My Own Liberator

A powerful memoir of activism, dedication, and a life committed to justice and equality in apartheid-era South Africa.

‘My Own Liberator spans some eight decades and sheds light on a remarkable and distinguished life as well as on of the history of South Africa and leading figures in changing times to paint a compelling double portrait of the author’s personal life and the history of South Africa’s journey from apartheid to democracy.’ — SALA citation

‘The first of a two-part memoir, the former deputy chief justice writes movingly of the many people who influenced him on the road to becoming one of the most respected legal minds in South Africa.’ — Tymon Smith, The Times

‘Justice Dikgang Moseneke’s biography, My Own Liberator, is a welcome instalment in the increasing body of African literature and biographies ... Through this book he has allowed us a sneak preview of his still-incomplete life, and this book is recommended for its wit, depth and lucidity.’ — Thami Ka Plaatjie, Sunday Independent Dispatches

‘… a beautiful memoir that is simultaneously poignant and enthralling *My Own Liberator charts a life from Pretoria’s version of Sophiatown, Lady Selborne, to Atteridgeville, Robben Island as South Africa’s youngest political prisoner, lawyer, silk and finally after becoming acclaimed one of our most revered jurists ever.’ — Kevin Ritchie, Weekend Argus

In My Own Liberator, Dikgang Moseneke pays homage to the many people and places that have helped to define and shape him. Tracing his ancestry, the influence on both his maternal and paternal sides is evident in the values they imbued in their children – the importance of family, the value of hard work and education, an uncompromising moral code, compassion for those less fortunate and unflinching refusal to accept an unjust political regime or acknowledge its oppressive laws.

As a young activist in the Pan-Africanist Congress, at the tender age of fifteen, Moseneke was arrested, detained and, in 1963, sentenced to ten years on Robben Island for participating in anti-apartheid activities. Physical incarceration, harsh conditions and inhumane treatment could not imprison the political prisoners' minds, however, and for many the Island became a school not only in politics but an opportunity for dedicated study, formal and informal. It set the young Moseneke on a path towards a law degree that would provide the bedrock for a long and fruitful legal career and see him serve his country in the highest court.

My Own Liberator charts Moseneke's rise as one of the country's top legal minds, who not only helped to draft the interim constitution, but for fifteen years acted as a guardian of that constitution for all South Africans, helping to make it a living document for the country and its people. Winner of the Creative Non-Fiction Award at the 2017 South African Literary Awards (SALA), shortlisted for the 2017 Sunday Times Alan Paton Award, and shortlisted for the 2018 Humanities and Social Sciences Award for Best Non-Fiction: Monograph, this memoir is a testament to the power of perseverance, principle, and the pursuit of justice.