UNDER SIEGE, gender, violence and betrayal

161pp., paperback, UKZN Press, Pietermaritzburg, 2026

ISBN: 9781869145972

Zimbini Ogle's book, based on her research in the Lusikisiki area in the Eastern Cape, analyses the toxic mix of factors driving South Africa's sexual violence pandemic: socialisation, cultural practices, silence, shame, and the persistent legacy of colonialism and apartheid, as well as government's deep neglect of constitutional rights and basic infrastructure that both enables violent practices and undermines survivors.

"In a delicate balance between illustrating systemic constructions of oppression and marginality, on the one hand, and insisting on personal accountability, on the other, Under Siege offers serious intellectual heavy lifting." Pumla Dineo Gqola, author of Rape: a South African nightmare

"Zimbini Ogle uses language like scalpels to expose the tumour of sexual violence within the heart of the nation - and makes it clear that it is up to us to excise it." Helen Moffett, editor, author and academic

Dr Zimbini Ogle is a clinical psychologist. She serves on the board of trustees of the Trauma Centre for Survivors of Violence and Torture. She earned a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology as a Mandela Rhodes Scholar and a Doctorate in Psychiatry from Stellenbosch University.