Snitches get stitches, but ‘An Enemy of the People’ proves it’s all worth it

An Enemy of the People

Imraan Coovadia, Umuzi

When I opened Imraan Coovadia’s An Enemy of the People, I was a bit overwhelmed. It would be my first read of the acclaimed author, which made me new to his style and prose, so I approached his work with bright eyes.

The novel unravels as one of the many tales which tap into the politics of our country. We are introduced to Mac Mackenjee, who not only pulls us into his world but also becomes the voice of unheard South Africans.

Mac’s work as a tax collector positions him at the forefront of the political landscape we know too well. From billions of stolen money, the killing of whistleblowers, and the unfathomable loyalty given to different political figures, the book takes its time laying out how powerful members of society are able to put themselves in untouchable positions.

What actually brings the story to life is Mac’s children and his relationship with them. Who they are and what happens to them become a mirror of the society we live in. When we first meet Shiv and Rogan, they are your typical children, filled with angst and love for their parents. When Mac arrives home from work, the scene that plays out is like he’s a soldier returning from war — and the kids have not seen him in a long time. These melodramatic moments not only help portray Mac as an open and sensitive patriarch, but give us an insight into the nitty-gritty that defines his children.

Rogan, the youngest, is dealing with a bullying issue at school that he can bring to an end by naming and shaming his tormentors, but this also could backfire. Shiv, on the other hand, is controlling, similar to his father in desperately seeking justice. We see this play out in the last few chapters in the book.

Mac takes Shiv to a soccer match and they end up in a brawl. While it deeply affects both Shiv and Mac (who is still healing from a rowdy protest), it does play out with an embarrassing viral video. However, what it does show is Mac’s burning desire for justice that is not always reflected in the people around him — including his children. Shiv is quick to note that there is no point in reporting their grievance with their school referee, noticing the power imbalances that exist where “teachers never criticise other teachers. That’s their golden rule.” This is something that Mac faces daily while he hunts for stolen and hidden money, and is forced to navigate dicey political relationships which are built to protect those who benefit from corruption.

He acts as a hero bringing truths that we the people might not be able to digest, and Mac’s unyielding love for his children is the same; a commitment to seeking justice for them, even to a fault. Rogan has to stomach discomfort — and find comfort in hardship. Mac sits through an awkward meeting with one of his teachers. While they discuss the bullying that Rogan suffers, the teacher says the school is unable to do anything until Rogan tells the truth of who has been bullying him — but then rejects this as well, in what feels like a parallel to whistleblowing.

The teacher suggests that Rogan’s misery at school can only be alleviated by him leaving the space, simply saying “the child is the teacher”, and shrugging off her duty as a caregiver. It becomes abundantly clear that we (the collective we) are responsible for teaching those in power a lesson.

It’s not hard to draw parallels between this episode and Mac’s job in which he tries to uncover corruption. This is a world that feels as if Coovadia spent much time trying to unravel as it is detailed in its accounts of criminal acts.

It’s not exciting in the same vein as a Hollywood blockbuster where there is a baddie whose thwarting makes for a happy ending. It rather unravels slowly, taking place in witty conversations, suspenseful dinner parties, and learning how Mac has to swallow the bitter pill of defeat. Seeking the truth will ultimately hurt not only you, but also the people you love.

Would I read it again? No. It’s just not my cup of tea. It’s hard to distinguish between narrator and Mac, as the two meld into similar logic, which almost begs for first-person narration. It becomes easy to feel like an outsider to Mac’s thoughts and the narrator’s curation of his world, when both reach the same conclusions that don’t quite make sense — whether it’s a judgment on the people he investigates, or his domestic observations.

However, An Enemy of the People is a good study into politricks, the games played by society’s most powerful. It does leave us with an important lesson — that we all need to stand up against the ‘enemy’. Silence is something Mac cannot abide. And, in the current political climate, neither should any of us.