Mission of Malice
My Exodus from KwaSizabantu
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Mission of Malice
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Narrated by:
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Danielle Scheepers
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By:
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Erika Bornman
About this listen
'She is given a savage beating, the adults impervious to her screams. I have to look at her. I am not allowed to look away and I am not allowed to cry. I am not allowed to show any emotion at all. Because if I do, I will be next.’
In the 1980s, Erika Bornman’s family join, and ultimately move to, KwaSizabantu, a Christian mission based in KwaZulu-Natal, which is touted as a nirvana, founded on egalitarian values. But something sinister lurks beneath ‘the place where people are helped’.
Life at KwaSizabantu is hard. Christianity is used to justify harsh punishments, and congregants are forced to repent for their sins. Threats of physical violence ensure adherence to stringent rules. Parents are pitted against children. Friendships are discouraged. Isolated and alone, Erika lives in constant fear of eternal damnation.
At 17, her grooming at the hands of a senior mission counsellor begins. For the next five years, KwaSizabantu wages emotional, psychological and sexual warfare on her, until, finally, she manages to break free and walk away at the age of 21.
Escaping a restrictive religious community is difficult, but rehabilitation into ‘normal’ life after a decade of ritual humiliation, brainwashing and abuse is much more painful, as Erika soon discovers. She cannot ignore her knowledge of the grievous human-rights abuses being committed at KwaSizabantu, and so she embarks on a quest to expose the atrocities. With her help, News24 launches a seven-month investigation, culminating in a podcast that will go on to win the internationally renowned One World Media Award for Radio and Podcast in 2021.
In Mission of Malice: My Exodus from KwaSizabantu, Erika chronicles her journey from a fearful young girl to a fierce activist determined to do whatever it takes to save future generations and find personal redemption and self-acceptance.
©2021 Penguin Random House South Africa (P)2021 Penguin Random House South AfricaListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about Mission of Malice
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- simona
- 28-06-24
This author made me reflect on my own trauma
I know that this is a life story, but I thank the author for not ending on an overly happy note. It is realistic. Them coming to terms with their trauma, them unraveling it and learning how to live through it is realistic. I may have not been physically beaten, but this did make me reflect on what my upbringing did to me. So thank you, author. It has been an eye opening journey.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Garym213
- 25-09-22
Engrossing journey from darkness to light
Living through the last decades of Apartheid within a Christian Fundamentalist cult is something I have some experience of. Erika’s description of Kwasizabantu evokes memories I had long forgotten. The unchecked ego of “the anointed leader” and his (it’s always a “his”) Auschwitz camp guard type enablers are a type so common during those dark days. The inability to hold the organisation accountable as well as it’s senile leader, Erlo Stegen, makes sense given their current economic activity and the malaise of law enforcement in South Africa. One has to admire the people who have chosen to speak up as most know the enormity of the fight for justice. I loved the writing of Erika Bornman and her gentle sense of honour and basic humanity. The deeds of evil men (and women) and the toxicity of this cult were not able to stamp out her spark. I highly recommend this book and suggest it gives a unique glimpse into the link between Apartheid and Christian fundamentalism. It also is an inspiring story about how a few good people doing the right thing can make the world a better place. It reminds me of the Burke quote: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
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