Summary

The central question raised by this timely and compelling biography is why Fana Khaba, aka Khabzela, a popular South African DJ and youth icon who succumbed to AIDS, did not take anti-retroviral medication to save his own life. The answer reveals a lot about many South Africans' understanding of AIDS as well as the mendacity of the government's approach to the disease. More than just the retelling of a young celebrity's life, this story explores several facets and conditions of modern South Africa and its culture, emphasizing the fragility of the frontier generation whose development has been damaged by years of struggle.