Book review 19: A Passion For Freedom Mamphela Ramphele

A Passion for Freedom, has been resting on my bedside table for years now. Each time I attempted to read it, I just couldn’t go beyond a few pages. Looking back, I just wasn’t ready to absorb the wisdom that it carries. So, I parked it and waited for it to find me. 

Because yes, books do find you. 

Books align with your season. 

And alignment is born in readiness. 

Now, in 2025 as Book 19, I am ready.

An Ode to Young South Africans

A Passion for Freedom is a call to young people to recognise the power they hold. It challenges us to reflect on the realities of living in a South Africa governed by the ANC–to act with agency in reclaiming and rebuilding our country. It silently reminds us of a truth many avoid to confront–which is no one coming to save us. If we don’t act, South Africa remains unchanged.

Our love for this country cannot begin and end on social media. 

We must participate in shaping our democracy:

• Engage with every bill or law that affects us
• Blow the whistle on corruption and the looting of state resources  
• Hold public/private institutions accountable 
• Vote–consistently and consciously  

But first: confrontation 

Reflecting on South Africa’s history as a young person is uncomfortable. 

It demands that:

• We confront the past
• Unlearn the systems that shaped our oppression 
• And rewrite our narrative of freedom 

None of this can happen without agency– agency is impossible without consciousness. 

Consciousness Is Where Change begins

To be conscious is to be willing to unlearn and relearn. 

That process begins with reading. 

Books don’t just inform–books reveal lived experiences. 

It is through lived experiences we discover solutions powerful enough to free us.

A Passion for freedom does that.  

If Passionate Were a Person…

If “passionate” were ever a person, it would be Dr Mamphela Ramphele. Her voice, integrity and courage pulse through every chapter. 

Her book is not just a memoir–it is a reminder that democracy belongs to the people and the people must decide!

Book 19 of 2025.

A very wholesome and informative read.

Phiwe Mncwabe is a pan-African storyteller, blogger and founder of Botlhale Hub Afrika.

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