For a very long period of time, Dr. David Klatzow was the only
independent forensic investigator in South Africa. During the
apartheid years, a time of police brutality and state cover-ups, he
was the man human rights lawyers called when they needed
independent forensic evidence to uncover the truth. Although some
cases are still unsolved, for him a case is never closed. The truth
is out there, and he will find it. Klatzow s investigations into
countless notorious cases, such as the Guguletu Seven, the Trojan
Horse, the murders of human rights lawyer Bheki Mlangeni and
activist Dr. David Webster, and the bombing of Khotso House and
Cosatu House, made him a controversial public figure. Hampered by
the apartheid police and the legal system, he was always fearless
and earned a reputation of being an ANC supporter, even though he
always remained impartial. On a non-political level, he was
instrumental in changing the testing mechanism for drunk driving in
the 1980s and became an expert in fire investigations. One of his
most enduring interests is uncovering the truth behind the
Helderberg airplane crash. Through a detailed analysis of the
findings of the Margo Commission of Inquiry and having sifted
through all available evidence, he is convinced that the official
version of the story is far from the truth. More recently, Klatzow
investigated the Paarl Press fire, the assassination of Brett
Kebble and the murder of Inge Lotz. Fascinating reading for anyone
interested in crime and current affairs; puts into perspective much
of the information one hears about in the news.
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Review This Product
Klatzow has written a gem of a book
Wed, 19 Oct 2016 | Review
by: Andrew
As South Africa’s pre-eminent forensic investigator (indeed, for many years SA’s only independent forensic investigator), Dr Klatzow has used his extensive experience and academic qualifications to investigate over 2000 cases. If a major crime in SA was particularly dark and gruesome, chances are that David Klatzow was involved in the investigation…
Part memoir, part looking back at cases, “Steeped in Blood” is a book that reached out and grabbed me by the throat. Klatzow is no James Patterson, but he sure knows his stuff and, just as importantly, knows how to put big technical terms and concepts into nice, easy mouthfuls for someone who failed science at school (me) but still wants to know the ins and outs of his investigations (yup, also me).
Klatzow reaches back in time to crimes such as the murder of David Webster, as well as the more recent murder of Brett Kebble and the mysterious death of Inge Lotz. He is a man that knows his mind and, if he disagrees with official findings, he doesn’t mince his words. This means that I finished the book with new perspectives on several major crimes (Kebble and Lotz among them) as well as some really big questions about the Helderberg aeroplane crash.
Klatzow has written a gem of a book – one which provides information even as it raises new questions, a book which drags the reader breathlessly through the macabre landscape of SA crime since the 1980’s. And yet, “Steeped in Blood” is equally worth reading if you simply want to know a bit more about forensic science in SA. Either way, this is a heck of a read.
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