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Bare Ground: A Novel
A gripping narrative set against the complex tapestry of Johannesburg
As the head of Wits Mining, the last major mining company to do an empowerment deal, Max Sinclair has a mandate from the board and a clear directive: to sell a share of the company to a black consortium. Born and bred in the city that remains, at heart, a mining camp built on gold and the greed of men, Max is used to being a player in the high-stakes game of deals and political influence, and he keeps his cards close to his chest.
There is no shortage of takers for the deal. A shareholding spells possible riches for some – like Sifiso Lesibe, geologist and newest member of the board – and increased influence for others. Support for the deal from government is crucial, particularly when it comes to mining and mineral rights. Politics, power and money are an irresistible combination. Mistrust is everywhere and nothing is as it seems.
Former human rights lawyer Musa Madondo has seen the rise and fall of many a former comrade and he knows he is not immune to the tug of temptation. When Walter Berryman, a former client and friend, comes to Musa for professional advice, in fear of his life after having stumbled across evidence of large-scale industry collusion, he finds himself drawn into an underworld of intrigue and sophisticated espionage every bit as ruthless and deadly in the present day as it was during the country’s struggle for liberation. And in Johannesburg, as in politics, things change in an instant.
As the head of Wits Mining, the last major mining company to do an empowerment deal, Max Sinclair has a mandate from the board and a clear directive: to sell a share of the company to a black consortium. Born and bred in the city that remains, at heart, a mining camp built on gold and the greed of men, Max is used to being a player in the high-stakes game of deals and political influence, and he keeps his cards close to his chest.
There is no shortage of takers for the deal. A shareholding spells possible riches for some – like Sifiso Lesibe, geologist and newest member of the board – and increased influence for others. Support for the deal from government is crucial, particularly when it comes to mining and mineral rights. Politics, power and money are an irresistible combination. Mistrust is everywhere and nothing is as it seems.
Former human rights lawyer Musa Madondo has seen the rise and fall of many a former comrade and he knows he is not immune to the tug of temptation. When Walter Berryman, a former client and friend, comes to Musa for professional advice, in fear of his life after having stumbled across evidence of large-scale industry collusion, he finds himself drawn into an underworld of intrigue and sophisticated espionage every bit as ruthless and deadly in the present day as it was during the country’s struggle for liberation. And in Johannesburg, as in politics, things change in an instant.
295 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2017
3 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
About the author
Peter Harris
4 books10 followersLibrarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Peter Harris practiced law in South Africa for 15 years before being seconded to the National Peace Accord in the early 1990s. He headed the Monitoring Directorate of the Independent Electoral Commission for the 1994 election and is currently Executive Chairman of the Resolve Group Management Consultancy, which he co-founded.
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Peter Harris practiced law in South Africa for 15 years before being seconded to the National Peace Accord in the early 1990s. He headed the Monitoring Directorate of the Independent Electoral Commission for the 1994 election and is currently Executive Chairman of the Resolve Group Management Consultancy, which he co-founded.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 19, 2018
Peter Harris writes better non-fiction than he does fiction. I remember being engrossed in both his books ‘In a different time’ and ‘A Just defiance’ – largely because of the shattering reality of the evils of apartheid politics and policing that are reported therein. But with fiction the author seems unable to find his voice. Indeed, almost all the characters seem to speak in the same voice, at the same pace, with the same emotion, so there’s very little variety or rhythm or counterpointing to keep the reader interested in this. People just don’t speak like this, in my view:
(1)
‘Take care, Walt,’ he said as they stood up and shook hands. ‘You need to think about this very carefully. It is one hell of a decision to take. You did it once before, when you were in government, and got taken out.’
(2)
‘I have moved out of my home, Bob. It was broken into.’
(3)
‘Okay, I will speak to my mate in Crime Intelligence and we will set it up.’
It’s not just things like “it is” or “I will” or “we will” instead of “it’s” and “I’ll” and “we’ll” (and these are by no means the most prominent of such forced dialogue). There is also far too much telling the reader instead of showing the reader. Harris seems worried that readers (perhaps foreign ones) won’t understand the context. He needs to trust readers.
The effect of all of this is to make it difficult to hang on to what is happening. It becomes boring and repetitive. There is little creativity in the handling of dialogue from different characters. They all speak not only with one voice but at one pace, volume, rhythm and intensity.
The idea of the story is relevant enough, given South Africa’s current exploration of corruption and “tender-preneurship” scandals. But the style of writing comes nowhere near Harris’s considerable achievements in his non-fiction. One reviewer talked about Harris’s “mastery of dialogue”. He must have read a different book from the one I read.
(1)
‘Take care, Walt,’ he said as they stood up and shook hands. ‘You need to think about this very carefully. It is one hell of a decision to take. You did it once before, when you were in government, and got taken out.’
(2)
‘I have moved out of my home, Bob. It was broken into.’
(3)
‘Okay, I will speak to my mate in Crime Intelligence and we will set it up.’
It’s not just things like “it is” or “I will” or “we will” instead of “it’s” and “I’ll” and “we’ll” (and these are by no means the most prominent of such forced dialogue). There is also far too much telling the reader instead of showing the reader. Harris seems worried that readers (perhaps foreign ones) won’t understand the context. He needs to trust readers.
The effect of all of this is to make it difficult to hang on to what is happening. It becomes boring and repetitive. There is little creativity in the handling of dialogue from different characters. They all speak not only with one voice but at one pace, volume, rhythm and intensity.
The idea of the story is relevant enough, given South Africa’s current exploration of corruption and “tender-preneurship” scandals. But the style of writing comes nowhere near Harris’s considerable achievements in his non-fiction. One reviewer talked about Harris’s “mastery of dialogue”. He must have read a different book from the one I read.
August 25, 2022
This book made me extremely uncomfortable, probably because the premise is so plausible considering the history of South African politics and business.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews