Reporting South Africa

A black South African and a veteran reporter for the Reuters news service, Mkhondo offers a fair-minded, informative but sometimes frustrating account of his country's ``reluctant but inevitable transition to democracy,'' closely examining the past two years. Mkhondo seems to have been everywhere, and his book is a useful blow-by-blow report on political talks and the violence that has erupted in their shadow. He includes solid mini-profiles of President F. W. de Klerk, African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela and Inkatha Freedom Party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi. Though the title suggests a personal story, most of the book is written with dry detachment. But Mkhondo's personal asides and reports, though interspersed awkwardly, are the most interesting part of the book. Some of the township violence takes place in his neighborhood, and Mkhondo conveys the anguish of seeing an old friend brutally slain. When white right-wingers invade negotiations, the author himself is assaulted. Despite South Africa's violence, political intolerance and shaky economy, Mkhondo professes a tempered optimism for the future. Photos not seen by PW. (Nov.)