Fans, foes and those fascinated by her life have been waiting with baited breaths for the release of her autobiography titled My World, My Rules. Shauwn 'Mamkhize' Mkhize had promised that the 106-pager would be available for sale in 2022. However, the book has not as yet been launched and is far from being complete. This has made the people working on the project frustrated and pulled out after months of hard work and sweat.

WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

Mamkhize's larger-than-life personality, her father and brother before she gained fame, was loved and misunderstood in equal measure. The book is a collection of past and present occurrences in her life. It is set to show the combination of political and business acumen which runs in her family. In the memoir, Mamkhize: My World, My Rules, the businesswoman shares the details of her privileged childhood, which was torn apart by the assassination of her father and the subsequent quest by her brother to avenge his death. She tells the story of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission from her unique vantage point, as a family member of a victim.

A YOUNG MAMKHIZE

 She details events in her life as a young accounting graduate freshly returned from an overseas experience and how she lands what initially seems to be a dream job with the multinational corporation that had sponsored her training abroad. It soon dissipates into disappointment - work that receives insufficient pay and she bravely ventures into business. In the book, she aims to dispel false information about her wealth, family, marriage, and subsequent divorce from former Metro cop Sbu Mpisane. She also reflects on the much-publicized story of her reinvention as Mamkhize, the soccer boss, and shares the lessons that she has learned from the experiences that life has given her. 

STAFF QUIT

Already written and designed, the book has had to be put on hold due to many reasons. At first, the delay was with quality control. An insider tells ZiMoja that the delay started with the quality of the book. "Mamkhize let the publisher run with everything, including the print. But when she received the first batch of the book, the quality was not what she has in mind, and she asked for a reprint." While working on the print quality, Mamkhize needed a few paragraphs added. "She asked the writer to add a chapter or two, but I don't know if that ended up happening as the publisher was the one managing the department." Three people have since resigned from the "never-ending project," a project coordinator, the writer, and a project manager. An employee who does not wish to be named says everyone just wanted to move on to other projects. "We need to move on. This is just those never-ending projects. We had to leave. We didn't gang up on her. I don't really know why people left, but If I am allowed, I will probably return when they decide to wrap everything up." the employee adds. "You also can't promise people that a project will be released on a certain date and then not give updates or tell people what is happening. The publisher seems to be the one making all the delays, she was paid upfront." Johannesburg-based Publisher, African Perspective previously informed ZiMoja that there had been a slight delay with print. "There are many contributing factors. A delay in launching a book is nothing unusual, it happens all the time. It is almost the same with music. We want to give readers the best of MaMkhize. With any book, we try to release a product that is perfect, and knowing MaMkhize's great taste and high standards, we need everything to be perfect," the publisher says adding that they have not been able to give a final date for the release. But it will be worth the wait." The publishers have since updated to say, "All in due course. You cannot rush a good thing."