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noseweek NOVEMBER n The secrets of Cecil John Rhodes n Mercury fire: Still no answers

n Randgold judgment: Investec 2015 spins it, lawyers cream it

Reared for slaughter 00193 104042 771025 9

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FEATURES 8 Still time for action Randgold judgment: Investec claims 34 Letters a victory but it ain’t so 36 Editorial 11 Cecil John Rhodes The role of secret sex and secret schemes AVAILABLE 38 Smalls in the expansion of the British Empire ON YOUR 17 Absa keeps widow waiting TABLET Bank takes years to settle claim COLUMNS 20 Lions to the slaughter 35 Down King of the beasts factory farmed to satisfy Download your and Out vanity of trophy hunters

36 Letter from digital edition today Umjindi 24 The poisoned land Mercury contamination haunts neighbours both single issues and 37 Last Word subscriptions available 29 For whom the e-toll tolls Sanral chief faces fierce new opposition PLUS never miss a copy – 32 Books, Books, Books with back issues available to Season’s reading download and store 35 Save the sharks And imprison your kitty DOWNLOAD YOUR DIGITAL EDITION AT

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NOSEWEEK November 2015 3 Letters

Corobrik: a family affair Investec’s men) and – of moral com- they have, surely gentlemen of that pass fame – Reuel Khoza of AKA era (for whom I have great respect) IN RESPONSE TO THE LETTER (NOSE192) BY Capital. can go to very nice five-star hotels C Roberts, “Listen up ye execs”, and The moral compass certainly needs and have exclusivity there? your article in nose190, I as a Corobrik to be re-calibrated at Horobrik… err… All said, it is sad to see them go... insider can confirm that although Corobrik. Chris White Allin Dangers did not get his desired Insider East London promotion, Corobrik has employed Durban two of his sons, probably as a reward n WHY ON EARTH WOULD ANYONE WANT for being the trigger man in getting to belong to such a back-biting low- rid of loyal colleagues the way he did. Disappointed aliens life outfit as the Cape Town Club These two pale males were appointed DESIREE ERASMUS’S REPORT ON HOW THE (“Breaking the rules”, nose192)? Su- against Corobrik’s affirmative action blurring of secular conspiracy and the zanne should consider herself lucky policies. Christian Fringe’s interpretations of to be out of it! Meanwhile, Corobrik ex-CEO and biblical prophecy has led to an in- Mike Turner now part-time chairman – though crease in the internet orgy of predic- Johannesburg more often to be found playing golf at tophiles from religious and secular Mount Edgcombe – Peter du Trevou, sources (nose192, “Holy Father phone n I’M KINDA GLAD TO HEAR THAT THESE has allowed his son Christopher to be home”) would explain why we haven’t private elite clubs (CT Club, Rand unilaterally appointed as the com- been contacted by aliens. Clearly, Club, etc) are moving on and being pany’s Management Accountant – and there’s not enough intelligence on forced to become part of the real SA! a junior executive board member, Earth (Noseweek readers excepted, of I was told to organise an event at without advertising the position either course) to make the effort worthwhile. the Rand Club in Johannesburg in internally or externally. Elio Boezio about 1987 when I was a manager at The Department of Labour and/or Port Elizabeth the JHB Chamber of Commerce (the the Minister of Mineral Resources first woman manager of the Chamber [they mine clay] need to look into the movement – imagine that!) and was dubious employment practices at Is Capitec the only one? told I’d have to use the side door to Corobrik, as do major shareholders “CAPITEC JUST ANOTHER BIG BROTHER gain entry to the club. Well, suffice it Investec (Board members P Amm, bank?” Your article cautioning readers to say between my (woman) colleague G Hirschowitz and R Baker are to read the small print before signing and me a different venue – where up for a Capitec account was we were treated as people – got the most interesting. It would be business. nice to have the same mag- Perhaps those old boys can see nifying-glass look at all the where their policies led – to insolven- other big banks’ fine print! cy and downsizing. Gus Don Pearce Pam Herr Noordhoek Sun Valley

PO another colonial invention Back-biting boys’ clubs THE COLLAPSE OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN YOU OMITTED TO MENTION Post Office (Post-mortem for the Post Kelvin Grove amongst the Office, nose192): It’s a case of a gov- still-surviving old gentlemen’s ernment ship full of idiots steered by clubs (“The long goodbye”, a captain who hasn’t the faintest clue nose192). I have been a as to why the ship is sinking. But who member there for 45 years. It cares anyway? It’s just another one of seems to be a very successful those dumb colonial inventions that club; young keep coming in nobody needs. and the old stay on... Surely We’ll take the money though, until all could see that “boys only” it dries up and then we all can be gentleman’s clubs couldn’t promoted to other positions to see off last; those days are long gone. further irrelevant colonial inventions. Considering the costs that A Dryburgh you mentioned and the debts Durban North

4 Post mortem... PO another colonial invention

Old story: new outrage We hope to be setting up an interview with the superintendent in the near Passports IT IS WITH UTTER DISGUST THAT MY future and are positively itching to husband, former Superintendent Kru- hear the veteran crime-buster’s memo- ger of the Commercial Branch, and I ries of Joburg’s colourful gangland My fngers have lost hold have just discovered that completely past. fallacious information had been pub- While researching this story back in on their identity. 2007 we were unsuccessful in contact- lished about him in nose91 (“Why the Their grip has loosened Israeli mafia hit Winnie’s friend”, May ing Supt Hans Kruger, but a reliable 2007). source involved in the police investiga- and their patterns have become less Your journalist’s skills and sources tion into the fake R5 coin scam told are seriously questionable. The fact us how the superintendent managed to clear. that a paper could be allowed to run persuade Hazel Crane’s lover, Voitec, Ridges once frm – loops, arches, whorls an article without proper investiga- (real name Wosiewich Pierun) to tion of the facts, boils down to an act turn State witness against the scam’s are undermined, worn out that is, in itself, unconstitutional. mastermind, Israeli mafia thug Zion and smoothed with toil. This article boils down to slander of Malka. a public servant’s integrity and is not It was widely believed that it was Their individuality has blurred taken lightly. this “selling out” of Malka, who eventu- You are hereby requested to im- ally got eight years for minting and and now no longer corresponds mediately retract the slanderous issuing the fake coins, that cost Hazel to what was stored on fle. statement, by way of an apology, to Crane her life (she was gunned down be published by no later than close by a mystery assassin in November of business on 7 October 2015, as 2003). And as I scrabble among exhumed your incorrect facts have harmed the Far from our story defaming the reputation of an individual who duly good Super, surely persuading Voitec to memories, served his country. take a Section 204 was and is accepted I lift impressions from In the absence of my husband being police procedure to assist the securing allowed to rectify the situation by way of a conviction? the things I’ve touched and try of an interview, you will be summoned Letting Hazel Crane off the hook in to compensate this violation of my exchange for Voitec’s cooperation to to fnd what I can recognize [sic] his rights. We await your call snare the big fish was no big deal and as saying – regarding the interview, and confirm in no way reflects adversely on Supt that he is available for such, during Kruger. This is me. the course of the next week. Crane’s role in the scam had been I trust that we shall hear from peripheral at best. your offices, in order to set the record But, eight years for issue 91 to reach By Margaret Clough straight, once and for all. the Krugers in Gauteng?The circula- Lucinda Kruger tion department is slipping again. from The Last to Leave, Modjaji Books Lucinda Kruger Attorneys, What better proof that the story did Benoni him/her no damage. – Ed.

NOSEWEEK November 2015 5 C Editorial Editor Martin Welz [email protected] Contributing Editor Donwald Pressly Fighting talk Special Correspondent Jack Lundin Designer Tony Pinchuck S I DO FROM TIME TO TIME, I RECENTLY lions more – fully exploiting the Supreme Consultant went online to catch up on what Court’s Citizens United abominable judg- Len Ashton gives at Public Citizen, the Wash- ment – backing political candidates who Sub-editor ington-based consumer-rights advo- would do their bidding. And they haven’t Fiona Harrison cacy group established by Ralph Na- gone a single day without whining about Contributors derA in 1971. It is currently headed by Robert commonsense safeguards intended to keep Len Ashton, Elisabeth Hamilton, Weissman, a star Harvard Law School gradu- their clearly dangerous greed in check. So Bheki Mashile, Ciaran Ryan, Barry Sergeant, Harold Strachan, Anne Susskind ate, member of the Ohio bar, public interest you may be just the slightest bit surprised attorney at the Centre for Study of Respon- and/or irked by this: From 2009 to 2014, the Cartoons Gus Ferguson, Stacey Stent sive Law and also the editor of Multinational collective profits of those same Wall Street Monitor, a magazine that tracks corporate titans averaged almost $42bn a year – 66% Accounts actions around the world. This is Weissman’s more than before the crash they caused. Nicci van Doesburgh latest report which, I reckon, probably ech- I am sick of these gargantuan corpora- [email protected] oes worldwide. – The Editor tions – along with their entitled, grotesque- Subscriptions ly wealthy CEOs and their bought-and-sold Maud Petersen “FROM 2002 TO 2008, THE FIVE BIGGEST US political puppets – fighting even modest [email protected] banks – Bank of America, Citigroup, Gold- attempts by We the People to protect our- Advertising sales executive man Sachs, J P Morgan and Morgan Stanley selves as they just take more and more and Godfrey Lancellas – collectively raked in profits at an average more from us. What follows are some of the [email protected] rate of over $25 billion a year. But then they ways Public Citizen is working to reduce Advertising nearly destroyed the global economy. And Wall Street’s power and to protect everyday 021 686 0570 [email protected] we all learned about banks being ‘too big to consumers from rip-offs big and small. fail’ – a scam if ever there was one. And we Breaking up the Big Banks: If a cor-

All material in this issue is copyright, and belongs fought hard to win landmark Wall Street poration is ‘too big to fail,’ it is too big, full to Chaucer Publications (Pty) Ltd, unless otherwise reform laws. And we worked with Elizabeth stop. Public Citizen worked on a bill recent- indicated. No part of the material may be quoted, Warren to get the Consumer Financial Pro- ly introduced that would break up banks photocopied, reproduced or be stored by any tection Bureau up and running. deemed systemically important by global electronic system without prior written permission. Disclaimer: While every reasonable effort is taken Meanwhile, those same Big Banks authorities. We are also among the leading to ensure the accuracy and soundness of the resisted every step of the way. And they voices for shareholder resolutions to break contents of this publication, neither the authors spent millions upon millions on an army of up the largest banks – including a widely nor the publisher will bear any responsibility for the lobbyists. And they spent millions upon mil- reported resolution initiated by our finan- consequences of any actions based on information contained. Printed and Published by Chaucer Publications (Pty) Ltd.

SUBSCRIPTION RATES Print SA only R374 Neighbouring states (airmail) R546 Europe, Americas and Australasia R673 Internet edition 1 year R298 Combined Print+Internet (SA only) R474 To subscribe By post: Send cheque with name, address and phone no. to: noseweek, PO Box 44538, Claremont 7735. Via Internet (pay by credit card): www.noseweek.co.za Email [email protected] “I, too, hate being a greedy bastard, but we have a responsibility to our shareholders.” Further information Call (021) 6866 0570; fax 021 686 0573 or email [email protected] cial policy expert, Bartlett Naylor, to that let Big Banks escape criminal service and go to work on Wall Street. explore breaking up Bank of America. prosecution in exchange for promises Public Citizen is promoting the re- Public Citizen will continue work- not to break the law in the future. cently introduced Financial Services ing with champions in Congress, Controlling executive pay: Conflict of Interest Act that would including Senator Elizabeth War- Astronomical Wall Street salaries prevent new agency officials from ren, to restore rules originally put have driven up CEO pay across the taking official actions that directly in place after the Great Depression economy, establishing a culture where benefit former employers and pro- that require federally insured banks outlandish executive compensation hibit Wall Street firms from offering to separate their high-risk financial is the norm. This contributes to the ‘golden parachutes’ to executives who gambling from ordinary banking staggering wealth inequality that take government positions. services used by everyday folks like plagues our nation. And it incentiv- Implementing consumer protec- you and me. ises risky, shortsighted behaviour. tions: The banks have tried to kill Ending the charade of ‘too big Public Citizen led the charge for the or cripple the Consumer Financial to jail’: The Big Banks have essen- Securities and Exchange Commission Protection Bureau from Day One. tially been granted immunity despite to issue rules requiring corporations One particularly critical fight is over widespread, repeated and devastating to disclose CEO pay relative to that of insidious provisions in contracts for criminal behaviour. Thanks to Public median employees – which the agency numerous financial products that pre- Citizen’s work, during congressional finally did in August. vent consumers from joining together confirmation hearings for Attorney Jamming the revolving door: in class actions – in effect giving General Loretta Lynch, she was ques- It’s epidemic: Wall Street executives banks a licence to steal by making it tioned about the ‘deferred’ prosecu- get bonuses for moving to low-paid virtually impossible for consumers to tion agreement Lynch provided to jobs in government agencies that are obtain compensation for small-dollar mega-bank HSBC for money launder- supposed to oversee the Big Banks, rip-offs. ing. The Department of Justice may while federal regulators are wooed We are proud to be pushing back at last be stepping away from deals by lucrative job offers to leave public against Wall Street’s greed.” n Stent

NOSEWEEK November 2015 7 Gold Fields CEO Nick Holland Investec takes a beating

Barry Sergeant reports on the recent high court ruling on the rights of Randgold minority shareholders whose shares are registered in the names of nominee companies

N 1 5 SEPTEMBER, NORTH GAUTENG cases, beneficial shareholders are in South African-owned stock listed on High Court Judge Pierre Rabie the background; only the names of the the JSE. The same situation by now finally, after 10 months of de- nominee companies who manage most applies in most countries. liberation, handed down his investors’ shareholdings generally ap- In a case such as this, where mi- judgment on a technical side- pear on the share registers of the com- nority shareholders feel the majority issueO raised by Investec in a case now panies they are invested in. have used their majority control “op- known as the Randgold minorities vs. In its announcement of the lat- pressively” for their own benefit, at Investec. est judgment, Investec reported the expense of the minority, all the The “main” case was introduced into that “Judge Rabie ruled in favour of disadvantaged minority shareholders court in 2011. While Investec has cat- Investec that only registered share- need do is join their nominees, whose egorically stated ad nauseam that the holders have the locus standi to launch names appear on the company’s share main case bought by the minorities an oppression of minority claim under register, in the court action. The nomi- has “no merit whatsoever”, Investec the Companies Act.” Yes and no. Yes, nees, who are, in fact, just their agents, appears set on avoiding a court being that is what he said – and no, that is are normally happy to comply. All did given the opportunity to make such a not the full story. Read the whole judg- in the current case – bar one. determination. ment and you quickly realise that, for After the latest ruling, the main The minorities are suing Investec, a technical reasons, it only lets 4% of the case, “the merits” – the heavy-duty fellow shareholder in Randgold & Ex- claims against Investec off the hook: stuff – is now free to be heard in the ploration, for oppressive conduct and 96% of the claims against it still stand High Court. Had Investec put its re- are demanding that Investec pay them for adjudication. action in context, it would have add- R1,3 billion in damages. In this side- In South Africa, as in many oth- ed information along the lines that case, which many believe was raised er countries, beneficial sharehold- Investec is seemingly prepared to do as a stalling tactic, Investec’s lawyers ers (who invest hard-earned cash in anything legal to keep this case out of argued that the minorities had no shares) typically appoint nominee court. locus standi (right or legal stand- companies to handle all the hassle of So far, this case has accumulated ing) to bring the action because their administering stock ownership. These more than 15,000 pages of evidence. names do not appear on Randgold’s of- nominees, while only agents, become What’s it really all about? Unchal- ficial share register. the registered shareholders. This is lenged forensic reports, of which sum- Nowadays, in an estimated 90% of the case for an estimated 90%-plus of marised versions were published by

8 How to avoid would-be spoilers such as Investec IF YOU RENT PROPERTY

ONICA SINGER, CEO OF STRATE, law countries such as the UK, Aus- KEEP THIS NUMBER South Africa’s central securi- tralia, and Canada, says Singer. She Mties depositary (CSD), said in warned that, as in this court case, I CAN HELP YOU WITH reaction to the locus standi judg- “beneficial holders can often get PROBLEM TENANTS ment: “Current South African ac- caught up in complex and costly liti- count holding structures have many gation to enforce their rights”. I CAN ASSIST YOU WITH THE tiers of holdings where beneficial Strate encourages all shareholders RENTAL HOUSING TRIBUNAL holders of shares may not be indicat- to preferably open their accounts in ed on the registers as the true owner their own names with their chosen IF YOU DON’T NEED ME NOW, of the shares. This is due to the prac- CSD participants (typically, nomi- YOU WILL LATER tice of holding shares through nomi- nees), or in a so-called Segregated nees.” Depository Account, which is held JOHN: 082 901 0824 This means that beneficial holders directly with Strate. are dependent on the nominee to ex- In this way, says Singer, “the end- ercise their rights vis-à-vis an entity, investor will be entitled to full par- or to seek any other form of redress, ticipation in the company, without the intervention of the nominee”. n as is the case throughout common Property Developer?

Randgold and have for years been in the thefts – JCI, Western Areas and Being screwed over by your the public domain, show that among Investec – effectively ending up hav- (investment) Bank? the entities involved in the plundering ing to pay Randgold little or nothing. of Randgold were listed names JCI, No surprise, because by then Investec We’ve got the rod to prod AND Western Areas and Investec itself. had contrived to get control of both Investec CEO Stephen Koseff was the victim (Randgold) and the benefi- push them back!! a director of the JSE until mid-2008, ciaries (mainly JCI and its associated, Call Johan at 082-669-0623 or drop at the point when Randgold (itself) Western Areas) of the thefts. him a line at [email protected] started suing various entities – in- Why? Because Investec had col- cluding Investec – that had been the laborated in laundering some of the JOHAN VICTOR ATTORNEYS beneficiaries of a massive theft of its proceeds of the thefts and had itself assets perpetrated by Brett Kebble. walked off with a large chunk of the CAPE TOWN That case was conducted largely for stolen loot. It clearly has no intention appearances sake. of paying it back. It came as no surprise when it was Legal costs on both sides of the settled with the main beneficiaries of Randgold minorities case already run to more than R30 million, excluding the fees Investec is now paying on be- half of Randgold for Randgold to fight Investec had contrived its own shareholders. The JSE has remained remarkably silent on the background to the case, to get control of both namely the involvement of several JSE-listed companies in the looting by the late Brett Kebble of assets from the victim (Randgold) Randgold that were converted to cash- at-the-time of R1,9 billion. From all this, it is apparent that and the beneficiaries in order to launch a minorities case in South Africa, the aggrieved party, even if acting on sound and exten- (mainly JCI and its sive legal advice, will require a kitty running into tens of millions of rand. Target entities, such as Investec (one associated, Western of the most-sued listed names), have long learned how to exhaust complain- ants, no matter how well-based and Areas) of the thefts authentic the nature of the case. In terms of The Global Competi-

NOSEWEEK November 2015 9 tiveness Report 2014–2015, published by the World Economic Forum (WEF), South Africa ranks first in the world (of The case showed Investec 144 countries) in terms of “regulation of securities exchanges”. South Africa ranks second in the world in the field of protection of minority shareholders’ up as mean and petty interests. But better-informed Noseweek read- ers would take those ratings with more T COULD BE SAID THAT INVESTEC’S in fact joined in the case demanding than a pinch of salt: South African con- blinkered view of Judge Pierre more than R1 billion from Randgold. tributors to the report are organised Rabie’s recent ruling on just one Due to paperwork and other related by Business Leadership South Africa of the issues in the Randgold mi- issues, only 4% of the minorities in (BLSA) and Business Unity South Afri- norities case comes across as pe- the case cannot proceed. This reduc- ca (BUSA). Investec is a leading mem- culiarlyI mean and opportunistic. es the aggregate claim of the minori- ber of both. In a statement issued after the ties from R1.36bn to R1.3bn. The following were asked to com- judgment, Investec trumpeted victo- The case also showed Investec up ment on the Randgold minorities case ry, in that the court had ruled “in fa- as mean and petty. Those beneficial (which has been in the public domain vour of Investec, that only registered Randgold shareholders who had left since 2011), and either did not, would shareholders have the locus standi their shares in the care and name of not or could not: to launch an oppression of minority Ferbros Nominees (Pty) Ltd, a nomi- • Dube Tshidi, CEO of the Financial claim under the Companies Act.” nee entity owned by Investec, were Services Board, which oversees the What Investec did not mention in almost ruled out of the case – because JSE its statement is that the court ruling Ferbros/Investec simply refused to • Nicky Newton-King, CEO of the only disqualified a small number – enter the case on their behalf – even JSE just 4.3% – of the oppressed share- if it would clearly be in their clients’ • Thero Setiloane, CEO of BLSA holders that have brought claims interest. Such beneficial sharehold- • BUSA CEO Khanyisile Kweyama against the company. Investec’s real ers had to transfer their shares to • Friede Dowie, General Manager of victory did not lie in the judgment, “friendly” nominees to remain in the BLSA but in the extent to which it was able case. • Michael Katz of law firm ENS to delay the hearing of the main case In the main case, at the relevant • Carel Smit of KPMG (by a year) and drive up its oppo- times, Investec was, of course, a big • David Hertz of Werksmans nents’ legal costs (by several millions shareholder in Randgold, along with • Brian Gibson, who sometimes of rands). [See editorial. – Ed] Allan Gray, those redoubtable Cape speaks for Randgold As opposed to Investec’s highly Town money managers. (Allan Gray • Judy Davies, who sometimes technical and time-wasting side- backed everything Brett Kebble did, speaks for Corruption Watch case, the fundamental, “merit” is- and went on to back his successor, • Ursula Nobrega (Munitich) and sues raised in the case were fully Investec, for similar self-serving rea- Margaret Cerff (Arnold), who some- described in nose178 (“Randgold: ex- sons.) times speak for Investec plosive as the Arms Deal”). Thus, for Investec to state that • Kotie Basson, at Investec Asset While Judge Rabie’s preference for “only registered shareholders have… Management, and long and convoluted abstract legal- locus standi” is not quite the truth, • Rita Yang at the WEF. istic logic was, in this day and age, the whole truth and nothing but the Itumeleng Mahabane of Brunswick, a disappointment, his judgment did truth. It would have been fairer and a high-priced formation of spin doctors, not go all Investec’s way. What In- more honest for Investec to have stat- which sometimes speaks for Business vestec did not say in its statement is ed that: “Only shareholders whom we Leadership SA, tried desperately to say that the judge ruled that if the share- at Investec lack the power to sum- something that made sense, but flipped holders named in a company’s share marily terminate have locus standi”. out. register are nominees, and these are Investec also failed – of course – to Hired guns happy to serve Investec instructed by the true, “beneficial” mention that at one stage in court, its – at fees running into many millions shareholders to join a court case, legal team, which is being paid in the – in its battle to hang on to the ill- then they can join and pursue the tens of millions of rand – desperately gotten Kebble loot, include Tony case. argued that nominees also have no Rubens SC; Jonny Blou SC; and their This is, in fact what has happened locus standi. That argument was, un- junior, Shanee Stein, instructed by at- in the Randgold case. Despite In- derstandably, eventually withdrawn. torney Harold Jacobs of Werksmans. vestec’s best efforts, the main case The big nominee entities that did Randgold’s lawyers (also paid by In- will proceed to trial because all the join the case on behalf of their robbed vestec) include Gerald Farber SC and nominee companies that are the reg- clients are Standard Bank Nominees, Nicholas Konstantinides, instructed istered holders of Randgold shares Shap-Aron Nominees (owned by An- by attorney Andrew Legg of Van Hul- on behalf of their clients (termed gloRand, a stockbroker), and BNS steyns. n the “beneficial” shareholders) have Nominees (owned by Nedbank). n

10 The secret Rhodes

Rhodes with his ‘secretary’ /lover Johnny Grimmer and their steward in attendance

‘I leave all my worldly goods in trust for the of China and Japan, the ultimate recovery of establishment, promotion and development the United States of America as an integral of a Secret Society, the true aim and object part of the British Empire…’ thereof shall be the extension of British rule Tis surely numbers among the most de- throughout the world, the perfecting of a ranged sets of objectives ever compiled, de- system of immigration from the United King- clares Robin Brown of this frst will drafed dom, and of colonisation by British subjects by Cecil John Rhodes in his just-published of all lands where the means of livelihood are biography of the ‘Colossus’: Te Secret Soci- attainable by energy, labour and enterprise, ety – Cecil John Rhodes’s Plan for a New World and especially the occupation by British set- Order. tlers of the entire Continent of Africa, the But, despite the grandiosity of the secret plan, Holy Land, the Valley of the Euphrates, the Rhodes and his successors managed to achieve islands of Cyprus and Candia, the whole of many of its objectives. South America, the Islands of the Pacifc not Noseweek reproduces the following extract heretofore possessed by Great Britain, the by arrangement with the publisher, Penguin whole of the Malay Archipelago, the seaboard Random House. See next page ➡

NOSEWEEK November 2015 11 ECIL RHODES’S BIOGRAPHERS his “brothers” in Kimberley, he shared have generally been bewil- lodgings with his siblings Herbert and dered by his time at Oxford, Frank, and his friend Scully. But now straining to resurrect the Rhodes, already a successful young boy obsessed with Gibbon’s businessman – who occasionally met Decline and Fall of the Ro- his academic obligations in Oxford – man Empire, the youth cap- went a significant step further: he set tivated by obscure classics, up house with his secretary, Neville the admirer of Marcus Aurelius who Pickering. The two men lived togeth- thrivedC on intellectual debate. What er, apparently very happily, for years, adds to the confusion is the fact that, until Pickering’s fatal horse accident at this point of his life, there was not sometime later. the slightest hint that, buried deep in- The debates and arguments that side Cecil John Rhodes, was a playboy- Rhodes enjoyed with his band of broth- dandy straining to get out. ers filled many long hours in the in- The 20-year-old Rhodes arrived at tellectual desert of the diggings. The Oxford, wearing what would become mundane business of grubbing for dia- his trademark “bags” [trousers], with monds was set aside for weightier talk, a chamois pouch of uncut diamonds in particularly with Sidney Shippard and his pocket, and that he sat a Latin en- Caesar Hawkins, about how to put the trance examination for University Col- world to rights and “the Game” as Rho- lege – which he failed. [He spent just des always referred to it. one term at Oxford in 1873, then quit to For the Victorians, the phrase came return to Kimberley, and only resumed to have a particular meaning, and it his Oxford career in 1876.] was later immortalised in the novels Oxford was not the end for this fash- of Rudyard Kipling and John Buchan, ionably attired Rhodes. It was the both of whom were close friends of starting point in a saga of epic propor- Rhodes. Essentially, the Game – or “the tions, which Rhodes set in motion: the Great Game” – was English imperial- hoard of diamonds, the piles of gold, the ism, facilitated by upper-class “secret mysticism and secret societies, King agents” who were generally members Solomon’s mines and biblical Ophir, of secret societies and who usually had and political and sexual intrigues in- three things in common: a public-school volving princes, presidents and prime education, a token university degree, ministers. There were huge successes and private wealth. These agents op- and spectacular failures. And above all, erated on the frontiers of the Empire, there was the growing influence of his were experts at passing themselves off Secret Society and its eventual role – as natives, and all belonged to prestig- under Milner – in rescuing England ious London clubs. from defeat in the Great War. A significant factor in these develop- *** ments is Rhodes’s homosexuality. With- in the space of a few years he would be In Kimberley the festering political mingling with a powerful coterie of al- disputes were, if anything, even worse legedly gay, lesbian and bisexual men than the digging conditions. The two land incorporated into a proper Eng- and women, all of whom would become neighbouring Boer republics still laid lish-speaking colony as soon as troops members of, or be politically associated claim to the diamond fields, though the could be diverted from the Kaffir Wars with, his Secret Society. Prominent in British intervention had forced them to to do the job. this group were two prime ministers, sit back and watch as 50,000 foreign- The Boers had no idea that a strip- Lord Balfour and Lord Rosebery, a ers, whom the puritanical Boers per- ling Uitlander, Cecil John Rhodes, had royal mistress, Daisy Greville, a prime ceived as drunks and whore-mongers, already begun to dream of an Africa in minister’s wife, Margot Asquith, and settled in as their neighbours. which they would play no part whatso- Reginald Baliol Brett, who had the ear These Uitlanders – mostly foreigners ever – unless, of course, they agreed to of three generations of royalty, from like Rhodes – held the Boers in con- play a passive role. In Rhodes’s scheme Queen Victoria to King George. Brett tempt; their scorn embraced the illit- of things, if the republics remained in himself was a self-confessed pederast. erate old president, Oom (Uncle) Paul Boer hands they would be nothing but Kruger, as well as what they perceived roadblocks on the British highway he *** as a scattering of peasant farmers oc- was planning from the Cape to Cairo. cupying vast stretches of unfenced However, Rhodes did occasionally After Rhodes moved out of the brick- veld. For men like Rhodes, this was let his guard drop in the presence of and-tin “mess” he had occupied with all simply to be brushed aside, and the strangers. Captain Charles Warren

12 out realising it, Captain Warren was also presented with a broad outline of the aims and principles of the planned Secret Society, as Rhodes pronounced on man’s place in the universe, and predestination. It should be pointed out that the Confession of Faith provides signifi- cant evidence of Rhodes’s latent ho- mosexuality. Psychologists claim that, given Rhodes’s deep devotion to his mother, his Oedipal desire to be part of a band of brothers indicates repressed sexual impulses. He never outgrew his boyhood either, as Rotberg points out: “That Rhodes remained a pre-ado- lescent in so many significant respects and these pre-adolescent characteris- tics shaped his striving for greatness, is clear. During Cecil’s school years the band of brothers substituted in impor- tant ways for the absent masculine influence of his father… Lacking it, Rhodes repeatedly sought the support of a gang or band. Subsequently in his personal relationships he always gravi- tated to friends or lovers with whom he could stay young.” Anthony Sampson’s recent insights remain cogent: “the character of Rho- des – with his combination of shrewd- ness and adolescence, romanticism and ruthlessness, imagination and vulgar- ity, has eluded all his biographers”. The actual birth of the Secret Soci- ety – in Rhodes’s so-called lost years of 1873 to 1876 – occurred in very humble surroundings in Kimberley, which were Lord Esher, royal whisperer fortunately recorded by Lewis Michell, and well-known pederast who attended with at least four other young men. Rhodes confessed to huge imperial ambitions, adding that the ac- cumulation of wealth was no longer his prime objective: observes upon meeting up with Rho- “Gentlemen I have asked you to dine des en route to the diamond fields: “It because I want to tell you what I want was impossible not to recognise that he to do with the remainder of my life. I [Rhodes] had every prospect of a bril- think that if a man when he is young liant career.” Had the captain been a determines to devote his life to one wor- closer observer, he might have reported thy object and persists in that, he can that the pretentious young man was do a great deal during that life even if a religious bigot spouting jingoistic it is to be a short one as I know my life nonsense (typical of many British who will be. The object to which I intend to were abroad at the time). Instead, we devote my life is the defence and the have the following: “He relieved the te- extension of the British Empire. The dium of the post-cart journey by intent British Empire stands for the protec- study of the Book of Common Prayer… tion of all the inhabitants of a country and mastering the Thirty-Nine Arti- in life, liberty, fair play and happiness cles of the Anglican Church.” Rhodes and is the greatest platform the world had also tucked away in his bags the has ever seen for these purposes… It draft of his Confession of Faith. With- is mainly the extension of the Empire

NOSEWEEK November 2015 13 northwards that we have to watch and like Gordon and Rhodes, avoided con- work for in South Africa.” tact with women, took a great deal of His audience, which included bank- interest in the Boy Scout movement, ers and a civil servant, applauded. One and decorated his rose garden with of the group, Joseph Orpen, would go four pairs of bronze sculptures of boys. into politics, and he agreed that the There have been similar speculations British government was “fundamen- about Milner, whose sexual interests tally the best”. They decided to form were, however, fairly conventional. a secret society and to exchange ideas More than merely close friends and on Rhodes’s “principals and points”. Jo- allies, they also shared an intimacy and seph Orpen suggested members should trust. What is certain is that these four be required to include a secret sign in giants – Rhodes, Gordon, Kitchener all written correspondence – “the sym- and Milner – shared a similar imperial bol of a five on the dice” – which would dream. identify “The Pyramid of Brothers”. No further records of meetings exist. *** The members maintained close ties. Michell remained Rhodes’s banker and Rhodes was now convinced by, if not became his first biographer. Some years obsessed with, the idea that Masho- later, together with Rhodes, Joseph Or- naland held the biblical temple built pen entered the Cape Parliament. In by the Queen of Sheba for Solomon. A time, and with Orpen at his side, Rho- number of Rhodes’s followers shared des would become prime minister. these weird and wonderful beliefs, in- cluding Arthur Conan Doyle and W T *** Stead, the newspaperman who was also a famous medium. There was, at One such book dealt with the Hermetic Alfred Milner, the man who would in- the time, broad interest in the occult, Order of the Golden Dawn, a closed herit these dreams as well as the task and one of Rhodes’s close associates, society similar to Rhodes’s own Secret of implementing them, was more of an Arthur Balfour, was the son of the fam- Society. aesthete than a frontiersman. Milner’s ily that founded the Society for Psychi- Rhodes knew from Willie Posselt that first posting was as undersecretary cal Research. Another such associate the “lost city” was just a week’s march for finance in Egypt in 1887-92, where was Rudyard Kipling, who spent many north of Lobengula’s kraal in Bula- he was introduced to Horatio Herbert winters with Rhodes at Groote Schuur. wayo. There was even a “Saba” (Sheba) Kitchener, at the time an intelligence The interior of Groote Schuur is dark river winding its way through “Ophir”. officer in Egypt. For five years, Milner and gloomy, even in the daytime, and Rhodes had secretly arranged for this and Kitchener worked together on the heavy Victorian drapes are kept drawn river, as well as the Mazoe, a tributary same imperial team that, two years as protection from sunlight and heat. of the Zambezi, to be “panned”, and previously, included General Gordon in It was in Rhodes’s bedroom that Alta both had produced workable quantities Khartoum. Kriel had shown me the stone bird of alluvial gold. Gordon and Kitchener were good which Willie Posselt had stolen for him Rhodes’s belief that he had stum- friends, part of a group that by now from the fabled “lost” city in Masho- bled upon ancient Ophir became his included Reginald Baliol Brett [Lord naland. Rhodes had, she informed me, best-kept secret. It is no exaggeration Esher], who, during the Great War, been fixated on the Ra bird as well as to say that without what Rudd called would run a clandestine intelligence other artefacts from Mashonaland, the “Ophir promise” and the stone bird service for Kitchener. To this list we many of them made of gold. “Rhodes Willie Posselt had stolen from the site, can now add Milner. Many of these men told his visitors that there were ghosts Rhodes might never have bothered to were homosexual, and there is no deny- in Groote Schuur, and he virtually wor- raise the money he needed to invade ing that they strongly influenced Brit- shipped the stone bird we have here. Mashonaland and eventually establish ish politics from late Victorian times It was always kept in his bedroom, on Rhodesia. through the Edwardian period. Brett top of a wardrobe, and it was said he kept a journal in which he recorded never took a major decision without it *** his affairs with men and boys, while being present.” When Sir Herbert Bak- Rhodes, as we have seen, had his band er rebuilt Groote Schuur after the fire, That same year [1891], Nathan of brothers, his angels and lambs, as Rhodes had all the newel posts on the Rothschild arrived at Rhodes’s hotel, well as Neville Pickering, with whom main staircase carved in the image of the Westminster Palace, for the first he lived. Gordon had his brandy and the stone bird. of several confidential meetings with his boys, while Kitchener had “a con- For a brief period at Oxford, Rhodes Rhodes. They undoubtedly discussed stant and inseparable companion” in was a Freemason, and his Groote Schu- the Secret Society, for in the very next his aide-de-camp, Captain Oswald ur library shelves held many books on will that Rhodes drew up he added a FitzGerald, with whom he perished in topics such as the Rosicrucians and codicil entrusting the Society and its 1916 in a torpedoed ship. Kitchener, Annie Besant’s Theosophical Society. future protection to Rothschild. At Rho- ered in England that homosexuals sur- vived only if they formed a society that remained secret, ring-fenced by wealth and political influence. When this class of moralistic Victorians encountered practices they deemed repugnant, they simply looked the other away. [He also] discovered that this band of brothers was not only large but com- posed of extremely powerful people. They met at private dinner parties like Verschoyle’s but they also attended the grand entertainments of society host- esses. It was at such functions that Rhodes learnt the rules of Victorian homosexu- ality: charm the women, perhaps an easy undertaking if one were an aes- thete or avant garde, though Rhodes Clockwise from facing page: newspaper was neither. Alternatively, share the magnate WT Stead, Countess Radziwil, beds of bisexual women, though the Neville Pickering who lived with Rhodes most effective ploy by far was to don for four years, and Olive Schreiner the impermeable suit of social armour: marriage. The coup de grace was to have a few offspring of one’s own, with- “Brett was a well-connected, ingratiat- in wedlock of course. ing, homosexual and pederast.” Both W T Stead and Bramwell Booth Brett habitually had affairs with of the Salvation Army tried to persuade Eton boys who had been groomed by Rhodes to wear this armour, and had his old tutor, the details of which are he lived longer he may well have been graphically described in his Journals. tempted. He certainly tested the waters [He] was part of a ring of influential in his friendship with Olive Schreiner – politicians with similar predilections. a failed effort, however. Best known among these was Lewis (“Loulou”) Vernon Harcourt – son of *** the home secretary Sir William Har- There was at the time a “gang” sus- court – who committed suicide when pected of strongly influencing British his escapades with an Eton student politics in the first part of the twenti- went public. eth century: Brett, a homosexual and The documented accounts of Brett’s active pederast; the promiscuous and sexual inclinations are significant be- predatory Loulou Harcourt, who for a cause they represent rare hard evi- while was secretary to his father Wil- des’s side was his latest friend, Charlie dence of the shared interests of three liam, the home secretary, and who him- (later Sir Charles) Metcalfe, a myste- highly influential men at the height of self later became colonial secretary; rious intimate who kept the details of Empire: Cecil Rhodes, “Chinese” Gor- Archie Primrose, Lord Rosebery, prime their relationship secret. For close on don, and Brett himself. In the pages minister, who was accused by the Mar- ten years Metcalfe accompanied Rho- that follow, the list will grow, support- quess of Queensberry of sodomising his des almost everywhere he went. ing recent suggestions that a homo- eldest son; and Cecil Rhodes who, after There was one other important meet- sexual hegemony – which was already Neville Pickering’s death, was no long- ing during this glorious visit of 1891: operative in the Secret Society – went er averse to parading his lambs and an- Rhodes went to see Brett, friend and on to influence, if not control, British gels on social outings. confidant of Queen Victoria, and later politics at the beginning of the twenti- There were many more, like Arthur influential “whisperer” to King Edward eth century. Balfour, the self-obsessed, aloof and ef- VII and King George V. It is not known fete future prime minister who never how the two men got to know each oth- *** married. It would not be long before the er, though Brett appears to have been issue of gay and lesbian control of Brit- called in after Stead’s first meeting By now Rhodes is 38 years old. ish society and government was even- with Rhodes. What is certain, however, He has been lurking in the relative tually raised in Parliament. n is that Brett and Rhodes had a lot more darkness of the closet for 20 years © Robin Brown, 2015, (Published by Penguin than imperial politics in common – in- – when suddenly he discovers that Random House) deed, Robert Rotberg puts this bluntly: he is not alone in this. Rhodes discov-

NOSEWEEK November 2015 15 CUT ALONG THE DOTTED LINE

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4 By Email Send your details and proof of payment to: [email protected] Ofer expires on 31 December 2015. Absa accused of being ‘shameless liars’ Lies, more damned lies and Absa.. By Elisabeth Hamilton

DURBAN ESTATE AGENT AND AN attorney who have been work- ing together for more than two years to try to get Absa’s pen- sion fund managers to pay out theA death benefit due to a rural Kwa- Zulu-Natal widow, have concluded that the bankers are shameless liars. On 1 May 2013, Nkosinathi Bernard Dlamini, a 36-year-old contract security guard at the prestigious Michaelhouse College in the KZN Midlands, died in a freak accident while walking alongside railway tracks. The sudden force of a train rushing past pushed him against a concrete slab, killing him instantly. Thus began the struggle of his then- pregnant widow, Mandisa Happy Dlami- ni, to get her disbursement from the provident fund to which Nkosinathi had diligently contributed for 12 years. The Mandisa Happy Dlamini, widow of Nkosinathi only hint she had of how much money Bernard Dlamini, with the couple’s child might be coming her way was a benefits statement she found from February 2010 recording an amount of R51,724. and Wilkinson has concluded that Ab- this case) and by employers in the indus- Absa, which manages the fund, has sa’s handling of the matter has simply try, whose compliance levels with provi- consistently maintained that the payout amounted to “an exercise to mislead”. dent fund requirements are among the delay is the fault of Dlamini’s employer, Meyer is scathing about both the worst in the country. Absa told Noseweek Ballid Security – a plausible excuse, PSSPF and Absa: “I believe Absa are a it had launched a drive to recover more considering that the majority of secu- bunch of thieving crooks. If this can hap- than R1.5 billion in outstanding contri- rity firms in South Africa are believed pen to one illiterate beneficiary – with butions from the employers. to be non-compliant with provident fund two of us working on her case – and tak- The PSSPF boasts being one of the rules. It is mandatory for all registered ing this long, I wonder how many cases largest provident funds on the continent security companies to contribute to the there are where the beneficaries have with more than 200,000 active members Private Security Sector Provident Fund not had such help, and Absa has sim- and assets worth more than R2bn. The (PSSPF) which Absa has happily con- ply hung on to the benefits that should previous fund manager was NBC Hold- tracted to manage – for a substantial fee have been paid to the families of secu- ings, which managed the account from – through its subsidiary, Absa Consult- rity guards who were paid-up members 2002 until 2009, when there was an ac- ants and Actuaries (ACA). of the fund.” rimonious parting of ways. NBC says Estate agent Gail Meyer, who had It is no secret there is a massive back- they chose to resign; the PSSPF says it once employed Mandisa, asked Hilton log in benefit payouts dating back to “terminated” their contract with NBC. lawyer Mike Wilkinson for help. But 2009. This is attributed to poor record Either way, NBC told industry maga- their combined efforts have been in vain keeping by the fund managers (Absa, in zine Today’s Trustee they chucked it in

NOSEWEEK November 2015 17 ployer (Charioteer Investor 2CC, trading had not paid the contributions and that as Ballid Security) for being non-compli- we should deal with the employer.” ant with the fund rules. However, said From then on the service from ACA Wilkinson, as the correspondence un- improved vastly. folded over a 28-month period, it became Tony Botes, an administrator of the clear “that Absa was lying”, and that he Security Association of South Africa had exposed the lie by calling their bluff who also sits on the board of trustees of and threatening a complaint to the pen- the PSSPF admitted that the fund was sion fund adjudicator. “plagued with non-compliance”. “Finally, I left a message for Shiela “It is my opinion that 85% of the indus- Chanka [ACA Regional Manager, Johan- try is non-compliant,” he told Noseweek. nesburg], the most senior person whose Botes said they were looking at bring- name I could find. Her PA returned my ing in further controls to strengthen the call, and told me, again, that the problem inspection powers of companies in the was that the security company had not industry to bring greater compliance paid the contributions – just what we within the next two to three years. He had been told for nigh on two years. said when NBC handed over the fund “I did not believe her, so, to call her to ACA there were “boxes” of documents bluff, I asked for a letter from ACA that needed to be captured while many confirming this so I could use it to lay of the members’ details only had a cell- charges of theft against Ballid Security. phone number, no information about Not long after this I was telephoned by family members, nor addresses. He sym- Romano Adriaanse [ACA Supervisor of pathised with ACA, saying their job in the PSSPF account] who now said Ballid updating members’ benefit statements had indeed paid the contributions and was a “logistical exercise like the second Gail Meyer that he would look into the matter.” world war”. But they wanted control of Shortly after that, on August 7, the fund’s billions – and they were paid out of frustration with the PSSPF, whose Wilkinson sent an email to Chanka and to do the job. board gave the NBC scant help in fulfill- her ACA workers, Beverley Phillips (Ad- “Non-compliance could be simply ad- ing its administrative obligations, such min Manager PSSPF), Adriaanse, and a ministrative, or incompetence by secu- as ensuring the payment of claims and tracing agency boss and owner of Vuna- rity companies, or companies trying to employer contributions. ni Benefit, Sithethele Sibanda. It read: hide the number of guards they employ If NBC’s version is to be believed, “This claim, mishandled as it has been, so as to avoid paying their contribu- in 2009 they finally grew a backbone. might, nonetheless, have been settled tions.” ACA stipulates that payment of Just 12 months earlier the FSB had sooner had Absa told the truth when contributions must be made by the 7th scolded them (unfairly, according to questions were first asked by Mrs Meyer of every month. A schedule of member- nose106&107) for allowing an illegal in 2013 and 2014, and by me and my as- ship data (how the funds are allocated BEE deal between Aspen Pharmaceu- sistant in 2014 and 2015. to each member) must be forwarded to ticals and the Chemical, Energy, Paper, “Absa consistently and deliberately ACA by each company no later than the Printing, Wood and Allied Workers’ Un- tried to mislead us/fob us off by saying 15th of every month. ion (Ceppwawu) which was funded by (lying is the correct description) that Mr A fund source said that Ballid Security the Chemical Industries National Provi- Dlamini’s employer and/or Mr Dlamini had had serious outstanding schedules dent Fund. At the time NBC claimed the after Dlamini’s death though they were fund trustees had threatened to replace paying their monthly contributions. them as administrators if they ques- Meyer said that “after more than a tioned the transaction. Absa refused hundred” phone-calls to the fund she The subsequent administrator, ACA, had had to get “more threatening”. hasn’t had a smooth run either. In Octo- In early July 2015 Wilkinson fired off ber last year Pension Funds Adjudicator to put it in an email saying “Absa’s attempts to get Muvhango Lukhaimane found that 60% on top of this seem to have been feeble, of complaints came from private secu- desultory, and occasional”. rity guards. She said it was “clear that writing that it It was at this point that ACA appointed ACA was failing to perform its duties” Vunani Benefit Administrators – a trac- in terms of the Pension Funds Act which ing agency usually used to find missing requires the fund to be administered had lost orginal beneficiaries. However that introduced in a responsible manner, by adequately new issues: Vunani wanted Meyer, who trained staff, with proper records kept. held power of attorney for Mandisa, to In a series of emails seen by Noseweek, documents sent resend documents she had made avail- ACA consistently maintained from 2013 able to the fund in 2013. to July 2015 that the fault in Dlamini’s Meyer demanded that ACA put in matter was not theirs but that of his em- in 2013 writing the fact that it had lost the origi-

18 nal documents, and would pay for the amongst beneficiaries. However, very of- courier service to deliver them again. ten the fund has not kept or maintained No such letter was forthcoming. the required member information be- Meyer, suspicious of Vunani, fired off cause the employer has failed to provide Employers sometimes another email to a legion of senior ACA it. This is an industry-wide problem. officials asking who would pay Vunani’s “Employers may not have provided in- bill. ACA didn’t answer the question but formation such as identity numbers and join the fund to did say Vunani’s appointment was “in- tax reference numbers, in some cases line with the Pension Funds Act”. even the date of birth for a member. In- obtain a compliance Eventually after footing the bill to accurate information has been identified send off the documents for a second time, as one of the core reasons for the number Meyer contacted the Ombudsman for of unclaimed benefits in the industry.” certificate, then Banking Services (OBSSA) on August [What incentive is there to fix things, 6. Part of her email read: “ACA is hold- when Absa gets to keep the money for as ing money that does not belong to them, long as they aren’t fixed? – Ed.] discontinue payments making interest on it and appear to To date the body has received 107 com- make no effort to resolve the situation”. plaints for the period January to Sep- That same day Meyer also emailed tember 2015 against the security fund. Absa’s own dispute resolution office: “I Buitendag said employers sometimes ciaries including the deceased’s parents, believe the service received from Absa join the fund to obtain a compliance cer- girlfriends and other children. [Why as- is totally unacceptable and amounts to tificate required for a tender, contribute sume he had them when, in three years, fraud, keeping money in their possession for, on average, a period of three months none have come forward with claims – that does not belong to them”. and then, once they’re awarded their except to delay matters for a further in- In her mails to the Ombudsman and tender, discontinue payment to the fund. definite period while Vunani investigates the Absa dispute office she said Wilkin- When Noseweek asked Absa about this the impossible – for a fee? – Ed.] son had been told by ACA employees claim, they again blamed Ballid. As the sorry saga plays out, Mandisa that the fund’s “data had not been cap- “It is regrettable that once again is- is dependent on her grandmother’s pen- tured since 2009”, which has since been sues of non-compliance in the security sion and a R600 child-support grant. found to be true. She added, “I don’t find industry [have] led to such an unfortu- “Next year my eldest no longer quali- it surprising, considering the service nate situation. fies for the grant, which will leave me received from any of the departments I “ACA would like to state that it re- with just R300 to support him and my have been sent to. I am at my wits’ end.” grets the delay in finalising this claim 19-month-old baby boy. The next day, in correspondence with and emphasises that it must take the “We sent Absa everything in 2013. All the bank, Wilkinson called Absa “liars”. utmost care in the accurate and fair ad- I want is for the benefit to be paid out so ACA did not dispute this claim either. ministration of the members’ benefits.” I can look after my baby and have my Vunani’s sole director, Sithethele At the time of going to print, Meyer own home,” said Mandisa. Sibanda, told Noseweek that the PSSPF had received further correspondence Gail Meyer made the long trip to the would pay for their services. He agreed from Vunani asking her to provide a se- Midlands to obtain the affidavits, but that the claim “has taken long to settle” ries of affidavits, birth certificates and what transpired just hours before she and assured Noseweek they were work- identity documents of potential benefi- set off from Durban has baffled her and ing “tirelessly to ensure that the claim Mandisa: more than R50,000 was depos- is settled as soon as humanly possible”, ited into Dlamini’s account, apparently Pension Funds Adjudicator with payment hopefully being made be- by the pension fund. To date, they have Muvhango Lukhaimane fore the end of the month. had no formal communication as to why Ballid Security boss Riaan Claassen the money for which they have fought for would not be drawn on whether Ballid nearly three years suddenly appeared. was compliant or not. He wrote saying No letter, no phone-calls or emails. Ballid “has no control over the Provi- “The trip to the Midlands was meant dent Fund management systems and/or to be the final hoop. We had been told claims not paid,” and that “Mr Dlamini this was necessary in order to speed up was registered with the Provident Fund, the claim. So just why the money was and all his and our contributions have deposited before this process was even been paid to the Provident Fund.” completed is bizarre,” said Meyer. According to Corlia Buitendag, head Meyer said Dlamini had not yet of pension enforcement and surveil- touched the money: “We don’t know lance at the Financial Services Board whether it includes the interest earned (FSB), what is happening at PSSPF is over the last two years or not or whether not unique. “In normal circumstances a this is her portion or not. It is all very death benefit should be paid out within concerning and I wonder just how many 12 months of the fund being informed,” other people have had their claims dealt only taking longer if there are disputes with in such a matter,” said Meyer. n

NOSEWEEK November 2015 19 © Ian Michler Lions to the slaughter

Cubs, often as young as a few days old are used to lure young foreigners to work on South Africa’s lion farms and breeding facilities. These ‘volunteers’ pay the farmers significant sums for the privilege

The trophy-hunting industry is making many farmers rich – but the process of domesticating the king of the jungle is destroying the species for the amusement of thrill-seeking tourists . By Anne Susskind

HE LIONS ARE PACKED SO CLOSELY lion, the more thrilling to vanquish. 3,000 in 2005, indicative of the growth that they’re touching each other. He’s got limited time (and he’s cheap) of the industry.) Here he meets his lion In their enclosure they “move so he doesn’t want to spend weeks – or and is shown exactly where to aim to like snakes”, says environmen- too many thousands of dollars. (A real be most effective. Every day, in South tal journalist and safari opera- lion-hunt in the wild can take up to 21 Africa, two or three male lions die this torT Ian Michler, his voice strained with days of tracking and stalking.) way, shot from perhaps 20 or 30 metres the affront. Territorial by nature and He wants a guaranteed kill, needs to away, unable to escape. After a speeded requiring vast open spaces to survive, do the shoot quickly and take home his up and intensive reproduction cycle, these big cats have been tamed, habitu- trophy to mount on the wall. His lion, the females, whose offspring are taken ated to humans and many hand-reared bred in captivity for the express pur- away when still cubs, are usually sold by international paying volunteers pose of being shot, will have clean good in the “bone trade” for Traditional Chi- who are led to believe they’re doing a looks. These animals have no bush his- nese Medicine. service for conservation in Africa by tory, so there are none of the scars of He’s warned by the farmer, a hunting raising orphaned cubs. animals in the wild. operator, to be careful but this is part Somewhere overseas, a thrill-seeking He comes to South Africa, where of the game, part of making it feel like man with some spare cash goes on- there are 6,000 to 7,000 predator lions real hunting – unpredictable, a chal- line to pick out the creature he’d like born in captivity on about 200 farms lenge, and as though he is pitting him- to kill; the darker the mane, the better, and breeding facilities. (There were self against a genuine foe, the king of because the more powerful-looking the fewer than 1,000 in 1990, and about the animal world.

20 He feels ethically quite good about Blood Lions, locally produced by screenings so that the film’s message is what he does, harbouring the idea Regulus Vision in collaboration with controlled and funds for the campaign that the US dollar (50% of hunters are the Wildlands Conservation Trust, are generated from ticket sales and American) or other foreign currency and directed by Bruce Young and well- donations. Eventually, says Michler, it he’s paying translates into many, many known filmmaker Nick Chevallier, was will be free to air on YouTube. South African rands which will go to- launched at the Durban Internation- The film’s serendipitous launch was ward the conservation effort for this al Film Festival in July. It has since just two days before the shooting of magnificent endangered species. been aired by MSNBC in the US, will Cecil the Lion in Zimbabwe hit head- Michler says: “They have no consid- be screened at the European Parlia- lines, sparking outrage worldwide. The eration or appreciation of the irony ment, at the Royal Geographic Society two fed into each other, says Michler. that they are domesticating lions. If in London, and is doing the rounds of The response should put breeders and you look at the marketing of the entire international film festivals. Its produc- hunt organisers on notice: “[I’m saying] trophy hunting industry, it’s based on tion was funded by philanthropists. forget about defending your positions, the notion that these are wild, noble For now, the campaign plan involves just look at what happened and under- dangerous creatures and that they a release to schools and other educa- stand that there’s a significant propor- are pitting their skills in a fair contest tional institutions, carefully selected tion of the global population who do not against this noble beast. That he who television stations and film festival agree with what you’re doing and why downs or slays the beast is a brave you’re doing it. The response to Cecil man and made his contribution to sav- is for me representative of an outrage ing the species. The absurdity is that toward this continued abuse of our fel- every aspect of that marketing line has low species and the planet.” been completely shattered. They’ve Noseweek watched a screening of tamed and human-imprinted the lions Blood Lions at Bishops School in Ron- and there’s nothing noble or fair about They’ve tamed and debosch (where Michler, who grew up the chase and they have nothing, abso- on a farm in the southern Cape, board- lutely nothing, to do with conservation human-imprinted ed in high school). The front rows were whatsoever.” occupied by junior boys, warned before- Michler, protagonist of and special hand that what they were to see was consultant for an eye-opening docu- the lions and “grossly unfair” and would be shock- mentary on the canned lion industry, ing. And shocking it is. Blood Lions: Bred for The Bullet, says With great pride, Michler is de- their gene pool is useless because they there’s nothing scribed by the Chairman of the Old are inbred, and they’re too habituated Diocesan Union, Brian Robertson, as to humans to be used for breeding in noble or fair about someone who’d gone “from a life of the wild. Only animals bred under the success to a life of significance. He is, auspices of an authentic team of scien- other speakers say, a keystone person, tists and conservationists can be used the chase someone who gives a damn… I’d go to for conservation. war with him.” He’s definitely more Nor does he buy the argument that alternative than most of the audience, the captive lions take pressure off those and was welcomed with something like in the wild; it’s a different market and in fact, wild lions, whose number con- tinues to decline, are taken to support © Ian Michler dwindling gene pools in the captive market. And their very existence is detrimental to the conservation effort, artificially bumping up numbers. It is only in South Africa that this oc- curs, says Michler, who is often asked why there are no black people inter- viewed in the documentary. He says he has never met a black person who owns one of the breeding facilities or hunts predators. His theory is that the men- tality driving the industry is an exten- sion of the brutality of South Africa’s apartheid past. Running the show are “mostly people out of the apartheid era which had no regard for human rights either – it is an offshoot of that period Lion in crate: The horror image that in our history.” continues to inspire Ian Michler’s work

NOSEWEEK November 2015 21 adulation by other old boys, along with tification for taking an apex predator many jokes about his good looks and like a lion, which requires in its natu- how they tagged along behind him be- ral world large amounts of space, and cause he was popular with girls. confining it to small enclosures.” In a previous incarnation, Michler Lions, he says, not only command a was a successful stockbroker, run- very powerful presence in our spiritual ning the Cape Town office of Ferguson beings, in our poetry, in our mythology, Brothers, which later became Investec. but in an ecological sense are a char- Then, when he was 30, or 31, in 1989, ismatic species at the apex of our eco- he had some sort of epiphany and went systems. “If we can’t look after them re- to live in the Okavango Delta in Bot- sponsibly, then what hope is there for swana and re-invented himself, buy- anything? Here in South Africa, we are ing a lodge (since sold) and immersing completely denigrating that standing himself in wildlife photography and and justifying it on an economic basis.” environmental journalism. South Africa’s tourism industry is “Broking was fantastic. My leaving worth about R95 billion annually. Of was both a push and a pull: the pull that, about 1.5% is generated by hunt- was my love of being in wilderness, and ing – of which only a fraction comes the push was this notion that your re- from canned or captive hunting. Of lationships in your work environment the nine million international visitors were based purely on financial equa- to South Africa every year, only about Ian Michler tions. If the market was up, everyone 9,000 go on a hunt. It is, he says, illogi- was your friend and if the market was cal to claim that it is significantly good known” person shooting a lion. down, everyone was grumpy… it was for the economy. “They’ve overplayed Making the documentary wasn’t a little disturbing that you could chart their hand and everyone has bought easy. The lion trade is a murky world, that on a daily basis.” into it. We are saying to the govern- with shadowy agents as go-betweens to In Botswana, he soon realised that ment: Why are you pandering to a few- disguise the path from farm to target. “living in paradise” was not enough, and hundred people who are contributing a While the documentary does feature that he “needed to make a meaningful fraction of 1% of the tourist dollar and trophy hunters, breeders, ecologists contribution”. Back then, Botswana damaging Brand SA? and conservationists and welfare ex- was still a big hunting destination. “We “One of the main reasons is that perts, trying to get evidence sometimes used to ride horses for photography it’s a sport for wealthy and influen- involved deception, including getting a tourists, but we shared that concession tial people – businessmen, politicians, sympathetic American – Rick Swazey with hunters. We’d stop and then they military men from all over the world from Hawaii – to pose as a hunter. But would come in… there were too many come here.” In fact, a section of the film always they were discovered and in shots, and outside the season we would that was cut after legal threats some cases, threatened. hear shots and light aircraft. It didn’t were issued was that of a “very well Other than captive hunting, there add up and that very quickly took me are some newer revenue streams for to those hunting farms and breeding the lion-breeding industry. Last year facilities in South Africa.” He’s visited about 1,000 carcasses were used for scores of them and has been following the bone trade for Traditional Chinese the story since 1999. Medicine. China banned the trade of Today, he’s based in Plettenberg Bay tiger parts in 1993. Welfare standards and his main income is from high-end Everyone’s for these lions are worse still, says wildlife safaris in 15 countries, includ- Michler, because they don’t even have ing Zimbabwe, Namibia and Madagas- survival, rich or to look good. car, where he sees lions living a natural Another revenue stream that fits life in the wild, and deals with conser- in nicely is volunteering, which sees vationists and ecologists. The juxtapo- poor, is based young people from all over the world sition with the canned hunt when he paying significant sums to farmers, comes home to South Africa is almost lion park owners or so-called sanctuary intolerable. “You’re dealing with real on conservation owners (in one case, there’s a farmer conservation challenges, with animals making more than $100,000 in a month in the vast open landscape in very in- and healthy in the season) who are taking advan- tricately evolved ecosystems, then you tage of their naivety. The volunteers come back and see them broken down are told they are raising orphaned or in cages. It’s this complete perversion… ecosystems abandoned cubs, when in fact the cubs “Most shocking to me, more than in- have been taken from their mothers at dividual cases, is the notion that there’s about a week old and will later be sold a group of people who have collectively into the hunting or bone trade. “It’s a come up with an economic or social jus- double betrayal, betraying the kids and

22 © Ian Michler

animals and making money from both.” Michler has a response for every potentially tricky question: Is it not hypocritical to focus on the glamor- ous lions? What about factory farming, what about the packaged meat we all eat from the supermarket shelf? The difference, he says, is that hunt- ing is done for fun, for pleasure. With food, there’s at least some logic to it. But anyway, focusing on one issue does not mean others don’t matter, or you Typically, canned don’t understand the rest. It’s a ques- hunting operators tion of being pragmatic and narrow- charge an extra 30% to ing down to get traction, not always 50% more for hunters addressing man’s “entire relationship to shoot a white lion with fellow species”. Instead, he and his team have taken a position in the middle ground, where the decision-makers and politicians are of unconsidered development.” the closure of predator facilities and based. “I explained this to the vegan Conservationists tread a fine line, stop all breeding. There is no other community in Australia. They take an and have to be wary of targeting the solution. Breeding of lions in captiv- absolute line and I said I’m in complete extremely wealthy or alienating big ity should only be done by a legitimate sympathy/empathy with what you’re corporates, because wealthy philan- conservation agency, well-funded and saying but by taking an extremist line, thropists are some of the biggest con- peer-reviewed. Not one of South Af- you’re not going to have any impact. tributors to the cause. “I want them to rica’s predator-breeding facilities is Being pragmatic you will. That we take understand that they’ve been part of working with any recognised conserva- a more defined line in the film doesn’t the problem, as have we all, but they tion agencies or lion ecologists. At pre- mean we don’t care, we completely care need to be part of the solution… It’s not sent, there are no legal requirements on on [the issue of] domestic animals.” about them, it’s about understanding farmers with regards to understanding Finally, how do you justify focussing the impact that 300 years of rapacious biology, animal husbandry, lion ecology, on animals in a country where people greed has had on the planet.” or conservation in general. It is legal to have so much need too? For Michler The eradication of poverty and the breed as long as farmers comply with and his team on the documentary, the way we treat the environment are in- provincial legislation that focuses on answer is simple. Everyone’s survival, extricably linked, says Michler. One of minimum standards for fencing and rich or poor, is based on conservation the main reasons for poverty in Africa enclosure sizes. and healthy ecosystems, and for that, is that the management of natural re- Captive predator breeding falls into a wilderness needs as much attention sources has been so skewed in favour of grey area, legislatively. Typically, says as education, health, and policing. “We the wealthy. Nothing will change until Michler, environmental departments need clean air, clean water, healthy for- the short-term goals and mandates of internationally look after biodiversity est topsoil and carbon sequestration industrial conglomerates and politi- and conservation involving wild ani- systems… If we don’t have those, we’re cians/decision-makers are uncoupled mals in wilderness areas, while agri- all gone, okay? In the sixties, we had and conservation’s long-term goals culture departments deal with animals an excuse that we didn’t know; now become the paradigm. And, although in agricultural conditions. “It’s a classic we do, we are in the age of awareness. they might present it as an either/or distinction… but with these lions, you We know about the ozone hole, climate jobs or conservation, it’s not as though have a wild animal kept under agricul- change, how the oceans have been de- politicians are taking care of poverty tural conditions, so they are constantly pleted, about acid rain. We can no long- anyway, he points out. Playing one off passing the buck between the two de- er be ignorant about the way forward. against the other doesn’t make sense. partments, avoiding responsibility.” Blood Lions is symbolic on a small Still, there is room for optimism. On-side is the Minister for Tourism, scale of a more sensitive, a more eco- International pressure is building, he Derek Hanekom, who says the canned logically aware approach to the planet says and, as with sanctions on apart- lion trade is damaging “Brand South and the way we live. heid South Africa, the international Africa”. But ultimately it will not be “We talk about sustainability, it’s the revenue stream will dwindle as the his decision. “Can you imagine,” says catchphrase of the world today, but in world realises what’s going on. There’s Michler longingly, “all the goodwill South Africa particularly, it’s become growing pressure inside South Africa that would be generated internation- definition which focuses on the hu- too. Recently, the Professional Hunters’ ally if she [Minister for Environmental man sustainability component. Every- Association of South Africa, PHASA, Affairs, Edna Molewa] were to listen one understands that we need to take after viewing Blood Lions, called the to her cabinet colleague and end it? care of people, but it’s how and why current situation “no longer tenable”. Everyone is saying something needs to we develop now, after 250/300 years Legislative change, hopefully, will see happen here…” n

NOSEWEEK November 2015 23 The poisoned land

Dirty secrets of frightening mercury contamination haunt neighbours. By Elisabeth Hamilton

FIRE AT A-THERMAL, A HIGHLY shoot, Metallica – and remains based out due to its toxicity. toxic waste incineration site in in Cato Ridge, just outside Durban. In The transporting to A-Thermal and Olifantsfontein, Gauteng, has the 1990s Thor was shut down when the subsequent recycling of the mercu- brought to light a dirty secret: workers died from excessive mercury ry-contaminated waste at the plant has more than 40 tonnes of mercu- contamination. (See box, “History of been massively campaigned against by ry-ladenA waste – delivered by South Af- Thor”.) environmental lobby groups, among rica’s biggest storekeeper of the deadly The receiver of the waste that was them GroundWork, and the Olifants- metal – was burned and released into burned in the 2013 fire was A-Thermal fontein residential community. the environment in September 2013 Retort Technologies, previously known In 2010 several appeals against the when the plant burned to the ground; as Thermopower. Technically they have transporting and processing of the and authorities still appear to be clue- a criminal case pending against them waste at A-Thermal were dismissed by less as to just how toxic the waste was. – the investigation is nearly a decade KwaZulu-Natal’s Department of Ag- To this day, the nearby community old – for a host of contraventions, chief riculture, Environmental Affairs and and environmental groups have not among them being poisoning workers Rural Development (DAEARD). Part been told what other chemicals were and the surrounding community. (See of Guernica’s successful application to destroyed in the inferno. “The case against A-Thermal”.) DAEARD was to allow them to “attend The sender of the waste was a Kwa- In 2009 Thermopower agreed to take to the closure, renovation, demolition Zulu-Natal facility, Guernica Chemi- mercury-laden waste from Guernica, and site remediation” which meant cals, once known as Thor Chemicals, which had applied for permission to they had permission to dispose of mer- when it was a British-owned mul- send, treat and recycle the mercury, cury contaminated waste; demolish tinational company that for several and probably have it resold. mercury containment facilities; re- decades, imported mercury waste Mercury (Hg) is still used in a range mediate the contaminated areas; and from global polluters to its facility of products such as thermometers, bring closure to the site. This included for safe-keeping and recycling. It has barometers, dental fillings, batter- three warehouses packed with bar- since been rebranded as Guernica ies and fluorescent lights; although rels of mercury waste and a leach pad, Chemicals – along with a second off- in many instances it is being phased which is best described as a plastic-

24 The case against A-Thermal

–THERMAL CLIENTS ARE AMONG back to court, because he died, aged the JSE’s blue chip compa- 64, in October 2014. A slideshow in Anies, alongside such names as his memory can be found on You- Sasol, Monsanto, BASF and Anglo- Tube although the audio track I Gold Ashanti. Did It My Way, by Frank Sinatra, It is a toxic waste disposal com- has since been removed because of pany that deals with local and im- a copyright complaint. ported poisonous waste. As Ther- The National Prosecuting Au- mopower, it was once linked to a thority (NPA’s) Gauteng communi- medical waste disposal tender in cations officer Hurbetin Louw said the Limpopo province featuring that, since the death of Eleftheri- the then leader of the ANCYL, ades, they’d been “unable to secure Julius Malema (nose158). the attendance of another person Thermopower director, Christos representing the company” so the Eleftheriades Snr, had nine charg- matter was provisionally with- es pinned on him by the NPA and drawn. “[We are] awaiting the ap- the Department of Environmental pointment of another director in Affairs in 2006. The allegations in- order to proceed with the case cluded keeping both untreated and against Thermopower,” said Louw. treated waste on site for a period The DEA, whose Green Scorpi- longer than the permitted 90 days; ons formulated the charges, are burying residue in one of the build- less optimistic: “None of the cur- ings on site; and storing waste in rent directors of A-Thermal were Forty tonnes of mercury contami- leaking containers that were not directors of Thermopower,” said nated waste (pictured) was destroyed properly labelled and sealed. spokesman Albie Modise. in a fire at A-Thermal on September Nearly a decade later and after Christos Eleftheriades Jnr said 13, 2013. The surrounding communi- multiple postponements, authori- they were “not in a position to com- ties have not been briefed on what ties will have to move heaven or ment on the DEA’s assessment of was destroyed in the fire hell to bring Eleftheriades Snr the trial proceedings”. n

The stock sat at a Gauteng site for 10 months, untouched, in what was known as the pharmaceutical ware- house, while A-Thermal constructed a facility to deal with the product. A-Thermal’s holding on to the un- treated stock for longer than 90 days was one of the charges its former direc- tor was facing in a criminal case that started in 2006. On Thursday 12 September 2013, A-Thermal experienced a huge fire. Four days later on September 16, A- Thermal sent a letter to its clients – including Guernica – calling the fire “unfortunate” and reassuring them The nearly decade-old criminal case against Christos Eleftheriades Snr, owner that “only one portion of our incoming of A-Thermal, has hit a dead end after Eleftheriades died last year stores has been affected by the fire”. Their documentation remained “fully intact”, they said, and they would be lined dam filled with mercury-contam- In November 2012, the first load of back in business “in a few days”. inated sludge. this waste left Guernica. It comprised They also sent an alert via the Olif- During this application, Guernica 10 tonnes of sludge including mercury antsfontein Business Forum that said revealed that “approximately 2,700 and bromide, as well as 30 tonnes of “A-Thermal will keep the community tonnes of mercury-containing waste spent mercury-contaminated catalyst, duly informed as more information be- comprising solid, sludge and liquid used in furnaces as a catalyst, which comes available.” wastes remain on the Guernica site”. had been impregnated with mercury. The National Department of Envi-

NOSEWEEK November 2015 25 ronmental Affairs (DEA’s) investiga- not be determined”, due to the extent tion into the fire didn’t make many of the damage caused. conclusive findings on how it had Bobby Peek, director of the environ- started. The investigation wrapped-up They said the fire mental lobby group GroundWork, said on 11 October 2013. shortly after the September 2013 inci- In communication with Noseweek dent: “With this fire, the evidence of the this month, the DEA said, “No envi- was accidental company’s toxic legacy has now gone ronmental contraventions were found” up in flames. It provides A-Thermal an against A-Thermal as a result of the escape from the authorities’ being able fire. – and chemical to hold them liable and accountable for The environmental authority said the contraventions they have been fac- the fire was “accidental”. In a written ing in court.” response to Noseweek, the DEA said reaction could According to the DEA, nearly two the “spontaneous ignition of incompat- years on, they still have little knowl- ible waste chemicals, due to an exo- edge of what was actually burned in thermic chemical reaction could not be the pharmaceutical warehouse. They excluded as the cause of the fire”. not be excluded are also not sure what the toxicity lev- Importantly, it said A-Thermal’s re- els were of the 40 tonnes of mercury- sponsibility for the “incorrect classi- contaminated waste. fication, packaging, storage, spillage, as the cause In a series of written responses to mixing and/or cross-contamination of Noseweek, the DEA could only confirm incompatible waste chemicals could that no more than “40 tonnes of a com- The missing mercury mystery

EPORTING THE THEFT OF 15 LITRES down the manufacturing and using found to be completely compliant.” of liquid mercury to environ- all resources of all staff to do the full Naicker shared the findings with mental authorities from the investigation with the relevant depart- Noseweek. Completed in April 2015 and notorious Cato Ridge waste site ments. As you are well aware, on every signed by the DEA’s deputy director for has left a former employee fac- single occasion nothing was found by emergency environmental incidents, ingR civil litigation against him by his the relevant departments.” Oarabile Magapa, the investigation one-time employer. Lott sent Louis an itemised bill made no findings on Guernica’s compli- Mercury’s density is about 13kg to including work-hours spent at the ance, and said the theft of the mercury every litre in its liquid state; the theft CCMA, man-hours of their employees, “falls outside the ambit of Emergency was equivalent to about 200kg. Its and over-time spent preparing for the Incident” but stipulated that Guerni- black-market value is approximately inspections. ca, “with the help of the SAPS”, must US$2,000/kg. Louis, who is still unemployed, has continue to investigate the 15 litres of Carlos Louis, who was retrenched not paid up, but admits that he did re- mercury”. Failing to do so could be an as the SHEQ officer at Metallica and port the theft after he was retrenched, “offence and you may be liable for pros- appointed Site Safety Officer for Guer- including to the DEA, on 25 March ecution”. nica (the two companies that succeeded 2015. Just how his former employer The SAPS confirmed that no such Thor Chemicals) in October 2014, was learnt that he was the whistleblower case was opened at the Inchanga Police sent a letter in July 2015 by the compa- remains a mystery to him. When he Station under which Guernica falls. ny’s Durban-based lawyer Cuan Lott of asked the DEA they denied, in writing, Naicker said “the theft of mercury” Warrick de Wet Attorneys demanding that it was them and said his complaint had been reported to the police but he pay R71,614.29 for costs incurred by had been “handled by officials from dif- because Guernica “refused to give our the business. ferent spheres of government”. source”, claiming the employee feared The letter said numerous “unfound- Guernica’s director Neville Naicker for their life, “the SAPS refused to open ed” reports had been made to govern- said in a letter to Noseweek that Louis, a docket”. Despite Louis’s name being ment departments “including but not a “disgruntled” ex-employee who’d been disclosed to Guernica he maintains his limited to the Department of Environ- retrenched “for operational require- reporting of the incident was the right mental Affairs, SAPS and the Bomb ments” had made the “unfounded re- thing to do legally and ethically. Squad”. ports” pertaining to the theft of mercury “We do not know where this stolen “As a result of the complaints and “to various government departments”. mercury has ended up. This is the con- investigations by various government Naicker said, “All investigations have cern I have. It is extremely hazardous departments our client has suffered been conducted and completed by those and dangerous to people and the envi- damages on each occasion in shutting government departments and we were ronment”

26 bination of… material” from Guernica ment of this waste”, the source said different. They also used a rotary kiln had been damaged in the fire. this shouldn’t be the case as documen- as Thor did. The right thing to do was “According to the information that tation was handed to A-Thermal “as to send this waste to an accredited was submitted to the Department the per Environmental Authorisation re- facility overseas to be stored, treated exact apportionment of sludge, rela- quirements outlining the quantity and and disposed of in such a manner that tive to the mercury, bromide and pel- quality of delivery”. it would not get into the environment. lets (spent catalyst) were not included GroundWork’s Rico Euripidou has “The Green Scorpions were at the in the report. The Department is there- been following the Thor/Guernica and time investigating Thermopower. The fore in the process of determining the Thermopower/A-Thermal case for sev- waste stayed at Thermopower because exact apportionment of this waste and eral years. GroundWork prompted the they didn’t have the means in place to will be in a better position to report Green Scorpions to raid A-Thermal deal with it and then there was a fire accurately as soon as this process has and it was GroundWork that was at and the waste was destroyed. All of been finalised.” the front in the fight against Thor this flies in the face of doing what was A source with knowledge of the mer- Chemicals as far back as 1989. the right thing to do.” cury load delivered to A-Thermal said “The right thing was not to take the Euripidou said they had supplied the 10 tonnes of mercury-contaminat- mercury to another site (A-Thermal) Guernica and environmental authori- ed sludge held at least four tonnes of which basically does what Thor used ties with alternatives for dealing with mercury, while the 30 tonnes of mer- to do. Thor was using heat and pres- the waste. cury-contaminated catalyst held 2% sure to boil the mercury, distil it out “It is a recurring theme that big mercury. of the waste and sell it on the interna- industry gets away with this type of And while the DEA has maintained tional market. crap. Ultimately the South African it doesn’t know the “exact apportion- “A-Thermal’s process is not much public will pay because mercury, once

He believes Guernica deliberately Reddy, a Metallica senior manager. for the theft, lost his pension of about didn’t report the matter to avoid “un- Naicker, unwilling to disclose 4M R70,000 as well as his final month’s necessary attention”. Chemical’s nature of business to salary. In a 5 September 2014 email, Louis Noseweek, said that Minolen Reddy “is Naicker said Singh’s signing “an ad- told Naicker, “It is my duty …to ensure employed as a consultant and there is mission of liability” was done on the the theft and sale of 15 litres of mer- no conflict”. “undertaking” that if he paid, he would cury… be reported to all governing au- Environmental group GroundWork’s not face “criminal sanctions”. thorities and [the] local council”. Rico Euripidou said environmental con- Singh has yet to make a single pay- Naicker replied that the matter would sultants are “guided by a code of impar- ment. be handled by the company lawyer. tiality of their profession”. While it seems Guernica may not Guernica’s external environmental “This cannot be guaranteed in this have reported the incident to the en- consultant, Minolen Reddy, owner of case of Guernica Chemicals and ERMS vironmental authorities or opened a ERMS Consulting Services, agreed Consulting Services which you de- criminal case as instructed by the DEA, with Naicker and confirmed Louis’s as- scribe. It is incredible how 15 litres of instead it was eager to recoup more sumption that there was no urgency to mercury can disappear and there is lit- than a quarter-of-a-million-rand losses report the theft to environmental au- tle consequence,” said Euripidou. from a labourer, in correspondence be- thorities. In an email to Naicker, Reddy GroundWork has been intrinsically tween Lott and Singh in October 2014, said, “We do not need the authorities involved with Thor Chemicals/Guer- Lott does impress on Singh to help snooping around trying to make a case nica since the late 1980s when two them find “the buyer”. that the waste is not secured”. workers died of mercury poisoning at “If you have any contact with the By this stage two workers had been the site. They have since lobbied for buyer that purchased the mercury from fired for the mercury theft. the contaminated waste to be sent to you please let me know immediately.” The independence of Reddy could be Switzerland where they believe it will Louis is now preparing to challenge questioned as he and Naicker are joint be treated and stored in the safest pos- his retrenchment in the Durban La- directors of a little-known firm called sible manner. bour Court for unfair dismissal. 4M Chemicals. In June this year, Nai- The man accused of the theft was He claims, including his willingness cker told Engineering News that 4M labourer Leon Singh. Singh told to report the mercury theft, he had be- Chemicals was an “emerging chemicals Noseweek he initially admitted to steal- come too outspoken against the man- company” which Metallica intends “as- ing the mercury, told his employer how ner in which the facility was run and sisting through technology, skills and he stole it, and that he sold it, although believes the site could experience an- financial means”. he never mentioned to whom. other major incident (See “History of Naicker said 4M Chemicals would While now recanting his story, Sin- Thor”) with disastrous results. be based in Johannesburg and act as gh’s wife, by his own admission, is a “I underwent a disciplinary as a re- an “agent to Metallica Chemicals” to Sangoma and mercury is a known com- sult of the mercury theft. Without ever strengthen its product base over a wid- mon remedy in traditional medicine. being briefed on the findings, six weeks er footprint and also into Africa. Singh even signed an admission of debt later, I was retrenched. This I believe is Another director in the firm is Poven saying he owed the company R272,000 unfair dismissal,” said Louis. n

NOSEWEEK November 2015 27 Metallica/Guernica Chemicals in Cato Ridge, Durban it is in the environment, stays in the the fire or what was destroyed. He said pect they didn’t have the capacity to environment. Mercury is inherently he had moved this year “for the safety destroy chemicals they were stockpil- toxic.” of my family’s health”. ing illegally and the fire was started Kgomotso Modiselle, a former Olifan- “It just seems like a cover-up. A- deliberately as a way of getting rid of tsfontein community leader, said they Thermal has the support of govern- them. I have no evidence to prove this had yet to be informed what caused ment so we could never win. We sus- but then we have never been given any evidence or reports, or even addressed, on the cause of the fire to disprove this theory,” said Modiselle. The history of Thor A-Thermal company director Chris- tos Eleftheriades Jnr, said they would HOR CHEMICALS, AT LEAST IN THE the curtain down on the company not discuss the “details of any product South African context, has a when Thor Chemicals became the treatment conducted on behalf of our Tspecial place in environmental subject of the Davis Commission of customers” due to “confidentiality”. history. In its prime, the company Inquiry. The commission complet- Regarding the fire, he said there personified an imperialist capitalist ed its report in the late 1990s and was no environmental degradation or company. The British-owned firm found that both the government health risks as a consequence of the relocated its operation to South Af- and Thor should carry the burden fire and “no evidence of mercury con- rica in the 1970s to escape tighter of the costs for the decontamination tamination”. UK health and safety regulations. of the Cato Ridge site. The commis- Eleftheriades Jnr said they had It took in extremely toxic waste sion pointed out that the govern- “complied with all legislative remedial from the USA and Europe, claim- ment had been aware of the prob- requirements governing a fire incident ing it would recycle the mercury, lem but failed to act. of this nature”, there was no such re- but the volumes it received soon In 2000, Thor changed its name quirement to disclose “apportionment” outstripped its ability to process the to Guernica Chemicals and spun of waste damage and that the com- waste. off its biocides, textile auxiliaries munity was informed of the findings Thor soon had over 5,000 tonnes and metallic organic soaps business of the fire investigation “through the of waste at its rural Cato Ridge site into a new enterprise called Metal- Olifantsfontein Business Forum”. outside Durban, with few to no con- lica. All the directors fingered in the Yet according to the consultant run- trols to protect the environment, inquiry have since resigned, accord- ning the business forum, Sol Botha, his nearby communities, or staff. The ing to the Companies and Intellec- responsibility was to inform only his mercury they did recycle was then tual Property Commission (CIPC) members – all 128 industrial members impregnated into reusable pellets leaving one Neville Naicker as a who operate in the area – and not the as a catalyst and used in furnaces sole director of both Guernica and surrounding residential communities. in a wide range of industries. In the Metallica. “I was sent a press release [from A- early 1990s two people died at the In March 2003, the deputy min- Thermal] that I forwarded on to all the Cato Ridge site due to mercury poi- ister of Environmental Affairs and members. If they were not a member soning. Tourism directed Thor management [of the forum] they weren’t informed The subsequent inquiry found the to take specific steps within a set [by the forum],” said Botha. plant was taking waste comprising period to “properly and safely” store In April 2014, a new batch of mer- 30-40% mercury. Most developed- the waste and clean up any and all cury waste was ready to be sent to A- world recycling plants refuse to ac- traces of mercury contamination in Thermal. It consisted of 15 tonnes of cept waste with a mercury content the surrounding community. bromide sludge and 10 tonnes of pel- of up to 3%. Guernica’s operations are finan- lets. This exercise is expected to con- Nelson Mandela finally brought ced by Metallica Chemicals. n tinue until Guernica is able to close down its operations. n

28 Ask for whom the e-tolls toll

Cormac Cullinan (right) with clients

Sanral chief faces ferce local opposition. By Ciaran Ryan

AZIR ALLI, OUTGOING CEO OF toll the N1 and N2 in the Winelands. court hearing and air their concerns SA National Roads Agency But Alli was not yet done. A week over the proposed toll route. Ltd (Sanral) must be looking later his legal team was in the North “Get away John Clarke. You are forward to retirement. He’s a Gauteng High Court to clear the boul- a fucking beneficiary of apartheid,” divisive and increasingly de- ders blocking Sanral’s next grand snarled Alli, beneficiary of R4,032- Ntested man. Nobody, it seems, wants his scheme: tolls on the N2 Wild Coast million in pay and benefits during the e-tolls, which have the tell-tale signs of Highway, covering 560km linking last financial year. Though apparently a solution in search of a problem. Durban with East London. Sanral was still suffering the emotional and finan- He tried to bully and threaten the contesting the right of Cape Town law cial strains of apartheid, he neverthe- residents of Gauteng into paying for firm Cullinan & Associates to repre- less was looking amply fed and impec- his ill-conceived e-tolls boondoggle, sent various communities who had cably coiffed. yet only one-in-four complied, leaving challenged the environmental author- Alli had previously threatened to a R2.8-billion revenue shortfall in the isation for the planned toll route. sue Clarke for his very public refusal last financial year alone. On this basis Social worker and journalist John to pay e-tolls. e-tolling is doomed. It has already Clarke approached Alli during the “This will never happen because he failed in countries with much higher Pretoria court proceedings. “Nazir, can knows I would like nothing more than compliance rates, such as Portugal, I introduce my clients to you?” Stand- to haul him into the witness box and where 80% of motorists pay their tolls. ing alongside Clarke were two elders subject him to some real cross-exam- The Western Cape High Court in of the Pondoland community, who had ination,” says Clarke, who doubles as late September threw out Alli’s plan to travelled to Pretoria to attend the occasional spokesperson for the Oppo-

NOSEWEEK November 2015 29 sition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa). struction companies, and the Compe- This was Sanral’s second court case tition Tribunal gave Sanral approval in as many weeks. Wayne Duvenage, to hunt down the perpetrators, but CEO of Outa, says one of the most “At the very least it seems the roads agency has more damning findings of the Western Cape pressing concerns. (See “Big boys for- High Court ruling was the discovery ever”, nose167 and Letters, nose168.) by the City of Cape Town that Sanral this points to a The Western Cape High Court judg- had no documented record of a deci- ment reads: “It would be extraordinary sion to declare the roads tollable. In for there to be no minute of an impor- the absence of any minutes of such a serious lapse of tant decision involving a multi-billion- decision, Sanral embarked on what rand project. It would be more extraor- the court deemed a “round robin reso- dinary still, in the curious event that lution” whereby directors in April and governance, if not such a decision had not been minuted, May of 2014 had hastily resolved to de- that none of the directors would have clare the roads tollable in terms of the worse,” says Outa’s detected the omission when the min- Sanral Act. Having checked this box, utes of the meeting at which the de- the directors authorised Alli to publish cision was taken were considered for a notice to this effect in the Govern- Wayne Duvenage confirmation and adoption at the next ment Gazette. meeting. The improbability inherent The Western Cape High Court judg- in the absence of any minute that a de- ment torpedoed the entire Winelands tion process, where Sanral took out cision was taken is further compound- e-toll plan in what stands as a damn- single advertisements in half a dozen ed by the absence of any other docu- ing indictment of Sanral and its CEO. newspapers inviting public comment mentation that might in the ordinary If it were a private company, Alli and within 30 days. course have been expected to attend the board would be fired for negligence. “Sanral sacrificed proper compliance such decisions…” One can only guess how much money with the law in favour of getting ahead Further on, the judgment reads: has been spent on economic and envi- with the project at all costs,” said Outa. “These features… irresistibly compel ronmental studies for the project. The projected costs of the Cape toll the conclusion that no decisions, as The City of Cape Town argued that scheme escalated from R1,6bn in 2000 required by [the Act], were taken by the public consultation process re- to R45bn in 2010, excluding VAT. This the Board. Mr Alli’s bald assertion to quired under the Sanral Act was a compares with the Gauteng toll pro- the contrary is insufficient to displace sham, and that material information ject, which was costed at R6,4bn in their inexorable effect. He has failed underpinning Sanral’s plans had not 2006 but ended up costing R20bn five even to attempt to explain how there been forthcoming. This was reminis- years later. These costs were inflated could be such a complete absence of cent of the Gauteng public consulta- by collusion among participating con- a document trail if the decisions had been made. He has not even been able to reconstruct from the Board’s calen- dar when the alleged decisions would Objections to the Wild Coast toll route have been made. Sanral has not been able to put up the evidence of a single NE OF THE MAIN PURPOSES OF THE “We know that there will be relo- director as to the occasions upon which proposed N2 toll road along the cation of homesteads, graves, forest and the circumstances in which the al- Opristine Wild Coast is to provide plantations, grazing lands and culti- leged decisions were made, or as to the a serviceable highway for the mining vation lands. There has been no dis- content of any discussions that must of titanium sands in the area. Aus- cussion on these and how people will have preceded them.” tralian mining company MRC and its be compensated for these losses. Our “At the very least this points to a se- South African subsidiary TEM have traditional leaders have no idea about rious lapse of governance, if not worse,” applied for a licence to mine one of which homesteads and the number of says Outa’s Wayne Duvenage. the richest deposits of beach sands in homesteads that are to be relocated. Fast forward one week to the High the world. There has not been any identification Court in Pretoria, where Sanral was There is strong opposition to the of which villagers are to be moved by seeking an order to prevent Cullinan planned mining venture on the this road. & Associates from representing tra- grounds that it will generate dust pol- “Sanral meetings were held in ditional communities in opposing the lution, adversely affecting the health schools around the Wild Coast Sun proposed Wild Coast toll road. Cormac of residents and livestock, and con- resort, not at any tribal or traditional Cullinan, the attorney representing taminating water. authority. They were held without in- various affected communities, argued Community leaders argue that the viting tribal or traditional leaders,” that this was a transparent attempt to proposed road is being built in a pop- according to Xolani Ntuli, secretary of stifle criticism of the tolling plan and ulated area, and Sanral has not ad- the Mgungundlovu Tribal Authority. deny traditional communities access equately consulted the residents. (See noses94,97&158.) n to the courts. The Centre for Law and Society

30 YOUR BANK BEING (CLS) at the University of Cape Town Mbuthuma said it was the “strang- NASTY WITH YOU? asked to be admitted as a friend of the est meeting I have ever attended in court so that it could present evidence on my life as a community activist. We CASH-FLOW DIFFICULTIES? customary law and practice. had heard about the planned meet- The CLS says it has detected an ing and four of us arrived at the We’ve got the rod to prod AND alarming increase in intra-community venue to find signboards indicating push them back!! violence in former homeland areas “be- where the ‘Sanral public meeting’ cause the ability of community members was taking place. However there was Call Johan at 082-669-0623 or drop to exercise their legal rights to oppose some confusion because the security him a line at [email protected] development projects was being frus- officer told us it was by invitation trated, in part because of the claim that only. However we managed to negoti- JOHAN VICTOR ATTORNEYS only statutorily recognised traditional ate that one of us be allowed into the CAPE TOWN leaders can legitimately represent tradi- meeting.” tional communities”. The competing claims for primacy One of the chiefs in the area, Lunga in the Mpondo royal family presents Baleni, repudiated his earlier opposition an ideal opportunity for Sanral to to the tolling scheme and provided an af- choose its preferred partners. fidavit in support of Sanral. But some of “Given this context, one can under- the others who supposedly provided affi- stand why Mr Alli’s deceitful and ma- davits for Sanral, claim that their signa- nipulative re-entry into the Mpondo tures were forged. Several affidavits had development controversies is dan- not been witnessed by a commissioner of gerous. It is divisive, foolish and de- oaths. stroys whatever credibility he may For any judge, this was going to be a still have had after Sanral’s disas- messy potage to sort through. In the end trous handling of the Gauteng e-tolls Judge Francis Legodi dismissed CLS’s and Western Cape Lwandle evictions. application to be admitted as a friend Having already left the respective of the court and postponed the matter ministers with headaches over the to allow Cullinan & Associates to apply Lwandle and e-tolls disasters, he has separately to the court for an order de- now left his one-time ally Pravin Gor- claring that it had exhausted all internal dhan, (the new Minister of Coopera- remedies with Sanral. tive Governance and Traditional Af- This, however, would not prevent one fairs) with a migraine. of the community leaders, Sinegugu “Surely the time has come for Mr Zukulu, from applying for the review of Alli to be summarily dismissed be- the environmental authorisation for the fore he does more damage,” says Wild Coast Toll Road. Clarke. n Sanral’s famed lack of broad public consultation appears to be happening again on the Wild Coast. Clarke says Alli met with the defeated claimant to the Mpondo kingship, Zanuzuko Tyelovuyo Sigcau, and a group of local business and community leaders at the Wild Coast Sun on Friday 13 June. “However the Amadiba Crisis Com- mittee, who have been opposing gov- ernment plans to mine the coastal dunes for titanium and re-route the N2 along the Wild Coast, managed to gain access to the meeting when their spokesperson Nonhle Mbuthuma was allowed in, unsuspectingly, to repre- sent the interests of the youth”. Despite a Constitutional Court rul- ing in June last year that set aside his claim to kingship, Alli addressed Zanuzuko Tyelovuyo Sigcau as “your majesty” and praised his lead- ership in opening the way for the “de- velopment of the Wild Coast through mining and tourism projects”.

NOSEWEEK November 2015 31 Books LEN ASHTON

Brought to book. Season’s readings

HRISTMAS LOOMS – TIME TO BE DROPPING phoniness – it’s civilisation.” heavy hints to nearests and dearests As we know, civilisation, by any criterion, re desirable books. Given the price of is not triumphing around the globe just now. a decent read these days, shameless Consider the seemingly eternal political begging, importuning and perhaps enigma of Afghanistan, as experienced by violenceC may be required to obtain the doughty Christina Lamb of the British Sunday desired tomes. Times Farewell Kabul (HarperCollins). For 27 Of course, the greed factor is exacerbat- years she has immersed herself in the fasci- ed mightily by the rich variety of seasonal nating and frightening land whose present new offerings in the bookstores, or en route state represents monumental error on the thereto. Accordingly, kind donors need to part of the West. With her unparalleled access be informed subtly, or bludgeoned, if neces- to the big beasts involved, she has written a sary, into giving the right book to the right 600-page epic on the longest war fought by recipient. the US in its history, and by Britain since the There are few more melancholy moments Hundred Years War. than the realisation that a costly and hand- State of play: appalling poverty, the Taliban some work on, say, bee-keeping in Pago Pago, undefeated, and nuclear-armed neighbour is your lot, when you yearn to possess Mud Pakistan perhaps the most dangerous place Wrestling Annual or Decline and Fall of the on earth. Roman Empire. All of which, by contrast, makes R.W. John- The extraordinary tide of English-language son’s South African prophecies seem positive- publishing, despite economic restraints, ly encouraging. swirls on and the range continues mind bog- Think local; think positive – it’s Christ- gling. Read on for some random choices from mastime after all. Finuala Dowling’s latest the maelstrom: novel The Fetch (Kwela Books) receives warm Are you living in hopes of fun and games in critical appraisal. Capetonians tend to view the Deon Meyer detective mould? Or would her as a poetical priestess of the dark side you prefer the urbane lucidity of R.W. John- son revisiting his dark How Long Will South Af- rica Survive? (Hurst). Erudite Johnson calmly confirms the prognostications of his much-re- viled original 1977 version of the book, which enraged the bien pensants who refused to countenance the possibility of failure under the ANC. Deon Meyer’s Icarus (Hodder & Stoughton) resumes the adventures of the all-too-human lawman Bennie Griessel and his picaresque police colleagues in their battle with the devi- ous villains of the Western Cape. Good fun. Weary of South African navel-gazing? It seems much-lauded Jonathan Franzen’s new novel Purity (4th Estate) offers an opportunity to peer at latter-day social peccadilloes in the United States. This is a Big Book, and ap- pears to satisfy American critics as an obser- vant satire on family life and cultural politics. Franzen notes that digital campaigners have a “savage naivete, like the kids who think adults are hypocrites for filtering what comes out of their mouths… Filtering isn’t

32 After a meeting with General Gordon of Khartoum in South Africa in 1881, Cecil John Rhodes set up a secret society, with the aim of establishing a new world order. It became Rhodes’s lifelong obsession, and it lived on after his death.

Ranging from the diamond mines of Kimberley to the halls of power in Westminster, and peopled with characters such as Olive Schreiner, the Princess Radziwill, Kaiser Wilhelm and David Lloyd George, this book will make you see the world in a different light.

‘In this book … Rhodes himself appears as a much quirkier and more contradictory f gure than either his admirers or his detractors have allowed … A fascinating story and a stimulating argument which raises important questions, not only about the past two centuries but about the present time.’ – JEREMY CATTO, FORMER RHODES FELLOW AND TUTOR IN MODERN HISTORY, ORIEL COLLEGE, OXFORD

www.penguinbooks.co.za

NOSEWEEK November 2015 33

noseweek advert full page SEPT2015.indd 1 2015/10/09 10:47 AM of the mountain (eg Kalk Bay and environs), where bohemians engage in mysterious cul- tural rites. Cover notes tend to confirm this suspicion, referencing eccentrics in seaside community. Reassuringly, one reviewer says: “Dowling is the master of tragi-comedy.” Like Johnson? Ordinary blokes have their secrets too. The Faithful Couple, by A.D. Miller (Little, Brown) is a deceptively simple tale of a friendship that is tested over the years by individual character development. Miller (author of Booker Prize shortlisted Snowdrops) is amus- ingly accurate in depiction of the essentially competitive male species, who nevertheless need a few mates to share life’s bafflements. Confusingly, the twee cover exudes Barbara Cartland coyness. But, given world enough and time, plus rich friends, my personal choice at this time of gen- erosity would be a majestic new audio book: the first volume is titled The Diary of Samuel Pepys, 1660-1669, read unabridged (vivid rude bits included) by Leighton Pugh (Naxos Audio Books). Volume 1 is available at 100 pounds Samuel Pepys sterling and apparently cheap at the price. That’s 42 hours’ worth. Volumes II, III and include Nabokov’s distaste for American IV consist in similarly extravagant statistics. icons including Faulkner and Hemingway. Oh, and the entire extravaganza is available Salinger was deemed worthy of praise. Roper from naxosdirect.co.uk and amazon.co.uk and demonstrates that The Catcher in the Rye and downloads from naxosaudiobooks.com. Lolita are “vaguely aware of each other”. Another possible winner could be Clive James’s Latest Readings (Yale), which is de- scribed as a kind of reading diary. James has been dying for some time of leukaemia and emphysemia, but his insights and humour re- main. Not your average holiday read, but he is always an engaging and honest writer. Let’s get out into the fresh air for a bit: Penguin Random House has produced South Africa’s Rugby Legends: The Amateur Years by Chris Schoeman and South Africa’s Greatest Batsmen (past and present) by Ali Bacher and David Williams. Perhaps we should pass the hat round to buy a little something encouraging for our Minister of Education: An Intelligent Person’s Guide to Education (Bloomsbury) by Tony Little (ex Eton headmaster) might be suitable. Lit- tle captures the magic of a successful school and seeks to offer hope and inspiration to peo- ple elsewhere who are battling lethargy and low standards. Well, it may sound daunting, but sharing It appears that Cecil John Rhodes had his Pepys’s lust for life for a year or two would very own secret society, and all will be re- surely be worth it, even if the British pound vealed in (surprise!) The Secret Society: Cecil continues rocketing to dizzying heights. John Rhodes’s Plan for a New World Order by Another mind worth revisiting is that of the Robin Brown. wondrous Vladimir Nabokov. Robert Roper Similarly, SA-born tech tycoon Elon Musk has written Nabokov in America: On the Road to is today shaping the future in America. Read Lolita (Bloomsbury). Anecdotes and insights all about him in Elon Musk (Virgin Books). n

34 Down and Out ANNE SUSSKIND

Sharks. In and out of politics

N AUSTRALIA, FELINE AIDS AFFECTS species. Known to grow as long as 8 must be in a “dark place”, will focus on 14-29% of cats tested, and one-in- metres, it can accelerate to speeds of economic management and provide a six outdoor cats is estimated to be 56km/hour, reaches maturity at 30 and “new style of leadership that respects infected with the Feline Immuno- can live to be 70. Its only predator is the the people’s intelligence” instead of slo- deficiency Virus. There are moves killer whale. Great whites have recep- ganeering. afootI to confine domestic cats indoors, tor pores under their noses sensitive to His first crisis was the shooting where they won’t be such a threat to tiny electric fields surrounding all mov- last week of a police accountant by a native birds and wildlife. Australia’s ing creatures and they can detect blood 15-year-old Iraqi Kurdish teenager, first threatened species commissioner, in water from up to 5km away. outside police headquarters in Par- Gregory Andrews, would like all cat Next, politicians: As you will have ramatta in Sydney’s west. The chair- owners to keep their cats contained 24 read, one of Australia’s richest men, man of a Kurdish mosque, Neil El- hours a day. “It’s a journey that Aus- Malcolm Bligh Turnbull, has “rolled” Kadomi, told worshippers that if they tralia has to go on,” he says. Tony Abbott to become the new Austral- “don’t like Australia, leave”. “We do not Containment measures in the Aus- ian Prime Minister – the fifth change need scumbags in the community. We tralian Capital Territory already re- in as many years (although Kevin have to lift our heads up as Austral- quire cats in some suburbs to be kept Rudd held the office twice). Turnbull, ians,” he told media afterwards. While indoors; if outside, they must be on a a former barrister and banker worth pleading for mutual respect, Turnbull leash or in an enclosure. Passed along A$100million, is considered socially said the attack was a “shocking re- mainly in catfights, FIV is not trans- progressive in his centre-right Liberal minder of the consequences of radicali- missible to humans and uninfected party, and is in favour of gay marriage sation”. cats can be vaccinated. (Australia is to hold a very expensive One in five children won’t talk about Now to sharks: With the number referendum on the issue) and he differs problems, a “happiness” survey of of shark attacks rising from three, to with his predecessor’s climate-change 20,000 Australian children has found. 13 in New South Wales this year, and scepticism. “They sort of feel dismissed at home by more sightings than ever before – pos- He is also an ardent republican (Aus- parents – especially boys who tend to sibly because of warmer ocean temper- tralia held a referendum in 1999 and be told to ‘man up’ and that they’re not atures and great whites coming closer decided to keep the queen). His ascen- supposed to worry about things,” said to shore because their territory is be- sion is a blow for the Labor Party, since one of the researchers. The ABC survey ing fished out – the NSW government he is a more popular, charismatic and found that two-thirds of children had convened a shark summit of 70 experts credible leader than Abbott, and will be experienced bullying, 39% for a year in Sydney to discuss new technologies, harder to beat at the election next year or more, although that might be inac- among which were real-time tracking than the foot-in-mouth Abbott. curate labelling because the word had of sharks using a smartphone app, bi- In 2009, Turnbull led the Liberal such currency, and what they are actu- onic barriers and an underwater rub- Party when in opposition, and was ally talking about is conflict. The good berised fence. then rolled by Abbott. Turnbull, who news is that 64% of children said they “Dedicated Land-based Observa- now says he is sorry for Abbott, who were happy most of the time. n tion – used effectively in South Africa with people standing on high-points spotting sharks” was also discussed. Drones and other aerial methods. Hot air balloons, gyros and blimps hold out the most promise, experts say. There were doubts that per- sonal repellents, such as a spray of a natural chemical found in putrefied shark tissue would de- ter a shark in attack mode. Since 1900, Australia has had 277 fatal shark attacks; the US, 161; and South Africa, 104. Misunderstood: a great white shark The great white is a protected

NOSEWEEK November 2015 35 Letter from Umjindi BHEKI MASHILE

Knock knock. Who’s there?

HE WORLD RIGHT NOW IS A broadcast of the Daveyton funer- mess, from the refugee exo- als of some of these “better-off- dus into northern Europe, dead” kids, one can tell that they to the threat of the Ameri- came from loving homes. Yet, cans and the Russians go- how many other South Africans, ingT head-to-head over the Syrian especially black, were brought problem. Yes, it’s a mess, so much up by Gogo and did not become so that a Muslim friend recently part of a marauding teenage remarked, “All these events could group of heartless thieves, rob- be a sign that Jesus is coming”. A bers, rapists and murderers? Muslim believes Jesus is coming? Like the Daveyton residents, [Yup, it says so in the Quran. – blacks in townships are now Ed.] living in fear of these so-called Of course South Africa has its kids. But is it just township resi- share of trials and tribulations: dents? Heck no, this writer lives Hitachi, ANC, Eskom, alleged on a farm, and nowadays at the scandal revelations; marches weekends when I am without against corruption – albeit with Unexpected visitors staff, I venture outside, or to in- unexpected toyi-toying – which spect the farm, with serious cau- is why this scribe looked at the tion. news footage of the protestors and ga Gang members – punishment that One Sunday not too long ago I was said, Yeah right, I have a better chance cannot even be described as a slap on making breakfast when I heard voices of breaking bread with Jesus than do the wrist. outside and my first reaction was, Oh these protests of making any real dif- Why were they let off so lightly? shit! Who the hell is that? ference. Supposedly because some were first- I peeked out the kitchen window and But for me, the most worrying cur- time offenders. These barbarians as- saw an old white gentleman with what rent issue is that of the youth gangs saulted a score of residents, leaving appeared to be his wife. My reaction at that have virtually taken over Mzansi’s them scarred for life. The miscreants seeing them was, Oh thank God! It’s townships, resulting in unprecedented are said to range in age from 14 to 18, some old white guy! mob justice, just as in Daveyton and so they are kids. When I was that age I step out and have a lovely chat subsequently in other townships. kids’ crimes were limited to the odd with them and their family. They once Their modus operandi is to move like shop-lifting incident or stealing a bi- lived on the farm and were visiting a pack of dogs, armed with anything cycle etc. And when we wanted money Barberton from Pretoria and wanted from hand guns to pangas, as hap- we played spinning, while our elders to see what the old homestead looked pened here in Barberton with a group played dice. like now. dubbed the Panga Gang. And they are Please, for those of you in Mzansi “Thank God it’s some old white vicious, whether carrying out a home who like to attribute the behaviour of guy”? Go figure. This is what these invasion or a street mugging, though these so-called kids to some psycholog- miscreants have done to my psyche. you can hardly call their brutal as- ical problem and – as usual – point to In a society where we once feared the saults muggings – more likely murder apartheid, I say, spare me the bullshit. presence of a white man at our fam- than mugging. Early last month dur- If this menace can be attributed to ily homesteads, I now rejoice at their ing a gang house-invasion in Barber- anything, it is first and foremost inef- visit. What happened? ton they are said to have shot a man fective if not non-existent policing. The That morning I happened to be in a wheelchair. Those who call this new crop of our “Keystone Cops” won’t wearing a Noseweek T-shirt and the “taking the law into your own hands”, even stop and search these so-called old man said, I like your T-shirt. I said, I would ask, what law? If only the law kids when they see them in their So I take it you are a Noseweek fan? – in this case the police – and the ju- packs – and carrying open bottles of He said, I love the magazine – and diciary would deal with this menace to beer, for crying out loud. I happen to know Martin Welz, the society with an iron fist, we would not Second, it is nothing more than editor. have mob justice. booze, drugs and material possessions Do you ever read the column by that Barberton residents were outraged that motivate these packs of mis- Bheki Mashile? I asked. To which he not too long ago when our magistrate’s creants – and certainly not poverty. responded, It’s the first thing I read court gave a derisory sentence to Pan- Seeing the gogos crying on the news and I love it. Take note, Ed! n

36 Last Word HAROLD STRACHAN

Knock knock. Who’s there? Thorny. Weird old days

ALWAYS ENVIED GERALD SIMPSON HIS ing with weaponry, armoured cars and tain black people of liberal thought school lunch. But everybody knew field guns and the like, but busting out and formed a brand new Liberal Party, such a wad of brown bread with country-wide because the Depression and this didn’t so much scare the shit dripping to be Poor Whites’ food, would soon be over now. Nothing like out of the white government but irri- so I didn’t let on that I envied it. a bloody good war for capitalist good tate them beyond measure. I think the MyI lunch was thin slices of white bread health. Indeed, so good was this health metaphor is A Thorn in the Flesh. A with Sandwich Spread because my ma that a whole lot of black folks were Schmerz im Tochis. was able to keep our heads above wa- starting to clamour for some of it. Of Yet curiously these new liberals ter by teaching the piano to rich kids course during the war any white man didn’t seem to notice that the above- who went to paying schools. Our school worth his salt would be off to the army, mentioned goodies, you know, health, in Pretoria was free. It was of fine old but black ones couldn’t go because that housing, education, cheap transport orange bricks from the Transvaal Re- would teach them et cetera, these were socialist things, public days, known as the Gymnasium, how to use guns, so all they knew was they wanted such but it was now for English-speaking some found them- goodies for black citizens too. But then kids, white. Over the way was a stark selves doing pretty another party appeared which seemed modern building for Afrikaans-speak- sophisticated in- whitish in its composition though they ing kids, many many of them Poor dustrial work and too wanted black people out from un- Whites, lingering left-overs from die sure as hell der; they were progressive all right Engelse Oorlog, yet but we had only and called themselves the Progressive a few. Weird old days, these. 1930. De- Party, but they knew socialism when pression days. they saw it and they weren’t After a bit Gerald Simpson just having any of that, thanks. didn’t appear at school, and it be- They were liberals too, I came known that he had no shoes suppose, only economic lib- and felt ashamed. The staff passed erals, where the Liberal the hat around and bought him a Party were social liberals. pair, also socks, so that was okay and Where the Liberal Party the dripping sandwiches reappeared wanted freedom for peo- and one day I did a swop because Ger- ple, the Progressive ald had been made a fuss of and eve- Party wanted free- rybody was supposed to like him. But dom for money, capital he was very skinny and ended up in should move where it the Pretoria General Hospital to get would in the world with- fattened up a bit and I went to visit out hindrance from any him there with a bunch of grapes. The racist government. hospital also was free. One expected So then, never mind all it to be free, healthy people were good weren’t going to go back to being a these subtleties, the government got for the country, you see, because they subject race again. the hell in and in 1968 passed a law worked much better, also they should Also of course they’d got rebellious which required all political parties be properly educated so they could which really startled genteel white to declare themselves either white or make the country rich with intelligent folks who believed everybody should black. The Liberal Party scorned this work, and they’d make the country have his place in society, but they and disbanded. The Progs opted for even richer if they were happy at their hated violence. A new word was heard white, and that’s why to this day re- work too, so they should have also a and it was Proletariat. Albert Luthu- gardless of various name changes and nice home somewhere. With a garden li’s ANC suddenly started getting pro- alliances they’re known to the black perhaps. But those thoughts were le, see, and I tell you this really scared populace as a white peoples’ party. from the dreamy past. the shit out of white people except a Oh ja. When Gerald Simpson came Looking forward from the age of six, few who wanted to join something and home he was very shaky and arrived 25 years would seem an eternity, man, play a part in the change. But the ANC at school on a donkey, which made but it was a snap of the finger and was for African people, and they hated him instantly famous. He tied it to a thumb, and in that snap we had an- Josef Stalin so they didn’t go to the gum tree in a patch of long grass and other world war and in South Africa, a Communist Party, which was banned fetched a fire-bucket of water, and somewhat industrial revolution, start- anyway. So they got together with cer- after school I even scored a ride. n

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