Wiseman Nkuhlu: A Life of Purpose

Lumkile Wiseman Nkuhlu was 19 when he was imprisoned on Robben Island, way before struggle stalwarts such as Nelson Mandela, Govan Mbeki, Walter Sisulu, Ahmed Kathrada, Elias Motsoaledi, Andrew Mlangeni and Raymond Mhlaba. Luvuyo Wotshela's biography gives us a glimpse into how the CEO of the African Union's New Partnership for Africa's Development, and (most recently) a trustee of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Foundation, evolved from a boy who grew up herding and milking livestock in rural Transkei. The former political prisoner and migrant labourer in the Free State mines became a chartered accountant, an influential academic and a director of many reputable companies. This is an easy read, properly researched and well referenced, judging by the end notes. However, the book is thin on criticising Nkuhlu's ideas and life, although it does not lionise the subject. - Business Day