Black Diamond is a fantastic work of fiction by South African author, painter, composer and film maker Zakes Mda.
The book involves Kristin Uys, the tough magistrate spinster from Roodepoort who is on a crusade to knock out prostitution in the West Rand. She manages to put away Stevo, one of the evil Visagie brothers, on a contempt of court charge but this makes her very unpopular with the evil Visagie brothers, their mother and housekeeper. The Visagie crowd embarks on a crusade of terror and menace to threaten Uys and her cat and to try to get Stevo released from Diepkloof prison through mismanaged walks and protests resulting in the chief magistrate insisting on around the clock security for Kristin.
Don Mateza is a security guard on the verge of promotion and patiently waiting for his opportunity to rise up the ranks. He was overlooked for BEE rewards for his struggle days which is a bone of contention for his girlfriend, Tumi. When the firm is hired to protect Kristin Uys, Don is dispatched to move into her home; despite Kristin's protests and the Tumi's upset. Tumi will do anything in her power to transform Don into her Black Diamond, including arranging annoying meetings with other successful black people and buying him bright yellow designer clothing and she doesn't understand why he has to accept these menial security jobs when he should be rich and powerful. Kirstin Uys is furious that a black man has been stationed inside her house and the complications weaving through all these lives and relationships get increasing complicated and unexpected (and most times very funny) as you turn the pages.
It would make a pretty awesome local movie, but it would have to be local as only South Africans would really understand the intricacies of all of these cultures mashed together. But then again, the rest of the world loved District 9, so perhaps they could embrace this too.
