Tales of the Grindstone by BHEKI W.J. LANGA

True story from 1970s and 1980s, a period of intense political unrest in South Africa Tales of the Grindstone is a collection of reflections by author Bheki W.J. Langa on the later years of his youth, particularly his coming of age during the period marked by intense political unrest in South Africa from the early 1970s through to the 1980s. Driven by the dire economic conditions faced by black youth in the country — high levels of unemployment, poverty, and deprivation — the author, along with a few friends, founded a youth organization that played a pivotal role in mobilizing the youth in the struggle against the oppressive apartheid regime. This inevitably placed him and his colleagues on a collision course with the country's security apparatus, resulting in detention without trial and prosecution.
The book seeks to bring into focus the heroism of the youth from KwaMashu township who in large numbers joined the ranks of uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), the military wing of the African National Congress (ANC), during the political ferment that swept the country from the mid1970s throughout the eighties. This narrative also highlights the fact that the youth uprising of 1976, which was a crucial point in the liberation struggle, was not limited to Soweto or the Witwatersrand region, as it is commonly presented. The political ferment that swept the country was manifest in various parts of the country. The province of KwaZulu-Natal produced some of the most outstanding members of the liberation movement. The youth from the KwaMashu township played a significant role in this regard.