Clare: The killing of a gentle activist: The mystery of Clare Stewarts death

In November 1993, ANC activist and development worker Clare Stewart’s body was found in a shallow ditch in rural KwaZulu-Natal as the province sat on the brink of civil war. Amid the ensuing chaos and euphoria of South Africa’s ‘new dawn’, the details of Clare's killing would stay hidden beneath the surface. This gripping, moving account of Clare’s life and the mystery surrounding her death touches on the fragility of memory, family loss, apartheid’s evils, and the fault lines in our democracy. "Manguzi, KwaZulu-Natal. For two weeks in November 1993, Clare Stewart's body lay hidden in a shallow ditch until cattle herders discovered her remains. The much-loved ANC activist and rural development worker had moved here five years previously to set up a cattle co-operative. Even as rampant political violence engulfed the region, she had found purpose and a home there. Yet shortly after her death, local leaders were rumoured to have held a feast to celebrate the "recent demise of certain targets"... The police, claimed they could turn up no leads and made no arrests. Amid the chaos and euphoria that met the birth of a new South Africa, the details of Clare's death would remain hidden among the dirty secrets of the transition to democracy. When journalist Christopher Clark stumbled upon Clare's story, it would not let him go. This is his account of the search for the truth about Clare's killing, and his quest to better understand both her bold, intrepid life and her enduring legacy."-- Back cover