Khanyisile Mabunda

I think the title of the book is misleading. A more accurate title might have been Black Tax: Ubuntu. Granted, I haven’t finished the book yet, but I’m 15 essays in (out of 26), and they all seem to revolve around the same idea. So far, I agree with the 15 authors I’ve read: “black tax” is probably the wrong term. The phenomenon can be traced back to this country’s history and the systemic inequalities that shaped the position of black people—but the book doesn’t explore much beyond that. If anything, it’s a collection of similar anecdotes that either: 1. Reprimand the idea of calling it “black tax’, and expressing disdain for those who frame it that way, or 2. Emphasise why (insert a more palatable term for black tax) isn’t a tax—often doing both. The book could’ve been a podcast episode.