Cape Town – Political analyst and author Prince Mashele has confirmed that he received R12.5 million to fund The Outside an apparently unauthorised biography on the life of ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba.
This follows after political strategist and researcher, Brutus Malada said it was an “academic thuggery” approach Mashele took in writing the book.
However, ActionSA has said a plan to finance the book was presented by Mashele to Mashaba in October 2018, but when it became clear that raising the funds would be challenging, Mashaba agreed to provide the initial financing of R12.5m in his personal capacity.
Mashele initially denied that he had received the amount of R12.5m for the book from Mashaba.
Speaking to eNCA, Mashele said that he developed a budget himself detailing the research activities in the course of producing the book and there were items that were detailed in that budget.
“So the point was to fund the research project, we had a loan agreement with Mashaba and, as we speak, I owe Mashaba R12.5m,” Mashele said.
“The deal was this, you go and conduct the study, you pay for these activities. When the book is sold you pay me through royalties.
“You don’t take a cent from the royalties until I (Mashaba) have reclaimed my loan from you (Mashele), you can only take a cent from the royalties once I (Mashaba) have all my money back.
“That was the deal between Mashaba and yes I owe him R12.5m,” Mashele said.
Mashele said he is aware of the publishing landscape in the country, and the book he had written previously never reached over R12.5m in sales, but insisted that the deal he had with Mashaba is that he would get his money through royalties.
In response to Malada’s remarks, Mashele said the publishers were surprised with the quality of the book and surprised that there was sensitive information, and they even thought that Mashaba and his family gave what he had written in the book.
“That is where by the way, they had concluded that this is an unauthorised biography. I need to explain this, It does not come from me by the way, It comes from Jonathan Ball.
“When an author writes a book the author does not actually decide the title, the publisher they are the ones that gives the title that will be catchy in the book stores.
“My preferred title was ‘Herman Mashaba the outsider’, but they told me that unauthorised biography would do better in terms of being catchy.
“I accepted that but I anticipated that there could be a problem of interpretation which is why in my preface with the book I have explained the nature of my relationship with Mashaba and the essence of it is that Mashaba granted me access and I had a deal that the book is my product and I have a final word in it,” Mashele said.
Mashele said that the publisher of the book has never said that he has been unethical.
“You will never find anything that says I have been unethical, Mashaba has never said I have been unethical as well.
“The only person who has said I have been unethical is Malada, and he has no contract with the Jonathan Ball publishers.
“So I actually don’t know the basis on which he says I have been unethical,” he said.
Mashele also said the publisher has withdrawn their name, which means they will be handing back the manuscript back to him.
“I will put put it under my armpit and run with it, and decide on what to do with it. I am going to take a few days and a few weeks to think on what am I going to do with my property,” Mashele said.
IOL