One time in South Africa, I was on a cheap country bus, and th | Book excerpts

One time in South Africa, I was on a cheap country bus, and the driver was drunk. I was terrified, because I was sitting right behind him, and my Kenyan reaction was to pretend it was not happening. I slept. Half an hour later some very rude women - some grandmothers - were screaming. They stood. Picked out the strongest man in the bus, and asked him to stop the driver. Eight or nine people surrounded him. He stopped. The travellers took a vote after some brisk discussions, the driver was dropped off at the nearest police station and a passenger was appointed to take us to Johannesburg. Many of these women were probably illiterate.

Binyavanga Wainaina, Kwani?