People Who Have Stolen from me

On Jules Street, the longest street in Johannesburg, almost everyone is crooked. The furniture stores owned by Harry Sher and Jack Rubin is repeatedly ram-raided, robbed, and defrauded - even by some of their own trusted managers. While they welcome the new democracy that is South Africa today, Harry and Jack - finding succour in humour - struggle with the daily violence that is part of apartheid's legacy. In People Who Have Stolen From Me, Cohen spends time with the stolen from as well as the stealers - black and white - to reveal how they justify what they do. This is the story of South Africa at the crossroads, of a new emerging morality, or a nation in the throes of rebuilding itself. It is also a universal tale about conscience, betrayal and trust.