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Rape: A South African Nightmare
South Africa has been called the 'rape capital'. Is this label accurate? What do South Africans think they know about rape? South Africa has a complex relationship with rape. Pumla Dineo Gqola unpacks this relationship by paying attention to patterns and trends of rape, asking what we can learn from famous cases and why South Africa is losing the battle against rape.
Gqola looks at the 2006 rape trial of Jacob Zuma and what transpired in the trial itself, as well as trying to make sense of public responses to it. She interrogates feminist responses to the Anene Booysen case, amongst other high profile cases of gender-based violence. Rape: A South African Nightmare is a necessary book for various reasons.
While volumes exist on rape in South Africa, much of this writing exists either in academic journals, activist publications or analysis pages of select print media. This is a conclusive book on rape in South Africa, illuminating aspects of South Africa's rape problem in South Africa, illuminating aspects of South Africa's rape problem and contributing to shifting the conversation forward. It is indebted to insights from available research, activism, the author's own immersion in Rape Crisis, the 1 in 9 Campaign and feminist scholarship.
Analytically rigorous, it is intended for a general readership.
Gqola looks at the 2006 rape trial of Jacob Zuma and what transpired in the trial itself, as well as trying to make sense of public responses to it. She interrogates feminist responses to the Anene Booysen case, amongst other high profile cases of gender-based violence. Rape: A South African Nightmare is a necessary book for various reasons.
While volumes exist on rape in South Africa, much of this writing exists either in academic journals, activist publications or analysis pages of select print media. This is a conclusive book on rape in South Africa, illuminating aspects of South Africa's rape problem in South Africa, illuminating aspects of South Africa's rape problem and contributing to shifting the conversation forward. It is indebted to insights from available research, activism, the author's own immersion in Rape Crisis, the 1 in 9 Campaign and feminist scholarship.
Analytically rigorous, it is intended for a general readership.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
February 17, 2019
I read this book while I was in the process of writing my own memior focusing on rape and victimisation of women. The book helped me to reflect and challenged my attitude towards rape cases, the victims, and my own experiences. It was a difficult read, as one can expect, but it proved very necessary.
April 27, 2017
A really interesting book on rape culture, masculinity and mythologised violence placed in genealogy with colonialism, slavery and apartheid in South Africa. Basically it managed to combine most of the topics I have been engaging with lately. The first couple of chapters were very strong, however the last couple felt a bit a little less researched or in a way more a stream of consciousness.
July 9, 2017
I sat on the panel for the JHB Wits Launch - A moving conversation that all South Africans need to have. This book deserves to be in each household. Plus the Prof has a way of making text very accessible.
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August 24, 2016There is no way to begin quoting all the notable arguments presented in this book. Thus, I've taken quotes solely from the opening pages and introduction.
– I'd like to move beyond the developed world's approach to teaching women to empower themselves because - as I once announced to a room full of appalled first-world feminists - telling women to end rape is like telling black people to end racism. – Kagiso Lesego Molope
– We often place so much pressure on women to talk about rape, to access counselling and get legal services to process rape, but very seldom do we talk about the rapists. We run the danger of speaking about rape as a perpetrator-less crime. –
– For as long as we allow ourselves to talk about rape as a series of isolated, puzzling horrors that happen to women and children, we stop ourselves form really holding rapists accountable. We need to expand the ways in which we think about rape, and how to fight it. If something or some things in our society make rape possible, then we can change this. We are society. –
– It is also important for men who choose not to rape to stop being complicit and sometimes directly undermining attempts to being complicit and sometimes directly undermining attempts to end rape culture. Men who are not violent need to stop responding angrily to those who seek to end rape, accusing us of blaming all men, and requiring that we start by saying "not all men". Men who do not rape have nothing to be ashamed of when rapists are held accountable. And they need to direct their anger at the men who make all of them "look bad". They need to confront the men who rape and create rape culture, and stop sabotaging those who engage in a fight to end rape by insisting that any critique of endemic rape be prefaced with "not all men rape". –
– I'd like to move beyond the developed world's approach to teaching women to empower themselves because - as I once announced to a room full of appalled first-world feminists - telling women to end rape is like telling black people to end racism. – Kagiso Lesego Molope
– We often place so much pressure on women to talk about rape, to access counselling and get legal services to process rape, but very seldom do we talk about the rapists. We run the danger of speaking about rape as a perpetrator-less crime. –
– For as long as we allow ourselves to talk about rape as a series of isolated, puzzling horrors that happen to women and children, we stop ourselves form really holding rapists accountable. We need to expand the ways in which we think about rape, and how to fight it. If something or some things in our society make rape possible, then we can change this. We are society. –
– It is also important for men who choose not to rape to stop being complicit and sometimes directly undermining attempts to being complicit and sometimes directly undermining attempts to end rape culture. Men who are not violent need to stop responding angrily to those who seek to end rape, accusing us of blaming all men, and requiring that we start by saying "not all men". Men who do not rape have nothing to be ashamed of when rapists are held accountable. And they need to direct their anger at the men who make all of them "look bad". They need to confront the men who rape and create rape culture, and stop sabotaging those who engage in a fight to end rape by insisting that any critique of endemic rape be prefaced with "not all men rape". –
March 21, 2016
It is one of the most important books written on the topic anywhere in the world. Gqola has left us with a record that I hope we will be able to reflect on at some point in the future with the following conclusion: "the days of patriarchal violence are well and truly over!"
August 26, 2022
as a south african woman it was really hard to finish it in one sitting, but it was still very educational and made me and my emotions and experiences feel seen.
December 15, 2025
Read for uni.
February 21, 2017
Definitely doing my final film inspired by this book :)
September 10, 2020
Many things in the world to me does not make sense, one of them being rape. It is a violating act to a deep degree and the act of doing it has appalled me, so why would anyone else do it. I was ignorant and wanted to really grasp the concept of rape, why it is here and why it still persists. Through this I found Pumla Dineo Gqola’s analysis comprehensive, engaging and thought provoking.
Many things stood out as light bulb moment for me in this book however, there is a few that needs to be mentioned. What I found disheartening was the media’s influence, pertaining to reporting on court cases when it comes to rape. Media is important, it is accessible to everyone and therefore media plays a big role in who garners support and disdain. Further, she analysis a few publications and does a comparative analysis on how each publication writes about victims and cases of rape. This is intriguing and interesting to read because media shapes society in some instances.
With this in mind, our society is not well equipped to handle cases of rape. This might be harsh but reading this analysis has made me adequately believe that society places more punishment on the victim than the perpetrator. If it is not media, in the manner in which the case is reported, than it is the law working against the victim, if it is not the law, than it is the courtroom and if it is not the courtroom than it is the people around the victim. The system works against rape victims, and more so if you are a Black adult woman.
Many things stood out as light bulb moment for me in this book however, there is a few that needs to be mentioned. What I found disheartening was the media’s influence, pertaining to reporting on court cases when it comes to rape. Media is important, it is accessible to everyone and therefore media plays a big role in who garners support and disdain. Further, she analysis a few publications and does a comparative analysis on how each publication writes about victims and cases of rape. This is intriguing and interesting to read because media shapes society in some instances.
With this in mind, our society is not well equipped to handle cases of rape. This might be harsh but reading this analysis has made me adequately believe that society places more punishment on the victim than the perpetrator. If it is not media, in the manner in which the case is reported, than it is the law working against the victim, if it is not the law, than it is the courtroom and if it is not the courtroom than it is the people around the victim. The system works against rape victims, and more so if you are a Black adult woman.
March 21, 2016
This is a brilliantly written book that every South African should read. Regardless of what your thoughts, opinions and experiences of rape are, this book will expose you to more than just rape. This book is a sociopolitical lesson.
June 3, 2016
Excellent, excellent book. I found it incredibly illuminating as it takes on various aspects of rape culture in South Africa in the past as well as the present. Pumla Dineo Gqola writes in a clear and highly engaging way. Highly recommended.
February 21, 2018
I want to buy all my male friends this book . It is so insightful and really puts perspective on how rape victims are treated by the society and the justice system.
Using actual cases to demonstrate her point Dr Pumla Gqolo did very good with this book.
Using actual cases to demonstrate her point Dr Pumla Gqolo did very good with this book.
April 8, 2024
This book is educational on a very important topic in South Africa which is rape. It has lessons that are critical for everyone and are necessary for overcoming rape in our society. The author gives us a better understanding of what it is and what it is not and explains how the culture enables the sexual violence against women and other vulnerable people. She also explains the connection between racism, rape and power and how that leaves black women as the most affected by rape in the country. The book discusses the issue of rape in depth and offers solutions on how we can overcome it. My biggest critique of the book however is that at times it seems to be all over the place and difficult to follow the points she is making and the language used isn’t as simple for a person that is not “academic”
August 27, 2020
South Africa is sometimes labelled the "world's rape capital" - the label could be discussed but it is a fact that the rape numbers in South Africa ate very high. In Rape: A South African Nightmare, Pumla Dineo Gqola asks why this is the case. She not only debunks some common rape myth but through chapters dissecting everything from history to media discourses she is able to show patterns and ask her readers to think carefully and with nuance.
Gqola shows how rape is deeply connected to the construction of race and how it was constitutional in colonial endeavours and racist state systems such as Apartheid. She looks at the South African constitution and the gap between the-often hailed as especially inclusive - constitutional text and the lived realities of many. She writes about fear and what she calls the "female fear factory". Gqola
also analyses a wide range of examples like the media response to - the president - Jacob Zuma's rape trial and looks at the specific horrors of child rape, writes about the violence against Black lesbians, as well as analysing the role of (violent) masculinity. Each - very accessibly written - chapter is full of insights.
One of the myth Gqola tackles is the following: "Rapists are strangers who abduct women in public and rape them in unknown places" I think most people who have ever dealt with the topic of rape have heard this one and the common feminist debunking that most people are raped by people they know and in places they know (like their home). But Gqola argues that this is only half the truth. She writes: "In South Africa, for successive generations of Black women, the fear of public abduction by strange men was not just real but also very likely. We make these women disposable citizens when we pretend this era away." I think this is a very important lesson in being specific and nuanced, always.
Gqola shows how rape is deeply connected to the construction of race and how it was constitutional in colonial endeavours and racist state systems such as Apartheid. She looks at the South African constitution and the gap between the-often hailed as especially inclusive - constitutional text and the lived realities of many. She writes about fear and what she calls the "female fear factory". Gqola
also analyses a wide range of examples like the media response to - the president - Jacob Zuma's rape trial and looks at the specific horrors of child rape, writes about the violence against Black lesbians, as well as analysing the role of (violent) masculinity. Each - very accessibly written - chapter is full of insights.
One of the myth Gqola tackles is the following: "Rapists are strangers who abduct women in public and rape them in unknown places" I think most people who have ever dealt with the topic of rape have heard this one and the common feminist debunking that most people are raped by people they know and in places they know (like their home). But Gqola argues that this is only half the truth. She writes: "In South Africa, for successive generations of Black women, the fear of public abduction by strange men was not just real but also very likely. We make these women disposable citizens when we pretend this era away." I think this is a very important lesson in being specific and nuanced, always.
June 24, 2022
I read this quite a while ago, so my review may not be as accurate, however the take away from this book was that, as complex as the subject of rape is in this country, one thing became clear from the analysis and point that Prof Gqola puts across: rape is not about sex, but about power. The book is a clinical approach to the subject and offers a no fluff approach to it, just matter of fact revelations based on academic research and social observation.
October 25, 2018
This is a very dark, very heavy book but a necessary one. Pumla examines the phenomenon on rape in South Africa in an academic - but still accessible- way. Each chapter focuses on a different intersectional topic, race, rape culture, toxic/violent masculinity, etc. She is a phenomenal writer and a brilliant academic. A must read.
February 3, 2022
A lot of men get away with murder and they don’t respect or love females/feminine presenting people they are not related to.Or have an interest in,or think they will benefit in any kind of relationship with.As a South African female, this is our everyday life and it’s infuriating to live in a constant state of fear.
January 16, 2023
She did an amazing job with this topic, hope all men and women alike read it and we take something away from it and change the society we live in, a country free of sexual violence where women can live and walk freely in the streets of South Africa.. kudos to you Pumla what an amazing job you did here 👏
July 23, 2025
The book is a must read for every black man. We need to know and appreciate the complexities of rape and how masculinity and power dynamics result in rape. Yes women do not need to be more careful, but men must stop raping them.
After reading this book, I am more empowered to not perpetuate and/or enable rape around me, at the very least.
After reading this book, I am more empowered to not perpetuate and/or enable rape around me, at the very least.
November 30, 2023
Look she’s a pretty grim read but a very thoughtful and considered approach to the intersections of race, gender, age, and culture impacting the rate and attitudes towards rape in South Africa (while still covering a lot of pretty universal themes).
February 23, 2018
A must read. I went through so many emotions reading this book.
September 12, 2018
A must read.
April 14, 2021
Prof Gqola incapsulates and unpacks rape and violence against women in the intricate ways and leaves you as a reader reflecting deeply and your heart aching.
July 7, 2021
Gqola writes so incredibly well (on a topic that is so daunting) - I can only hope to write as brilliantly as her one day.
January 3, 2022
Essential reading. I return to it often.
April 8, 2025
South Africa has a long way to go, and that breaks my heart and scares me to exist in a place where people, specifically men, feel entitled to women's bodies.Yoh,South Africa our land.
September 27, 2017
I wrote a review for this book on my blog: https://theyoungafricanblog.wordpress...
Gqola approaches the emotive topic of Rape with passion but maintains a clear train of thought throughout. One doesn’t have to be South African or living in the country to learn and engage with the views presented by the author.
Gqola approaches the emotive topic of Rape with passion but maintains a clear train of thought throughout. One doesn’t have to be South African or living in the country to learn and engage with the views presented by the author.
August 26, 2021
This book is so devastatingly clear on how violence against women comes to pass in a toxic mix of inequalities of gender and race, not just in South Africa. My deepest respect to the author for pulling this off. Difficult subject matter but must read.
November 30, 2016
In this book which every South African should read, Gqola is unapologetic in challenging our collective deliberate denial as she discharges responsibility from structures, systems and institutions to each and every one of us because we know a man who slaps his girlfriend around at a party, we know a taxi driver who tells misogynist jokes, we know a school teacher who impregnates a school girl, a leader who harasses women in his organization. And “when we say nothing, we are complicit with how they spread gender-based violence with our protection”. http://www.justcurious.co.za/rape-a-s...
January 17, 2017
Simply incredible. Gqola handles issues of sexual assault with such nuance and integrity which I have never seen before in either a book of peer review journal before. This text will continue to remain influential for years to come, and I pray that one day we can use it as a yardstick for how far we have come. It is honest and harrowing. Gqola doesn't try to candy-coat the truths which we all already know and wish we didn't. It is presented in such a way that one cannot simply put the book down and continue as one did before. Each argument is so precise and clear that it is impossible for anyone to simply write it off as "too academic" or "too complicated to comprehend."
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews