Three Wise Monkeys by Charles van Onselen offers a powerful three-volume investigation into the complex, often concealed relationship between South Africa and colonial Mozambique throughout the 20th century. Through themes like migrant labour, tourism, LM Radio, and the infamous Lourenço Marques Lottery, van Onselen explores how the Protestant, Anglophone South African state evolved alongside its Catholic, Lusophone neighbour. This compelling work uncovers the unspoken arrangements and silent complicities that shaped regional power dynamics—frequently at the expense of African communities.
The volumes are:
Volume 1: The Makings Of An African Economic Tragedy – Mozambique, circa 1500-1960
Volume 2: Through The Turnstiles Of The Mind – White South Africans and the Freedoms Of Mozambique, circa 194-1975
Volume 3: The Quest For Wealth Without Work – The Lourenco Marques Lottery, Protestant Panics and the South African White Working Classes , circa 1890-1965
