On Easter weekend 1993 Nelson Mandela was engaged in slow-moving power-sharing talks with President F.W. de Klerk when a white supremacist shot Mandela’s heir-apparent, Chris Hani, in the hope of igniting an all-out civil war. 

In April 2023 acclaimed South African journalist Justice Malala came to Intelligence Squared to recount the riveting story of the pivotal nine days – never before told in full – that followed Hani’s murder. Drawing from his new book The Plot to Save South Africa he revealed rarely seen sides of both Mandela and de Klerk, the fascinating behind-the-scenes debates within each of their parties over whether to pursue peace or war, and the two leaders’ increasingly desperate attempts to restrain their supporters despite mounting popular frustrations.

Malala provided insight into all aspects of the conflict and discuss the extraordinary effort of leadership that was needed to avert a crisis that could have developed into a full-scale war.