Mokoka Klaas Mashishi’s The Story of Hunadi is the gripping story of a young black woman living during one of South Africa’s most violent periods—the apartheid era.  

Growing up with very protective parents, she enjoys a close and happy family life. Her strong spirit is a testament to her long and proud heritage. Her greatest desire is to honor her late grandmother’s wish – an act that would bring her into conflict with the officials of the white apartheid government. 

When the Grand Apartheid is established in the 1950s, Hunadi learns just how ugly human behavior can become and how racism can destroy everyone and everything in its path.  

Hunadi has a secret love affair with the son of the white farmer who owns the farm on which her parents live and work. She later refuses to marry the son of the farm’s black foreman. The scorned suitor accuses her of witchcraft. Then she is discovered in the bush one night, with the son of the white farmer.  They are both arrested and charged under the Immorality Act. She suffers unspeakable acts at the hands of the white policeman who arrested them. 

The case is reported in a Johannesburg newspaper. The aftermath of Hunadi’s humiliation, although tragic, results in her honoring her spiritual freedom and fulfilling a time-honored promise to her heritage. 

Mashishi’s stirring novel brings the cruelty of apartheid out into the glaring light, expertly capturing the mood of the time, the character of a proud people, and those who paid the ultimate price in order to truly be free.

About the Author



Mokoka Klaas Mashishi is a fulltime writer and personally experienced the violence of apartheid. Although not published, he has been writing since he was a young man, but some of his work was confiscated by Robben Island prison authorities. With this publication, Mr. Mashishi honors his heritage and gives voice to those who suffered from and fought against these crimes against humanity. He lives in Soweto near Johannesburg, South Africa.