The Small Matter of a Horse The Life of "Nongoloza" Mathebula, 1867-1948 Charles Van Onselen

"'The Small Matter of a Horse: The Life of 'Nongoloza' Mathebula 1867-1948' tells the story of how a young man became a hardened criminal as the result of a minor incident. Nongoloza's disillusionment had a profound effect on his worldview, he became deeply resentful and cynical - characteristics that would define the rest of his life. In an attempt to escape his unjust surroundings, Nongoloza found himself in Johannesburg, where he formed the 'Regiment of the Hills' - a group of criminals that laid the foundation for notorious present-day prison gangs such as the '28' gang. Nongoloza's life is a poignant illustration of how political circumstances affect lives and how those lives encourage myths, setting in motion a spiral of events that eventually neither politics nor people have any control over. The 2008 edition includes a foreword by Jonny Steinberg, author of the recently published and critically acclaimed 'The Number: One Man's Search for Identity in the Cape Underworld and Prison Gangs'" -- Provided by publisher's website.