Richard Pithouse, an activist intellectual who has been an important contributor to the South African public sphere for twenty years, offers a penetrating andbeautifully written exploration of the escalating crisis in South Africa in the Zuma era. Writing the Decline, often written with a view from the underside of society but also always acutely aware of global developments, brings activist and academic knowledge together to provide a searing account of our condition. It takes on xenophobia, racism, homophobia, inequality andpolitical repression.In a moment when old certainties are breaking down, and new ideas and social forces are taking the stage, this book offers a compelling invitation to takedemocracy seriously.