The Street: Exposing corruption between the police and drug lords in South Africa
Buy on Kindle here.
‘This is an important piece of journalism and a remarkable piece of writing. McNally has given us insights into crime and the fight against it from a ground level. So it’s an important book, but most of all it’s a rarely found enthralling read. I would go so far as to say that you will have difficulty understanding crime and the fight against it in this country unless you have read this book. It’s a must-read for anyone trying to understand this issue, this city and this country.’ – ANTON HARBER
'From drug lords to gangsters to captured police who take bribes daily, McNally’s book chronicles in a very fresh way the breakdown that has happened in Sophiatown.' - MATHATHA TSEDU
The podcast version is coming soon.
What is The Street about?
Police officers are taking bribes from drug dealers all day, every day on Ontdekkers Road in Johannesburg, South Africa. Award-winning journalist, Paul McNally investigates why this is allowed to happen and if it can be stopped. In the process he exposes syndicates of organised crime across South Africa, drug dealers openly working with police officers and the men and women who are trying to fight the corruption. One man, a shop owner called Raymond, has had enough. Armed with a notebook, to record the names of the cops taking bribes, and a baseball bat, to attack the dealers, he risks his own safety to try and end the blatant corruption happening outside his shop.
Then a new power couple arrives: a male Nigerian drug lord and a young female police officer. In a romantic relationship, the cop and drug lord become untouchable. They terrorise Raymond and those around him, upsetting the balance of this already lawless world.
Raymond must make difficult decisions around which police officers to trust, how to deal with this escalation and if he can protect his family as he struggles to ignore the temptations on offer...
There are no villains here. No heroes. Simply people adapting to survive.
NOMINATED FOR THE ALAN PATON AWARD FOR NON-FICTION IN 2017.