Up in Arms: Pursuing Accountability for the Arms Deal in Parliament

Here is the personal story of a young female parliamentarian who entered public life with expectations awakened by Nelson Mandela’s presidency, only to become disenchanted with party politics and with the moral meltdown she experienced within Parliament during those years. Documenting South Africa’s arms deal—a controversial series of financial and political scandals—this stirring work serves as a reminder that it was not only reputations that were damaged by the saga, but also core institutions of the country’s new democracy. Chief among them was Parliament, which, when faced by the challenge to hold those responsible accountable, failed dismally to engage the core ethical and moral concerns—among them, corruption—that continue to plague the country. An insider’s look into political drama and intrigue, this memoir details the momentous series of events in the life of South Africa’s second democratic Parliament.