Government, fix the mess of that stolen book

Publishing a book is no easy feat. It takes months, if not years, of blood, sweat and tears to finally see an author’s hard work dance on the pages of a book. Those fortunate enough to see their literature for sale in shops rarely make a lot of money for their efforts – even when they are bestsellers.

Which is why government should break down barriers preventing authors from following their dreams and doing what they do best – writing. And it should certainly not be one of the obstacles in the way of authors eking out a living.

But that’s exactly what seems to have happened to Sabata-mpho Mokae – a Kimberley-based academic, novelist, translator and lifelong student of Sol Plaatjie’s work.

ALSO READ: Government faces lawsuit for stealing author’s book

The author claims the provincial department of arts and culture made photocopies of his best-selling novel Moletlo Wa Manong without his permission and gave it to a book club to represent the province at the Funda Mzantsi Championships.

As Denise Nicholson, a copyright consultant, said – if proved true – it is a despicable act. She said: “It’s a disgrace because they should be upholding the law and encouraging the public to be copyright compliant – not infringing someone’s copyright themselves.”

Mokae could go the legal route but as Nicholson points out, this will be “a long, stressful and expensive option” which doesn’t necessarily result in replacing the lost income. Mr Mokae, we feel your pain. The Northern Cape government needs to fix this mess – and quickly