Bare VI: The Big Five Cartel

In order to get to the truth, we might have to burn the house down and rebuild it. It has been said that only rats come out to play at night, yet eagles don’t sleep. South Africa has been captured by criminals who seek to go nameless, but there is one man whom everyone fears. South Africa is an illicit treasure and The Big Five are controlled by the Ghost who lives with lions. On 6 July 2025, a press conference sets off a domino effect in a country that has a bleeding heart. The kidnapping of a man opens a Pandora’s Box that leads to a career criminal and his mysterious bosses. While he tries to run from the truth, he makes a deadly mistake that might bring down the entire pyramid. While the General is weeding out criminals, Imani Lebone meets a man whom she will never forget. A young pilot running a private emergency-rescue company, Imani struggles to cope with her mother’s death as she clings onto her fragile business, the same one that propels her into the hands of the man the General has been seeking. Many will watch as their lives are upended and people disappear. In this thrilling love-and-hate story depicting the most powerful figures in the land, the truth finally reveals itself. Gibson Kente is no ordinary businessman, but his desire to possess Imani distracts his focus and, in one moment of pleasure, the truth is finally set free. The Big Five Cartel reveals the state of South Africa’s hidden mafias, from their after-nine sex orgies to human trafficking and Machiavellian traits. A raw and unfiltered man can only have one love …

Jackie Phamotse is a writer, businesswoman, social activist and philanthropist. Her debut novel, BARE I: The Blesser’s Game, was published in 2017 and was awarded the African Icon Literary Award in Lagos, Nigeria, in 2018. Her second book, I Tweet What I Like, was inspired by the late struggle icon Steve Biko’s book, I Write What I Like. Jackie won the 2020 SA Book Award for Best Fiction for her novel BARE II: The Cradle of The Hockey Club. She was also nominated for a bestselling award by Nielsen Bookscan and SAPnet in 2023 for her book Bare IV: Mercy. Google listed Jackie as one of the most searched personalities in South Africa in 2020. She won an award for her social activism at the Women of Wonder Awards ceremony in 2020, the same year the Generational Wealth Foundation listed her as one of the most influential educators. Jackie’s main objective is to create awareness around and find long-term solutions to eradicate social ills. She currently lives in Sandton, South Africa.