Abstract
The UJ SARChi Chair: African Diplomacy and Foreign Policy
and the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation,
the Department of Anthropology and Development Studies, in
partnership with the UJ Library invite you to a discussion with
JOHN MATISONN
based on his book
God, Spies and Lies. ABOUT THE BOOK: John Matisonn has had a bird’s eye view of South Africa’s progress through
apartheid and democracy. As a political correspondent, foreign correspondent and one of the pioneers of
democratic South Africa’s free broadcasting environment, he interacted with every ANC leader since Oliver
Tambo and every government leader from John Vorster to Jacob Zuma.
It takes you into the room with Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki, into the Oval Office of the US President
and the British Prime Minister’s Chequers country estate, as the fate of southern Africa was being set before
and after 1994.
Now for the first time this seasoned and erudite insider reveals the secrets of a 40 year career observing the
politicians, their spies and the journalists who wrote about them. As a patriot, he argues that the way to a
better future can be found through an unvarnished examination of the past.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: John Matisonn is a South African political journalist and author. He was one of the
founding councillors of South Africa’s Independent Broadcasting Authority and from 1986 to 1991 was the
South Africa correspondent for National Public Radio in the United States.
FACILITATOR: Prof David Moore (Head: Department of Anthropology and Development Studies, UJ)
PANELIST: Prof Chris Landsberg (SARChi Chair: African Diplomacy and Foreign Policy, UJ)
DATE 5 May 2016 / 16:30 for 17:00
VENUE APK Library Auditorium (6th Floor), University of Johannesburg
(corner Kingsway and University Road, Auckland Park, Johannesburg)
RSVP By Wednesday 4 May 2016 to Theodorah Modise at licevents@uj.ac.za or 011 559 2264.