Civil society group Unite Behind announced that they will host a public launch and reading of Pieter-Louis Myburgh’s book, Gangster State: Unravelling Ace Magashule’s web of capture, in Cape Town on Monday.

This comes as chaos erupted at the book launch that took place at Exclusive Books in Sandton on Tuesday. Protesters disrupted the launch and in the process ripped apart some copies of the book, which contains damning allegations against ANC secretary general Magashule.

News24 reported that at least five books were destroyed. Although the store manager was accosted and pushed around, there were no reported injuries of customers.

In a statement, Unite Behind said they would have a public launch and reading of the book outside the Slave Lodge on the top of Adderley street, central Cape Town.

“We will never allow fascism to arise on the basis of state capture,” the statement reads.

On Thursday, Exclusive Books at the V&A Waterfront cancelled the Cape Town launch of the book.

The PR and communications head at the shopping complex, Donald Kau, told News24 that “after a three-way meeting between the V&A Waterfront, Exclusive Books and the South African Police Service, a decision had been taken to cancel the launch, primarily informed by the safety of our patrons”.

The launch was moved to the Cape Talk studios in Somerset Square, Green Point.

Unite Behind said a delegation will be going to Exclusive Books at the Waterfront to hand over a memorandum for “freedom of thought, expression and justice”.

On Wednesday, acting ANC spokesperson Dakota Legoete condemned the actions in Sandton, and said the party would act against members who had disrupted the book launch.

At the same time, Magashule said, although he would still challenge the book’s publication in court, the disruptions taking place were “not in his name”.