Drum

Henry Nxumalo attends and reports on a boxing match featuring Nelson Mandela. He leaves his wife Florence at home to explore the community's night life and begins an affair with a female singer.

Drum magazine is described as the first black lifestyle magazine in Africa, financed by whites and staffed by a multiracial team. The publication is popular among the black community, and Nxumalo's work places him at its center.

Jim Bailey, Drum's British editor, asks Nxumalo to cover the township crime scene. Though he is initially reluctant, he agrees to broaden his assignments beyond entertainment.

While on assignment, Nxumalo encounters Slim, a gang leader, and witnesses him kill a man in Sophiatown. The brutal scene exposes him to the township's crime reality. His reporting begins to lean toward social issues.

He begins an affair with a female singer, reflecting the complex social life around Drum. The personal life starts influencing his public persona.

Initially avoids political topics, but his wife and Nelson Mandela encourage him to pursue stories with social impact. He starts writing about life under oppression and the township's struggles. The shift marks his move toward muckraking journalism.

A young man goes missing at a Boer farm and is feared enslaved. Nxumalo decides to investigate undercover to uncover the truth behind the disappearance. His determination highlights the farm's harsh conditions.

He obtains a job as a labourer on the farm, where he is treated like a slave and faces the risk of violence. The experience exposes him to systemic racism and daily abuses under apartheid. His undercover work becomes publicly known when the story is published.

The published undercover report makes Nxumalo a celebrity and draws national attention. The piece reveals the harsh realities of the labor system and the farm's brutality. His notoriety grows alongside the risks he faces.

Nxumalo ends up in prison as part of his investigations and then reports on prison conditions from within. His experiences deepen his commitment to exposing injustice and catalyze broader political journalism. He presses on with his muckraking mission.

With the help of German photographer Jürgen Schadeberg, Nxumalo broadens his investigations and takes on riskier stories. The collaboration strengthens Drum's ability to document life under apartheid. Their work challenges censorship and reveals more brutal truths.

As apartheid tightens its grip, Nxumalo fights to cover stories vital to his community's well-being. He faces increasing harassment from the government and censorship attempts. His journalism becomes a beacon for the people of Sophiatown and beyond.

Despite his efforts, the plan to evict residents and destroy Sophiatown proceeds. Nxumalo's work highlights the human cost of such government actions. He persists in seeking truth, even as the threat to the community grows.

At the film's end, Henry Nxumalo is stabbed to death, a brutal act that silences a determined journalist. The attack remains unexplained, underscoring the dangers faced by those who challenge power. His legacy endures in Drum's history and South Africa's journalism.