POLITIKA is not a commercial publishing house operating for profit. It could well be described as a circle or round table of friends of the Wiese and Basson families of Clifton who are especially interested in the art of books and book production: writing, printing, photography, illustrations and whatever else is encompassed under the term “publishing”.
POLITIKA is privately owned and directed by Caro Wiese, a daughter of the author, Japie Basson, one of the most remarkable politicians of the pre-1994 parliamentary system and a shrewd observer of the political scene, who throughout his political life continued to react angrily to gross infringements of human rights.
Japie Basson, a Member of Parliament for over thirty years, having completed his first volume of political memoirs, and intending to have it published privately, sought the advice of the circle in respect of an attractive cover, the most legible font, illustrations and size. Out of these discussions and deliberations arose POLITIKA, which Basson suggested as the name for the instrument of publication.
Three publications have since seen the light: Raam en Rigting in die Politiek en die Storie van Apartheid; Politieke Kaarte op die Tafel; and Rammelland van ’n Rotsrymelaar. Politieke Kaarte is already in its second edtition, and Rammelland was a deluxe publication limited to 100 copies which were presented as gifts to guests at the 60th wedding anniversary of the author and his wife Clare. It contains a collection of ballads and odes, as well as “speeches” in poetry form, produced by the author in the course of many years. |
Two further publications are to see the light this year: State of the Nation as Viewed from a front Bench in Parliament, 1969 – 1981; and Steeds op die Parlementêre Kolfblad, met Insigte oor die Afrikaner en Afrikaans – the third volume of Basson’s political memoirs. State of the Nation is a series of informative – and formative – political features, delivered by invitation for The Sunday Tribune, The Sunday Times and The Eastern Echo, over a period of approximately twelve years.
It can therefore justifiably be said that Politika was inspired by the decision of the author to pen down his political journey in the form of memoirs – a series of essays, as Gerald Shaw aptly puts it in a review in The Cape Times, which dissect “pivotal events and personalities in this country”.
Basson was writing for the pleasure of doing so, and also for the benefit of students of South African politics – as can be seen from the first number of publications. Hence, in fixing market price, only basic costs were considered.
POLITIKA sits on a rock in Clifton – which explains the lizard logo! – in the form of a fully equipped and very busy office in Caro Wiese’s home, and came into being in 2004, when Basson began working on his political memoirs.
The image of the Namibian kameeldoring tree (Acacia erioloba) has a significant place in the history of POLITIKA: in 1947 Basson – who was at the time political and parliamentary journalist for Die Suiderstem, |
an Afrikaans newspaper, as well as provincial youth organiser for the United Party in the Cape – was appointed general secretary of the United National South West Africa Party in Windhoek, South West Africa (now Namibia). In August 1950 he became a National Party Member of Parliament for the parliamentary constituency Namib during the election that provided South West Africa with ten seats in Parliament.
Basson spent eleven years as MP in SWA – years of which he has very fond memories, amongst others, his marriage to Clare Strauss, the birth of his two daughters, Caro and Estee, and the many warm friendships he forged whilst living there.
It was during this time that he met the Windhoek artist Dieter Aschenborn, who designed his ex libris in 1956, using the kameeldoring as its focal design. “The kameeldoring”, Dr DF Malan once said, “grows on our widespread and often parched plains as an epitome of beauty, but also as paragon of our ingrained Afrikaner strength and dogged tenacity”.
POLITIKA works closely with the acclaimed book designer Abdul Amien, and retailers that sell POLITIKA publications are Protea Boekhuis, Exclusive Books, Wordsworth and CNA. However, books can be ordered online (click on Order Form).
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