatened to secede from the Republic but the likelihood of such an event actually coming to pass is remote. Both of these aspects of South African politics are ripe for satire and Anthony Delius has been unable to resist combining them in this book.

The South African Prime Minister, thinly disguised as “Old Granite,” being greatly disturbed over a serious outbreak of statutory immorality announces the formation of a secret committee to investigate this vice which threatens the “Suicide of the White Race." Gerhardus Ariioldus Paul-Pieter Basson, Mayor of the small town of Volkshoek, is appointed one of this select group. In the course of his investigations he enters a little too readily into the spirit of the thing while “questioning” Sobisa Mabela, a Zulu maiden of some considerable appeal. Unfortunately Mr Basson, is caught by the police and. the ensuing national furore, fanned by the Opposition press, sets the stage and the pace of the story. Basson breaks gaol and flees to Natal. An infuriated Government, smarting under the gibes of the press, throw in everything they have got in an effort to catch the runaway “lovers.” Such a spectacle is too good to miss for the world’s press and the ensuing international disapproval of South Africa breaks

all previous records, goading the Nationalists to further flights of frenzied activity. Once more, this time at the instigation of the Zulus, Natal threatens to secede but this time brinkmanship is taken too far and Old Granite’s answer is. to let them go. Thus Harry Portcullis, a man given to outrageous mixed metaphors, finds himself Prime Minister of . Natal. After the rejoicing has died down the snags to independence appear, the South African Civil Service is almost entirely staffed by Afrikaaners and these are recalled to the Republic. A constitution for the new State proves unexpectedly difficult to draw up and the expected automatic re-entry into the Commonwealth with Dominion status receives cool reception from Britain—the latter still exporting £3OOO million of goods to the Republic and the gold mines not being in Natal. An already impossible situation deteriorates further and the author ascends to even greater flights of political fantasy. The reviewer has resisted

the temptation to outline the story to its incredible, but entirely logical, such is the author’s skill, conclusion. To the reader with little personal knowledge of South Africa this is an hilarious story since Anthony Delius has managed to “guy” . practically everything in the South African and world political scene from government policies to problematical United Nations resolutions and paper sanctions on the one hand and from quasi-religious peace missions to what can only be called “Union-Jack fever” on the other. To those acquainted with the country there is the added advantage of playing the game of character spotting. “Old Granite” is easy, but there are others despite the author’s assurance that “all characters in this book are fictitious however strange they may seem.” But behind the humour are truths which, cannot be ignored and the greatest of these is the skilful and potent criticism of all those who think there is an easy solution to South Africa’s problems.