SPRINGBOK CYBER NEWSLETTER
September 2014 edition
The world is probably currently facing the greatest danger of global military conflict since the end of WWII. There are two areas of confrontation which could quickly escalate into wider conflicts involving all Western powers. The first is the civil war in the Ukraine, and the second is of course the ongoing power-struggle in the tinderbox of the Middle East. These two conflicts need to be handled in very different ways however.
As far as the Ukraine is concerned, it should always be borne in mind that apart from a brief period as a Nazi-puppet state the Ukraine had never been an independent country prior to the break-up of the Soviet Union. It was part of the Tsar’s “All the Russias”, and indeed Kiev was once capital of Russia itself. Ethnically, linguistically and religiously the Slavic Ukrainians are the same people as the Slavic Russians, so all logic therefore confirms that they should form one nation-state, together with their other identical neighbouring state of Belarus.
It should also be remembered that Russia is currently facing exactly the same enemies as the great nation-states of Western Europe are facing, namely expansionist fundamental Islam and interference from the German-dominated EU. The break-up of the other nations of Europe has for long been part of the German-EU plan, firstly in the east as happened in not only Russia but also in Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia, but now increasingly in the West, as current most worrying attempts to separate Scotland from the centuries-old United Kingdom illustrates. Russia is therefore our friend, and if re-unification with the Ukraine can come about then it is going to make it far more difficult for the German-EU to succeed in their plans to carve-up the great nation-states of Western Europe such as Britain and Belgium etc.. Western governments should therefore support the so-called “rebels” in the Ukraine who wish to be re-united with mother Russia, and not the fascist-influenced Kiev Government.
The fault for the current dangerous situation in the Middle East can probably be traced back to the aftermath of the First Gulf War in 1991, when after liberating Kuwait the West simply withdrew, rather than continuing the military offensive to Baghdad in order to remove the tyrant Saddam Hussein and his detestable Ba’athist regime. If this had been done then there would not have been any subsequent suppression of the Shi’ite Iraqis and Kurds, so that internal conflict in the post-Saddam Hussein Iraq would probably never have taken place; there would have been no 9/11, and in all probability no 7/7, Bali or Madrid terrorist atrocities either; there would have been no necessity for a Second Gulf War, and ISIS/ISIL would thereby not have been given the breeding-ground to emerge. There is no point in going back over history however. All we should be concerned about is the future.
We laid out our opinions about the current crisis in Syria and Iraq in the June edition of the SCN, and see no reason to change these opinions now. In a nutshell, the West should encourage a rapprochement between the Assad Government and the Syrian National Council, and then to intervene with them, the Kurdish Peshmerga and whatever form of new Iraqi government emerges in order to crush ISIS/ISIL ruthlessly – just as ruthlessly as the Israelis have attacked ISIS/ISIL’s fellow-Islamic terrorists Hamas in Gaza. After that, however, the West must not make the same mistake as was made in the early 1990s and the early 2010s and to withdraw their forces far too early – indeed we would advocate that a Western presence should be maintained in this most volatile region for all time.
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SPRINGBOK CLUB NEWS
The Springbok Club staged a trip to the National Portrait Gallery in London last month, where those attending were able to view a special exhibition of pictures of personalities connected to World War One, a well as viewing pictures of leading figures from the Anglo-Boer War and the Imperial era in general. After concluding the visit to the National Portrait Gallery the Springbok Club party adjourned to the near-by Salisbury pub (named after the 3rd Marquis of Salisbury, after whom Salisbury, the capital of Rhodesia, was named), for a convivial ending to the day.
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The Springbok Club has been most honoured to be invited to participate in this year's "Raising of the Flag" ceremony in Norfolk. This annual event has been staged for over 30 years in order to mark the anniversary of the founding of Rhodesia in September 1890, and consists of speeches about Rhodesia, a short religious ceremony, music from a brass band, and an actual re-enactment of the raising of the Union Flag at Salisbury in 1890, which will be followed by the singing of the Rhodesian National Anthem and the firing of a 21-gun salute. After the ceremony tea and light refreshments will be served.
The official invitation to this event reads as follows :-
“This year‘s ‘Raising of the Flag’ Memorial Gathering, celebrating the day that Southern Rhodesia, ‘The Jewel of the Crown’, was founded, will be held on Sunday the 14th September at 2.30 pm [14.30 hs] at Southrepps Hall, Norfolk, NR11 8TG.”
Southrepps Hall is situated just outside the village of Southrepps, to the east of the A149 halfway between North Walsham and Cromer. The nearest railway station is Gunton, which is only a short taxi-journey away.
We hope that as many members and supporters of the Springbok Club as possible will be able to attend this most uplifting event, especially all those living in East Anglia. Although not essential, it would be most helpful for those organising this ceremony if all those wishing to attend could e-mail us in advance to confirm their intentions.
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In October the Springbok Club will be staging a meeting which will be addressed by a leading member of the organization who has recently returned from a professional contract in the “new” South Africa, who will tell something about the true conditions currently prevailing there. More precise details will be given in next month’s SCN.
In November the Springbok Club plans to stage its annual UDI Day celebration buffet, at which there will be a guest speaker with strong Rhodesian connections.
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The Kent Branch of the Springbok Club will be organising a pub-gathering in Canterbury, and a trip to see some of the historical sites of the Medway Towns towards the end of the year. Fuller details will be given in future editions of the SCN.
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SWINTON CIRCLE NEWS
Unfortunately, due to a misunderstanding about the dates when the anticipated guest speaker was next planning to be in the UK, and as it alas proved impossible to obtain a replacement guest speaker at such short notice, the Swinton Circle’s planned August meeting had to be cancelled at the last minute. The guest speaker in question (a former Conservative MP) will still be addressing a Swinton Circle however, probably in December.
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The Swinton Circle will be giving its full support to New Britain’s big “Keep the United Kingdom United” rally in London later this month, the full details of which are given in the New Britain News section below.
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In October the Swinton Circle will be holding its 2014 AGM, after which an interesting guest speaker will give a short keynote talk, and in November the Swinton Circle will welcome a sitting MP as guest speaker.
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Membership fees and donations to the Swinton Circle can be made via PayPal on the organisation’s web-site home page at www.swintoncircle.co.uk - simply 'click' on the line "PayPal = the safer, easier way to pay online" at the bottom of the home page; if the error message "This content cannot be displayed in a Frame" appears then simply 'click' on the line "Open this Content in a New Window".
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NEW BRITAIN NEWS
Details regarding New Britain’s long-awaited “Keep the United Kingdom United” rally have now been finalized, and are as follows :-
Date : Saturday 13th September 2014
Assembly point : Paternoster Square, next to St.Paul’s Cathedral
Assembly time : Between 11.30 hrs and 12.00 noon
At approximately 12.00 hrs the procession will march off through the streets of the City of London to St.Sepulchre’s Church where the rally will take place, which will feature bagpipes, Scottish dancers and speeches by two prominent supporters of the Better Together campaign.
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LATEST MESSAGE FROM THE SANWILD WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
We have recently received the following message from the SanWild Wildlife Sanctuary :-
“Dear SanWild friends and donors,
“All is well at SanWild as a year reaches its halfway mark. On our side we are working very hard to continue to help as many wild animals in need as we possibly can. The challenges remain huge and our story continues to play out as a David versus Goliath situation. Facing overwhelming odds stacked not only against us but also against the wild animals we care for so deeply. Odds brought on by a modern world where mankind so easily choose to forget the many challenges and dangers that face wild animals across the planet.
“We however do stand proud of what we have achieved with your help and ongoing support. You more than anyone know that each and every animal at SanWild has a story to tell. A story of danger, abuse, and an eventual rescue and safety, and for the role you played in this we will be forever in your debt!
“We have come to know that when it really gets difficult for us to continue to provide the ongoing love and support our rescued animals need we can come to you and you will help us. Please note that we do not abuse the support and love you have given to us over the years and if and when we ask for financial support we are really in desperate need of this help. As no sponsorship has yet been secured for our large predators in particular we need once again now to ask for your financial help.”
To contact SanWild in this regard please visit their web-site at : www.sanwild.org
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SOUTH AFRICAN RUGBY SIDES AT SARACENS
We have recently been contacted by Saracens RFC who have told us about two upcoming matches which they will be playing against South African opposition. The details are as follows :-
1) Sunday 9th of November 2014 against Western Province Stormers
2) Saturday 31st of January 2015. against Northern Transvaal Blue Bulls
Saracens are offering the Springbok Club £25.00 tickets for these matches at only £20.00 – though we must obtain parties of at least 10 people in order to take advantage of these offers. In order to plan arrangements for these games we really need to know numbers as soon as possible, so if you are interested in attending please contact us accordingly at: springbk@netcomuk.co.uk
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SEARCH SERVICES FOR THOSE SEEKING LOST RELATIVES
Find any South African, even those who have emigrated. We also search Botswana, Namibia and ex-Rhodesia/Zimbabwe.
Please use the search request form at :-
http://www.bellemodel.biz/emails/emails.php?id=emails_from_SCN
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BOOK OFFERS
"LIEUTENANT COLONEL ALFRED JAMES TOMLINSON: MEMOIRS OF AN AFRICAN PIONEER AND BSAP OFFICER" is now available at Amazon.com, and can be shipped to anywhere in the world. This book contains excerpts from Lieut. Tomlinson's writings detailing his experiences as a member of the BSAP in Southern Rhodesia, where he rose from the rank of an ordinary trooper to retire as the commanding officer. It also includes the personal story of Majaqaba Ncube, a man who was enslaved by Lobengula when his entire village was massacred by the chief's soldiers. After he escaped, Lieut. Tomlinson saved him from certain death and gave him a job. They lost contact and were reunited after 45 years, when Majaqaba presented Lieut. Tomlinson with an earthenware jar.
Trish also writes romantic suspense and romantic comedy fiction. www.trishjaxon.com
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"P.K. VAN DER BYL - AFRICAN STATESMAN" by Hannes Wessels
ISBN: 978-1-920143-49-7 / paperback / illustrated
Retail price: R250.00, Web-site price: R200.00 + postage
The narrative gives the reader an overview of the history of the White man in southern Africa with detailed emphasis on the Rhodesian story through the life and times of PK van der Byl, one of the major players in a political drama that ended in the accession to power of Robert Mugabe under the auspices of the British government. By his very nature PK was controversial and confrontational. This account is likely to give offence to some because it portrays him as bluntly as he was in real life. Much can be contested about PK van der Byl but few will dispute he was an extremely colourful character with a devilish sense of humour. This memoir covers his life with a full flourish while doing nothing to detract from the seriousness of the international political and military conflict in which he was engaged. The reader will glean new information on a highly controversial subject and emerge with a more sympathetic understanding of what PK van der Byl and his colleagues did and strove for. The human tragedy that has followed the removal from power of Ian Smith and his Rhodesian Front party will almost certainly force the reader to deal with some uncomfortable conclusions, of value to anyone sincere about grappling with the volatile and deeply troubling challenges that confront all Africans today.
This book and others of interest can be purchased from 30 Degrees South via their web-site: www.30degreessouth.co.za
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"BLUE WATCH" by Gwyn Fford-Osborne
Rhodesia, in 1975 and a bloody vicious civil war is at its height. A war between the White minority supported by the Black majority and the ZAPU and ZANU terrorist groups, supported by Zambia and Mozambique. Kensington, a small town in the farming belt has been the subject of several terrorist attacks but with only a small police force for defence, the local T.A. unit having been called up for service on the Zambia border the situation appears grim. Until Iffor Meredith turns up on a pilgrimage to meet up with his wife and son of his old army buddy, recently murdered by terrorists. A deadly ambush on the "Dix" family and his escape from a land mine attack makes Iffor determined to offer resistance of some form or other to the terrorists. His application to join the Rhodesian Army has been accepted and he sets about forming a small militia. With all the fit men already on call up, who can he recruit from. Then he's invited to a darts match at the Moth Club and meets up with the remnants of the town's Fire Brigade, the men considered too old for call up. Blue Watch.
Available from: www.diadembooks.com
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CREST PUBLISHING BOOKS
Crest Publishing retails books by Glenn MacAskill (ex-BSAP Special Branch) entitled "King's Gold", "Crime Lords", "Kill Victoria!", "Hunt the Assassin" and "MacKinnon's Diamond", and by the late Michael Bowery including "Canham's Run", "The Sligo Piper" "Kill the President", "Al Qaeda Armageddon" and his autobiography "Shred when Read", as well as novels by David Ruppert entitled "The Seven Watchmen" and "The Greater Glory" - all of which will be of great interest to South Africans and ex-Rhodesians.
For more information, or to make an order, please contact Crest Publishing at: P.O.Box, 4178, Honeydew, Johannesburg, 2040, South Africa, e-mail: glennallanmacaskill@gmail.com, or visit the Crest Publishing web-site at: www.crestpublishing.co.za. Special discounts are available to ex-servicemen, Rhodies and Springboks!
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"THE SAINTS" - DVD versions of the book about the history of the RLI
Now available from Msasa Enterprises. Contact: msasasa@iafrica.com or UK tel.: 07732 685400.
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“AGAINST ALL ODDS” by George Wrigley
This book contains forty-five stories, which give snapshots of a fun-filled and adventurous, flying career. They describe heart-stopping episodes, narrow escapes from disaster, aircraft accidents, foolhardy escapades and vivid descriptions of fascinating characters along the way.
To order a copy contact George Wrigley at: wrig@bsatt.com
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WHERE ARE THEY NOW ?
No.190 : Mr. CHRIS MACQUET of Durban.
Chris Macquet was a very interesting person. He was evidently descended from a Highlander who fought for the young pretender Charles Stuart during the 1745 rebellion, but who then fled with him to France where his name was Francosized from MacKay to Macquet. Either his father or his grandfather emigrated to South Africa where their family became patriotic English-speaking South Africans. Chris himself was a prominent amateur cricketer in Durban, where he bravely campaigned against attempts to change the traditional structure of cricket in Natal. Quietly-spoken, he was a devoted family man, but tragically lost a son to leukemia at a very young age. It would be interested to learn whether he ever managed to escape to the UK – or to France.
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RECOMMENDED WEB-SITE OF THE MONTH
We have recently been informed about a very interesting and inspiring talk given by Daniel Hannan MEP at the Oxford Union, in which he expertly explained why socialism doesn’t work. A YouTube video of his masterful contribution to this Oxford Union debate can be found at :-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrivBvZ--SQ&list=FLIjuLiLHdFxYtFmWlbTGQRQ
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
DARK AGES
Sir,
I have read with the same horror as all civilised people of the horrific honour killing murder of a father's own daughter in Pakistan, the police ignoring rape in India, and the pregnant woman sentenced to death in two years' time and 100 lashes for the heinous crimes of marrying a non-Muslim and sleeping with him. I cannot forebear to point out that, in the days of the “wicked” imperialist British Empire, this kind of thing would never have been tolerated by our old District Commissioners. I also fear that lax immigration and multi-culturalist policies have brought it to Britain; we all know about the vile practice of female genital mutilation, which has never been a British custom.
Yours etc.,
M. Taylor, London, U.K.
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FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
Sir,
I regret we cannot come to an agreement with the USA and the UK. I am surprised how wise and cunning Francois Holland, the president of France, is. He can save relations both with the EU and President Putin. Let that be a good lesson to all of us. Some evil-minded “lilliputs” as Estonia, Lithuania, Kosovo (a country of Muslim bastards), Georgia etc. always harm the EU and European nations. They behave like anti-Russia gnomes and often spoil good affairs between Russia, France, GB, Spain and Italy. On the other hand, China is not a good neighbour for Russians. We DO NOT TRUST THEM at all. It is like a terrible witchcraft. Our leaders are like bewitched - they cannot see the common real enemy and harm each other.
Look: Putin and Medvedev ALLOWED the West to fight against Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan. Russia did not interfere (only weak protests for the public opinion, no counter-action). The West “Gullivers” (the USA, GB and France) have the right to control some territories abroad. We recognize this right. But Russian leaders would like to control other territories as Crimea or East Ukraine.Eastern “Gulliver” has the cudgel too. Thus, we can control different regions and even HELP each other. As you remember your regrettable history, the French and the British fought against each other for the colonies all over the world for a long time. And what is the result? F*cking Negroes and other aborigines banished you all! It was an absolutely idiotic situation. You had to HELP each other to fight AGAINST aborigines and control them! Where is the British Empire? Where is the French Africa?
We do not learn by trial and errors. Muslims and the Chinese will defeat the USA and Russia. We are bewitched. I will pray to God we will be friends and allies, not competitors. Russians still sympathize with the Brits, French and even Americans. We hope our leaders will not be able to make mischief between us.
Yours etc.,
Boris Grig, Kaliningrad, Russia
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TERRITORIAL DISPUTE
Sir,
I read with anger in August’s SCN how Miss Elizabeth Anderson of the “Friends of the British Overseas Territories” had stabbed you in the back so terribly by pulling out from her speaking commitment at short notice. It seems to me that she was probably got at by that old scoundrel Allan Robertson. Shame on Miss Anderson for giving in to his pressure!
Yours etc.,
“Loyalist”, London, U.K.
[ Miss Anderson denied that she was “got at” by anyone to renege on her promise to speak at July’s Swinton Circle meeting. However we know as a fact that the wretched Robertson has practiced similar dirty-tricks in the past. – Ed.]
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MIKE HART-JONES – THE MAN BEHIND THE MYTH
During informal discussions following last month’s Springbok Club event the name of Mike Hart-Jones came up, and we were asked what we knew about him. We thought therefore that other supporters and readers of the SCN might be interested to learn of our experiences regarding this most charismatic but controversial character.
Michael Hart-Jones was born at Vereeniging in the late 1940s into a family of English-speaking South Africans. He moved to the UK in the early 1960s however, where he worked for the BBC in television production, and also met and married his first wife Gwen, who at that time was a ballerina with the Royal Ballet Company.
He emigrated to Rhodesia a few years later, where his precocious talents enabled him to become Head of Programmes at RTV whilst still only in his 20s. He then became a well-known name in Rhodesia, but together with a number of other leading RTV officials he resigned in the late 1970s because he opposed government interference to push a “pro-settlement” agenda. He then founded a company called “Rhodesian International Productions” together with the popular RTV presenter Derek Partridge, which aimed to present Rhodesia’s case to the outside world, and to campaign against any sell-out to the terrorists. They produced a couple of excellent pamphlets entitled “Rhodesia as it really is” which argued Rhodesia’s case, but alas a planned film which they aimed to produce under the same title was never completed because of the lack of funds.
Hart-Jones and Partridge aligned themselves fully with the Save Rhodesia Campaign, speaking on the same platform as the renowned American political writer Gary Allen (author of “None dare call it conspiracy”) during his tour of South Africa under the SRC auspices in 1978. Following the fall of Rhodesia in 1979, however, Partridge moved on to the United States, but Hart-Jones moved to Durban, where he maintained his support for the SRC’s successor organization, the South Africa First Campaign.
It was then alas that Hart-Jones’s life started to go wrong. He did not try to join SABC as might have been expected, as he knew many ex-RTV people who were now employed there who he didn’t have much confidence in. Instead he took on a job as manager of the La Lucia Squash Courts, a position which he was quite clearly unqualified for, but which was also far beneath his talents. He also at this time started to have a number of quite open affairs, the most famous being with Jessica Jones, the acclaimed singer.
He next founded his own film making company which he called “Anglo Film Productions” (with seemingly no fear of breaching the copyright of the Anglo-American conglomerate!), and offered employment positions to a number of associates who he had met through the SRC in this company. Warnings were soon received, however, that he had become a complete “Walter Mitty”, with some even terming him a “con-man” – though probably the phrase “a loveable rogue” would be more appropriate. His most audacious con-trick at this time was to convince officials of the Durban Turf Club (he came from a family of horse-racing enthusiasts) that he was making a film about the Durban July, and as a result managed to obtain complimentary tickets for himself and a number of mythical production assistants for the Owners and Trainers’ Enclosure at the 1979 July meeting – even though no film was being made! The company went out of existence shortly after this, and those whom he gave “employment” to never got paid a cent – apart of course from free admission to the Durban July! This of course left a very nasty taste in the mouth, and he completely disappeared from the scene in Durban shortly after this.
The next which we heard about Mike Hart-Jones was in the early 1990s, when mention of him being in the UK was made in the Rhodesians Worldwide magazine. A ‘phone call shortly after this warned us not to touch him however, as he had evidently been up to his old con-tricks again in his new country. We did manage to make telephonic contact with him however, but were alarmed by his implication that he had completely changed his political views from the Right to the extreme Left. He also revealed that he had re-married in the UK and had a young child by this second marriage. We agreed to meet up again, more for “old times sake” than anything, in spite of several misgivings, but he significantly never turned up for the agreed rendezvous - and he subsequently never even had the common decency to ‘phone or re-contact us in any way to apologise for letting us down. This was the last occasion that we had any direct contact with him.
It was therefore a complete surprise a few years ago when BBC2’s Newsnight programme ran an item about a con-man named “Michael Jones” who was evidently trying to market some magic potion made out of goats’ serum which could cure AIDS, which had been endorsed by both the King of Swaziland and (briefly!) by Richard E. Grant the actor. When “Michael Jones” was button-holed by the Newsnight reporter he turned out of course to be none other than Mike Hart-Jones! A few months later, moreover, Newsnight carried a further report about this same “Michael Jones”, this time after it had been revealed that he’d sold a huge uncut diamond for a massive sum to a Shropshire building company (one of Mike Hart-Jones’ proudest achievements was a documentary series which he produced for RTV about the diamond industry), which had been heavily queried by their accountants when they saw such an illogical large entry entered in their books!
Mike Hart-Jones has been a tragic character therefore. Hugely talented and someone who rose to the top of his profession at an outstandingly early age, but who sadly couldn’t cope with life when he came down in the world and no longer commanded the same fame and prestige which he once possessed. A con-man par excellence – but one who incredibly never seemed to get caught! In spite of the reprehensible nature of many of his activities, we’re afraid that we still can’t help admiring his sheer audacity!
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See you again next month!
Monday, 8 September 2014
Monday, 18 August 2014
August 2014 Edition.
SPRINGBOK CYBER NEWSLETTER
August 2014 edition
Thursday 18th September, the date of the Scottish Referendum, will be the most important – and potentially most catastrophic – date in British constitutional history since 1st January 1922, when 26 counties of Ireland were allowed to breakaway from the United Kingdom to form the tragic Republic of Ireland.
Although the Kingdoms of Scotland and England were not officially unified until the Act of Union in 1707, the two former countries had been de facto united since 1603, when King James VI of Scotland inherited the English throne and declared himself King James I of GREAT BRITAIN. The Union Flag was then designed and accepted as the official flag of the nation, and to all intents and purposes the border ceased to exist. In actual fact, however, the entire British Isles had been intertwined for centuries earlier, even prior to the Roman era when Britannia was regarded as a single entity.
One only has to look at a map to see that the British Isles are one nation geographically. The British people also consist of the same basic ethnic stock, and both economically and culturally that which unites the British nation is far more fundamental than any regional differences. Furthermore, the United Kingdom has been one of the greatest success stories in world history, being the cradle of both the industrial and agricultural revolutions, and founding the greatest Empire which the world has ever seen. It also spearheaded the fight to rid the world of Communist, Fascist and Islamic tyrannies, and has been in the forefront of free-market economics and technological advances.
In view of these facts it should have been unthinkable that any part of the United Kingdom should seek to breakaway – indeed up until just a few short decades ago the idea of Scottish “independence” would have been dismissed out of hand as a fantasy. The reason why such a frightening state of affairs has come about is complex, but we would contend that it has been caused by the post-WWII growth of socialism, the surrender of Empire, and the headlong rush into the European Union. In this regard it should be remembered that the powers behind the EU have always sought to destroy the unity of the great nation-states of Europe – and not just Britain!
There is an old axiom that the difference between a patriot and a nationalist is that patriots love their own country, whereas nationalists hate everybody else’s. Although they may not hate every other country, whenever the leaders of the SNP speak, particularly Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon, it is clear that their subliminal message is not so much love of “Scotland”, but more hatred of “England”! There consistently seems to have been something very nasty about all parties and organizations which term themselves “national” or “nationalist”. We remember that it was the NATIONAL Party of South Africa which sold-out their country to the tender mercies of the African NATIONAL Congress, and that the erstwhile Rhodesia is now being terrorized by the Zimbabwe African NATIONAL Union. Furthermore it should never be forgotten that the full name of the Nazi Party was the German NATIONAL Socialist Party, and that the SF/IRA terrorists regard themselves as part of the Irish Pan-NATIONALIST Front. Moreover we ourselves have of course suffered badly from dirty-tricks campaigns emanating from the Nazi-wannabes of the British NATIONAL Party. We are not suggesting that the SNP falls into quite the same categories, but by adopting an ideology of “nationalism” they are clearly following the same path.
Happily opinion polls have constantly shown that a clear majority intend to vote “No” on September 18th, with a margin of anything between 10 and 20% - but the fact remains that it is worrying in the extreme that anyone should want to vote for destructive Scottish “independence”. Such a situation should never have come about of course, and Westminster politicians of all parties must be held responsible for this awful situation. We warned in the late 1990s that the Labour government’s plans to establish Holyrood and Cardiff Bay “parliaments” would provide vehicles similar to those in the Russian Federation, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia, which were used to break-up those nation-states, and could therefore end in tragedy. But it is the present coalition government which is mainly to blame, for allowing Alex Salmond and his cronies to initiate this splitist referendum, and agreeing to every advantage in his favour!
Sir John Major was not our favourite politician, but he has recently been quoted as saying that if more than 60% vote “No” then not only will the issue be dead for a generation, but it will be dead for all time. He is probably correct, so it is therefore vitally important not only that the “No” vote wins, but also that the majority is as big as possible. Over-confidence now seems the biggest enemy of the Unionist cause, so we therefore not only implore all supporters who can vote in the referendum to vote “No”, but also encourage everyone with contacts in Scotland to do their best to persuade them to give the Nationalists the bloodiest nose possible.
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SPRINGBOK CLUB NEWS
The Springbok Club joined forces with the Swinton Circle in July in order to stage a joint meeting. A full report of this event appears in the Swinton Circle News section below.
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On Saturday 23rd August the Springbok Club will be organizing a trip to the National Portrait Gallery in London, specifically to see a special exhibition of paintings relating to the start of the First World War. Rendezvous between 12.00 noon and 12.30 hrs in front of the ticket office, which is situated up the stairs from the main entrance in St.Martin’s Place, London WC2H 0HE (nearest tube stations: Leicester Square, Charing Cross and Embankment). After visiting the National Portrait Gallery the Springbok Club party will adjourn to a near-by hostelry with Rhodesian connections for a convivial ending to the day. For more details ‘phone: 07711188430.
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Towards the end of September the Springbok Club will be staging a meeting which will be addressed by a leading member of the organization who has recently returned from a professional contract in the “new” South Africa, and who will tell something about the true conditions currently prevailing there.
In November the Springbok Club plans to stage its annual UDI Day celebration buffet, at which there will be a guest speaker with strong Rhodesian connections.
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In October the Kent Branch of the Springbok Club will be organising a trip to see some of the historical sites of the Medway Towns
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SWINTON CIRCLE NEWS
The Swinton Circle had organized a joint meeting with the Springbok Club last month, which was due to be addressed by Miss Elizabeth Anderson of the Friends of the British Overseas Territories, an estimable organization which the Swinton Circle hoped to establish closer relations with as a result. Unfortunately, however, Miss Anderson informed us just three days prior to this meeting that she was pulling-out, citing work commitments as her reason. This last-minute reneging of a promise left the Swinton Circle in a very difficult position of course, and there are a number of reasons why we are doubtful whether the reason given by Miss Anderson was correct, not least because she proved incapable of providing any replacement speaker from the Friends of the British Overseas Territories organization. We would therefore very much like to get to the bottom of this disturbing matter, so if anyone can shed any further light on the real reason for Miss Anderson’s withdrawal we would be most grateful.
Happily Ms. Claudia Bryan, a good friend of our movement, was prepared to step into the breach to take the place of Miss Anderson at this meeting. Ms. Bryan, a South African by birth and a brave campaigner who alerts the world to the true appalling situation in the “new” South Africa through her “No farmer, no food” campaign, had been the planned guest speaker for a Springbok Club meeting later this year, so her appearance at this joint meeting therefore gave her the opportunity to reach an even larger audience. She was joined at this meeting by her close associate Mr. Winston Hall, and together they gave masterful speeches highlighting the near-genocide conditions which currently exist in the “new” South Africa, particularly being faced by the farming community. Their talks were also illustrated by an enlightening, albeit very gruesome video, and a recording of both their speeches and this video can be viewed at :-
www.youtube.com/embed/SpxyDYk5LDA
We would therefore like to thank both Ms. Bryan and Mr. Hall for conveying such enlightening information, especially as they undertook this task at such short notice.
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The Swinton Circle is still hoping to hold a meeting to be addressed by a prominent former Conservative MP during late August, though unfortunately the precise details still haven’t been able to be finalized. Information about the precise arrangements will however be circulated to all members and supporters in due course.
In September the Swinton Circle will be giving its full support to New Britain’s big “Keep the United Kingdom United” rally in London, the full details of which are given in the New Britain News section below.
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Membership fees and donations to the Swinton Circle can be made via PayPal on the organisation’s web-site home page at www.swintoncircle.co.uk - simply 'click' on the line "PayPal = the safer, easier way to pay online" at the bottom of the home page; if the error message "This content cannot be displayed in a Frame" appears then simply 'click' on the line "Open this Content in a New Window".
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NEW BRITAIN NEWS
Details regarding New Britain’s long-awaited “Keep the United Kingdom United” rally have now been finalized, and are as follows :-
Date : Saturday 13th September 2014
Assembly point : Paternoster Square, next to St.Paul’s Cathedral
Assembly time : 12.00 noon
At approximately 12.10 hrs the procession will march off through the streets of the City of London to St.Sepulchre’s Church where the rally will take place, which will feature bagpipes, Scottish dancers and speeches by two prominent supporters of the Better Together campaign.
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LATEST REPORT FROM THE ZIMBABWE CONSERVATION TASK FORCE
We have recently received the following long but very informative report from the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force (ZCTF). In spite of its length we thought that readers might be very interested in the information which it contains :-
“ARMY GENERALS BOOTED OUT OF CONSERVANCY
“There has been a guarded welcome of a decision by the ZANU-PF politburo to rescind all offer letters, granted to top party and army officials, for land in the Save Valley Conservancy.
”A politburo meeting chaired by Robert Mugabe on Monday also resolved to remove all beneficiaries of the wildlife-based land grab from properties that were meant to be protected under Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements (BIPPAs). This reportedly includes the Sango, Sabi, Chishakwe, Masapasi, Makore, Gunundwe and Chamurwe ranches.
”Other conservancy land gazetted by the state for takeover will now come under the ownership of the National Parks authority.
”During the Monday meeting Mugabe criticised what he called "double dipping" by his officials, who already benefitted during ZANU-PF's commercial farm grab campaign. Party spokesperson Rugare Gumbo reportedly confirmed that this was the politburo position too.
” ‘The issue was if you did not yet have a farm, then government will give you one elsewhere and not in Save Valley. Most of them are multiple land owners which is what the politburo said should not happen. That was the decision, and their removal must be expedited as per the politburo (resolution),’ Gumbo said.
”National Parks in 2012 issued hunting permits to 25 so-called indigenous ‘farmers' who were given land in the Conservancy under the government's ‘Wildlife Best Land Reform Policy'. This was in spite of a damning parliamentary report in 2012, which said that the forced seizure of Save land by top political and military figures with ‘no interest (or) experience in wildlife conservation’ had resulted in massive destruction there.
”The officials who benefitted included war vets leader Joseph Chinotimba, Major General Gibson Mashingaidze, Major General Engelbert Rugeje, Masvingo Governor Titus Maluleke, then ZANU-PF Masvingo provincial chair Lovemore Matuke, then Deputy Health Minister Douglas Mombeshora, ZANU-PF's central committee member Enock Porusingazi, as well as ZANU-PF MPs Alois Baloyi, Abraham Sithole, Samson Mukanduri and Noel Mandebvu.
”ZANU-PF's Gumbo said that the government has withdrawn all 25-year leases offered to the top officials ‘with immediate effect.’
" ‘The politburo made a decision to remove all those that had been allocated leases in Save Valley. It does not matter whether you are a politburo member or not, all beneficiaries were ordered out of that place,’ Gumbo said.
”We believe the decision is ‘overdue’, because local Zimbabweans have not benefitted since top chefs took over the Save land.
”The owners of the conservancies originally came up with an idea that the rural folk would become shareholders, but the big boys didn't like it and they took over. Now that is being withdrawn and it's about time. They need to be held accountable for the greed and corruption going on.
”The previously gazetted land, now set to be handed over to National Parks, should instead be given back to the original land owners.
”We don't believe that Parks will be able to do a good job. They should leave the land with the actual owners. They are the best conservationists; they employ professional people to make things work. At the moment National Parks can't even pay their employees. So it's doomed to fail.
”He also added that the planned ‘indigenisation' of conservancy land owned by White Zimbabweans would have a negative impact on Save Valley. Former Indigenisation Minister Saviour Kasukuwere has said that only White Zimbabweans will be required to comply with ZANU-PF's indigenisation laws in the Conservancy. This is despite the fact that the indigenisation policy was originally meant to only target foreign owned investments in Zimbabwe.
"’Foreign-owned properties will not be affected as they are protected under investment laws, but those [properties] of local Whites will be,’ Kasukuwere said.
”This doesn't make any sense. They have to come up with a definite ruling (on indigenisation) because we need the foreign investment.
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COMMONWEALTH GAMES FEVER
The 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games were, as we predicted, a great triumph, both organisationally and as far as sporting excellence were concerned. There is still much debate about whether the UK should compete as one united country in the Commonwealth Games, or to continue sending separate teams from all the component parts of the British Isles. There are good arguments both for and against the two sides of the debate, but one thing is for certain, and that is that the forthcoming Scottish “independence” Referendum should never have been allowed to be held so close to so much massive enthusiasm being generated for a separate Scottish team competing on home soil! This was of course a cunning plan devised by Alex Salmond and the SNP, and all the Unionist parties at Westminster must be severely castigated for letting them get away with such an obvious ploy!
As far as South Africa was concerned they won 13 gold medals compared to 12 at Delhi in 2010, but dropped from 5th to 7th place in the medal table. Clap, clap. So how do these “new” South African performances compare to South African results during the era of civilized rule (an era when it must be remembered there were far few events where medals were awarded)? At the first ever British Empire Games held at Hamilton, Canada in 1930 South Africa won 6 gold medals and finished 3rd in the medal table, and this rose to 16 at Vancouver in 1954 and 13 at Cardiff in 1958, when on both occasions the country finished 3rd. Surely the conclusion which must be drawn is obvious?
The next 2018 Commonwealth Games will be held at the Gold Coast in Australia, an advanced first world country where another professional efficient spectacular is bound to be staged (unlike at Kingston, Jamaica in 1966, Kuala Lumpur in 1998 and Delhi in 2010, all of which Games in third world countries were plagued with problems). The venue of the 2022 Commonwealth Games has still to be decided however, but there are two candidate cities, Edmonton in Canada and – wait for it – Durban in the “new” South Africa! Surely the powers that be can’t be stupid enough to stage the Games in yet another third world city? Every effort must therefore be made to persuade the Commonwealth Games Federation General Assembly to choose Edmonton as the venue for 2022!
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SEARCH SERVICES FOR THOSE SEEKING LOST RELATIVES
Find any South African, even those who have emigrated. We also search Botswana, Namibia and ex-Rhodesia/Zimbabwe.
Please use the search request form at :-
http://www.bellemodel.biz/emails/emails.php?id=emails_from_SCN
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BOOK OFFERS
"LIEUTENANT COLONEL ALFRED JAMES TOMLINSON: MEMOIRS OF AN AFRICAN PIONEER AND BSAP OFFICER" is now available at Amazon.com, and can be shipped to anywhere in the world. This book contains excerpts from Lieut. Tomlinson's writings detailing his experiences as a member of the BSAP in Southern Rhodesia, where he rose from the rank of an ordinary trooper to retire as the commanding officer. It also includes the personal story of Majaqaba Ncube, a man who was enslaved by Lobengula when his entire village was massacred by the chief's soldiers. After he escaped, Lieut. Tomlinson saved him from certain death and gave him a job. They lost contact and were reunited after 45 years, when Majaqaba presented Lieut. Tomlinson with an earthenware jar.
Trish also writes romantic suspense and romantic comedy fiction. www.trishjaxon.com
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"P.K. VAN DER BYL - AFRICAN STATESMAN" by Hannes Wessels
ISBN: 978-1-920143-49-7 / paperback / illustrated
Retail price: R250.00, Web-site price: R200.00 + postage
The narrative gives the reader an overview of the history of the White man in southern Africa with detailed emphasis on the Rhodesian story through the life and times of PK van der Byl, one of the major players in a political drama that ended in the accession to power of Robert Mugabe under the auspices of the British government. By his very nature PK was controversial and confrontational. This account is likely to give offence to some because it portrays him as bluntly as he was in real life. Much can be contested about PK van der Byl but few will dispute he was an extremely colourful character with a devilish sense of humour. This memoir covers his life with a full flourish while doing nothing to detract from the seriousness of the international political and military conflict in which he was engaged. The reader will glean new information on a highly controversial subject and emerge with a more sympathetic understanding of what PK van der Byl and his colleagues did and strove for. The human tragedy that has followed the removal from power of Ian Smith and his Rhodesian Front party will almost certainly force the reader to deal with some uncomfortable conclusions, of value to anyone sincere about grappling with the volatile and deeply troubling challenges that confront all Africans today.
This book and others of interest can be purchased from 30 Degrees South via their web-site: www.30degreessouth.co.za
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"BLUE WATCH" by Gwyn Fford-Osborne
Rhodesia, in 1975 and a bloody vicious civil war is at its height. A war between the White minority supported by the Black majority and the ZAPU and ZANU terrorist groups, supported by Zambia and Mozambique. Kensington, a small town in the farming belt has been the subject of several terrorist attacks but with only a small police force for defence, the local T.A. unit having been called up for service on the Zambia border the situation appears grim. Until Iffor Meredith turns up on a pilgrimage to meet up with his wife and son of his old army buddy, recently murdered by terrorists. A deadly ambush on the "Dix" family and his escape from a land mine attack makes Iffor determined to offer resistance of some form or other to the terrorists. His application to join the Rhodesian Army has been accepted and he sets about forming a small militia. With all the fit men already on call up, who can he recruit from. Then he's invited to a darts match at the Moth Club and meets up with the remnants of the town's Fire Brigade, the men considered too old for call up. Blue Watch.
Available from: www.diadembooks.com
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CREST PUBLISHING BOOKS
Crest Publishing retails books by Glenn MacAskill (ex-BSAP Special Branch) entitled "King's Gold", "Crime Lords", "Kill Victoria!", "Hunt the Assassin" and "MacKinnon's Diamond", and by the late Michael Bowery including "Canham's Run", "The Sligo Piper" "Kill the President", "Al Qaeda Armageddon" and his autobiography "Shred when Read", as well as novels by David Ruppert entitled "The Seven Watchmen" and "The Greater Glory" - all of which will be of great interest to South Africans and ex-Rhodesians.
For more information, or to make an order, please contact Crest Publishing at: P.O.Box, 4178, Honeydew, Johannesburg, 2040, South Africa, e-mail: glennallanmacaskill@gmail.com, or visit the Crest Publishing web-site at: www.crestpublishing.co.za. Special discounts are available to ex-servicemen, Rhodies and Springboks!
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"THE SAINTS" - DVD versions of the book about the history of the RLI
Now available from Msasa Enterprises. Contact: msasasa@iafrica.com or UK tel.: 07732 685400.
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WHERE ARE THEY NOW ?
No.189 : Mr. MIKE WEBB of Oxfordshire.
Mike Webb served in the Royal Tank Regiment before turning up in Durban during mid-1981, where he worked as a barman at the Riviera Hotel on the Victoria Embankment – a job which he was clearly way over-qualified for. The reason for this soon became apparent however, as he was involved in the failed Seychelles coup attempt of November 1981 – which was hatched and planned at the Riviera Hotel. After escaping from the Seychelles on the hijacked Air India jet he was sentenced to imprisonment in South Africa, and after this all contact with him ceased – until we met him again unexpectedly at a reception for the Hon. Ian Douglas Smith at the RAF Club in London during the late 1990s. He informed us then that he was living at Thame in Oxfordshire, but alas we never received any reply from him to several pieces of correspondence sent to the address which he had given. We wonder therefore whether anyone knows whether he’s still living in Thame, or if not where he is now based?
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RECOMMENDED WEB-SITE OF THE MONTH
We have recently been contacted by the publishers of eNONGQAI - a Police & National Security magazine mainly for Veterans of the South African Forces. eNongquai Publications maintain a very informative web-site dedicated to preserving the history of the South African Police (SAP) from 1913 until 1994, which can be accessed at :-
http://www.enongqaipublications.com/
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
FATTY FOAMS
Sir,
I was reading an Internet blog a while ago and spotted that Allan Robertson [the former Organiser of the Swinton Circle who was expelled from the organization in early 2009 for gross misconduct – Ed.] had accused you of misuse of power and position in the Swinton Circle. Even one of his own former supporters had then reported that whenever he hears your name he flies into a tantrum and almost foams at the mouth!
Yours etc.,
Richard Windsor, Canterbury, U.K.
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MISSION IMPOSSIBLE
Sir,
My wife and I worked for 25 years without a salary, lived on donations of friends and churches, firstly at Jubilee Mission Hospital, Hammanskraal, then Mission Aviation Fellowship/South Africa in Edenvale, lastly Shekinah Care Foundation, New Hanover, Natal. All those years we worked 24/7 amongst Blacks & Whites. I can write a thousand stories about our work, not once did we see the same tragedy that is now taking place. Yes, there were sad shameful stories, but not on the scale in the stories we now receive from you and the Freedom Front Plus. My brother was left to die on the side of the road in Cato Ridge; not one Black man went to his aid. Mine is one of ten thousand stories.
Yours etc.,
Ray Absalom, New Zealand
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DEFENDING THE RIGHT
Sir,
The Conservatives are prepared to do even more damage to our defences, slashing even the Paras because of the sacred cow of "saving taxpayers' money." This taxpayer heard a lecture on the great Admiral Beatty recently - in the 1920s he complained about politicians jeopardising our defences for the sake of a shilling off the Income Tax. Some things never change.
They should save money by cutting spending on the EU and slashing it on overseas aid. Defence should be restored to Thatcher-era levels, and I am sticking with UKIP. This is what comes of replacing officers and gentlemen with accountants and spin-doctors as Conservative MPs.
Yours etc.,
M. Taylor, London, U.K.
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IVOR BENSON – A RETROSPECTIVE
A supporter recently wrote to us asking whether we knew anything about Mr. Ivor Benson, the late South African journalist and political analyst, specifically regarding the allegation that he was anti-Semitic. Mr. Benson was well known to our movement when we were still based in Natal during the late 1970s and 1980s, and so we replied giving a full account of our knowledge of the man to this supporter. It was afterwards suggested that this review of the man’s life might be suitable for a wider audience, so we therefore repeat it below :-
“We knew Ivor Benson well in South Africa during the late 1970s and early 1980s. His National Forum organization had been recommended to us by a colleague from the UK, and we successfully managed to make contact with the organisation through Duncan du Bois of the Save Rhodesia Campaign (a long-standing member), and started attending their meetings regularly in 1977. Over the following few years we came to know Ivor and his wife Joan very well, and liked them both a lot. They were both very friendly and affable, with Ivor himself having an “impish” sense of humour. Both were also clearly highly intelligent and well-read, but we never detected that Ivor harboured any anti-Semitic sentiments at that time. We alas recall Joan making somewhat anti-Semitic comments on at least one occasion however, and there were occasional surreptitious anti-Semitic questions from the floor at National Forum meetings – which were highly embarrassing, and we believe led to at least one member leaving the organization as a result.
“We got to know quite a bit about Ivor’s background and history over the following years. Contrary to popular belief he was not of completely British stock. Either his father or his grandfather was a Norwegian seaman who had ‘jumped ship’ in Durban Harbour and landed up at Bethlehem in the O.V.S./O.F.S., where Ivor was born. We are uncertain about the ethnic origins of his other ancestors, but as Bethlehem is/was a 95% Afrikaner town we would imagine that they were more likely to have been Afrikaners rather than British-South Africans – though the family did Anglocize their name from Bjornsen (or some such similar spelling) to Benson. Ivor evidently excelled at school, and entered journalism as a profession, where he eventually worked his way up to become Deputy Editor of the Rand Daily Mail – the premier English-language daily newspaper in the Transvaal at the time. It is interesting to note in this regard that the RDM always had a very liberal reputation – but this didn’t stop Ian Smith from ‘head-hunting’ Ivor to become head of the Rhodesian Government’s Information operations during the run-up to UDI in 1965 (this would certainly imply that Ivor was not particularly right-wing prior to his time in Rhodesia). Ivor stayed in this position for only just over a year however, resigning not for ideological reasons but because of a strategic disagreement, as he totally disagreed with Ian Smith’s desire to reach a negotiated settlement with Harold Wilson’s Labour Government even after UDI was declared, believing instead that Rhodesia should simply ‘get on with independence’.
“In spite of only being in Rhodesia for just over a year something very fundamental happened to Ivor during this period – namely he met and married Joan. He was well into his middle-age at the time, and had never previously been married – whereas Joan had been married at least once before. It is certainly our belief that Joan became a great influence on Ivor’s political thinking, and probably caused him to veer towards anti-Semitism during the twilight years of his life – something which of course was most regrettable. After leaving Rhodesia Ivor and Joan moved to Pinetown where Ivor never again seemed to have any regular employment – spending all his time launching his magazine Behind the News, writing books and founding the National Forum. The speculation was that Joan either had or inherited money, and that they lived on this. We were once informed that the print-run for Behind the News was only 1000 (S.A.Patriot’s was initially 3000, though subsequently reduced to 2000), and that the Bensons’ garage was full of piles of unsold copies of Behind the News - and that whilst parking their car they had apparently knocked down these piles several times, leaving them on the oily ground and never bothering to pick them up. Quite clearly therefore, especially as it never carried any adverts, Behind the News never made any money!
“Meetings of the National Forum continued to be held regularly throughout the 1970s however, and after we made contact in 1977 always seemed to be well-attended and featured very interesting guest speakers (including Harvey Ward, the former head of Rhodesian Television). In about 1981 Ivor announced that he was moving from Pinetown to Krugersdorp because ‘at such a vital stage in South African history it was important to be in the Transvaal, the fulcrum of political activity’. With Ivor gone the National Forum collapsed in Natal, and although Ian Long and David Bell (whose wife, incidentally, was Jewish) tried to carry on operations under the title of the Vanguard Association, this was still-born. We therefore founded our own Patriotic Forum (the predecessor of today’s Springbok Club), which was named with ‘Patriotic’ from ‘S.A.Patriot’ and ‘Forum’ from the ‘National Forum’. We continued to receive copies of Behind the News even after Ivor moved to Krugersdorp, but became increasingly concerned by some of its nuttier ‘conspiracy theory’ contents. There are conspiracies and cover-ups in this world of course – but Ivor’s ‘grand conspiracy theories’ went so far over the top that they were unbelievable. When he claimed that the Falklands War was fought ‘for oil’ and not to protect the liberty of the Falkland Islands’ people it became too much for us, so we cut all contact as a result.
“Evidently during the late 1980s Ivor and Joan moved to the UK (apparently because Ivor was seriously ill and they had no medical insurance, so therefore wanted to make use of the NHS), staying initially with a certain Mr. Don Martin in Suffolk. Don Martin is/was a total ‘conspiracy theory’ crank, so far off the edge it appears that he was too much for Ivor and Joan, so they moved away from him and severed all links. Ivor died in the early 1990s, but alas we don’t know whatever became of Joan.”
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August 2014 edition
Thursday 18th September, the date of the Scottish Referendum, will be the most important – and potentially most catastrophic – date in British constitutional history since 1st January 1922, when 26 counties of Ireland were allowed to breakaway from the United Kingdom to form the tragic Republic of Ireland.
Although the Kingdoms of Scotland and England were not officially unified until the Act of Union in 1707, the two former countries had been de facto united since 1603, when King James VI of Scotland inherited the English throne and declared himself King James I of GREAT BRITAIN. The Union Flag was then designed and accepted as the official flag of the nation, and to all intents and purposes the border ceased to exist. In actual fact, however, the entire British Isles had been intertwined for centuries earlier, even prior to the Roman era when Britannia was regarded as a single entity.
One only has to look at a map to see that the British Isles are one nation geographically. The British people also consist of the same basic ethnic stock, and both economically and culturally that which unites the British nation is far more fundamental than any regional differences. Furthermore, the United Kingdom has been one of the greatest success stories in world history, being the cradle of both the industrial and agricultural revolutions, and founding the greatest Empire which the world has ever seen. It also spearheaded the fight to rid the world of Communist, Fascist and Islamic tyrannies, and has been in the forefront of free-market economics and technological advances.
In view of these facts it should have been unthinkable that any part of the United Kingdom should seek to breakaway – indeed up until just a few short decades ago the idea of Scottish “independence” would have been dismissed out of hand as a fantasy. The reason why such a frightening state of affairs has come about is complex, but we would contend that it has been caused by the post-WWII growth of socialism, the surrender of Empire, and the headlong rush into the European Union. In this regard it should be remembered that the powers behind the EU have always sought to destroy the unity of the great nation-states of Europe – and not just Britain!
There is an old axiom that the difference between a patriot and a nationalist is that patriots love their own country, whereas nationalists hate everybody else’s. Although they may not hate every other country, whenever the leaders of the SNP speak, particularly Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon, it is clear that their subliminal message is not so much love of “Scotland”, but more hatred of “England”! There consistently seems to have been something very nasty about all parties and organizations which term themselves “national” or “nationalist”. We remember that it was the NATIONAL Party of South Africa which sold-out their country to the tender mercies of the African NATIONAL Congress, and that the erstwhile Rhodesia is now being terrorized by the Zimbabwe African NATIONAL Union. Furthermore it should never be forgotten that the full name of the Nazi Party was the German NATIONAL Socialist Party, and that the SF/IRA terrorists regard themselves as part of the Irish Pan-NATIONALIST Front. Moreover we ourselves have of course suffered badly from dirty-tricks campaigns emanating from the Nazi-wannabes of the British NATIONAL Party. We are not suggesting that the SNP falls into quite the same categories, but by adopting an ideology of “nationalism” they are clearly following the same path.
Happily opinion polls have constantly shown that a clear majority intend to vote “No” on September 18th, with a margin of anything between 10 and 20% - but the fact remains that it is worrying in the extreme that anyone should want to vote for destructive Scottish “independence”. Such a situation should never have come about of course, and Westminster politicians of all parties must be held responsible for this awful situation. We warned in the late 1990s that the Labour government’s plans to establish Holyrood and Cardiff Bay “parliaments” would provide vehicles similar to those in the Russian Federation, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia, which were used to break-up those nation-states, and could therefore end in tragedy. But it is the present coalition government which is mainly to blame, for allowing Alex Salmond and his cronies to initiate this splitist referendum, and agreeing to every advantage in his favour!
Sir John Major was not our favourite politician, but he has recently been quoted as saying that if more than 60% vote “No” then not only will the issue be dead for a generation, but it will be dead for all time. He is probably correct, so it is therefore vitally important not only that the “No” vote wins, but also that the majority is as big as possible. Over-confidence now seems the biggest enemy of the Unionist cause, so we therefore not only implore all supporters who can vote in the referendum to vote “No”, but also encourage everyone with contacts in Scotland to do their best to persuade them to give the Nationalists the bloodiest nose possible.
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SPRINGBOK CLUB NEWS
The Springbok Club joined forces with the Swinton Circle in July in order to stage a joint meeting. A full report of this event appears in the Swinton Circle News section below.
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On Saturday 23rd August the Springbok Club will be organizing a trip to the National Portrait Gallery in London, specifically to see a special exhibition of paintings relating to the start of the First World War. Rendezvous between 12.00 noon and 12.30 hrs in front of the ticket office, which is situated up the stairs from the main entrance in St.Martin’s Place, London WC2H 0HE (nearest tube stations: Leicester Square, Charing Cross and Embankment). After visiting the National Portrait Gallery the Springbok Club party will adjourn to a near-by hostelry with Rhodesian connections for a convivial ending to the day. For more details ‘phone: 07711188430.
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Towards the end of September the Springbok Club will be staging a meeting which will be addressed by a leading member of the organization who has recently returned from a professional contract in the “new” South Africa, and who will tell something about the true conditions currently prevailing there.
In November the Springbok Club plans to stage its annual UDI Day celebration buffet, at which there will be a guest speaker with strong Rhodesian connections.
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In October the Kent Branch of the Springbok Club will be organising a trip to see some of the historical sites of the Medway Towns
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SWINTON CIRCLE NEWS
The Swinton Circle had organized a joint meeting with the Springbok Club last month, which was due to be addressed by Miss Elizabeth Anderson of the Friends of the British Overseas Territories, an estimable organization which the Swinton Circle hoped to establish closer relations with as a result. Unfortunately, however, Miss Anderson informed us just three days prior to this meeting that she was pulling-out, citing work commitments as her reason. This last-minute reneging of a promise left the Swinton Circle in a very difficult position of course, and there are a number of reasons why we are doubtful whether the reason given by Miss Anderson was correct, not least because she proved incapable of providing any replacement speaker from the Friends of the British Overseas Territories organization. We would therefore very much like to get to the bottom of this disturbing matter, so if anyone can shed any further light on the real reason for Miss Anderson’s withdrawal we would be most grateful.
Happily Ms. Claudia Bryan, a good friend of our movement, was prepared to step into the breach to take the place of Miss Anderson at this meeting. Ms. Bryan, a South African by birth and a brave campaigner who alerts the world to the true appalling situation in the “new” South Africa through her “No farmer, no food” campaign, had been the planned guest speaker for a Springbok Club meeting later this year, so her appearance at this joint meeting therefore gave her the opportunity to reach an even larger audience. She was joined at this meeting by her close associate Mr. Winston Hall, and together they gave masterful speeches highlighting the near-genocide conditions which currently exist in the “new” South Africa, particularly being faced by the farming community. Their talks were also illustrated by an enlightening, albeit very gruesome video, and a recording of both their speeches and this video can be viewed at :-
www.youtube.com/embed/SpxyDYk5LDA
We would therefore like to thank both Ms. Bryan and Mr. Hall for conveying such enlightening information, especially as they undertook this task at such short notice.
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The Swinton Circle is still hoping to hold a meeting to be addressed by a prominent former Conservative MP during late August, though unfortunately the precise details still haven’t been able to be finalized. Information about the precise arrangements will however be circulated to all members and supporters in due course.
In September the Swinton Circle will be giving its full support to New Britain’s big “Keep the United Kingdom United” rally in London, the full details of which are given in the New Britain News section below.
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Membership fees and donations to the Swinton Circle can be made via PayPal on the organisation’s web-site home page at www.swintoncircle.co.uk - simply 'click' on the line "PayPal = the safer, easier way to pay online" at the bottom of the home page; if the error message "This content cannot be displayed in a Frame" appears then simply 'click' on the line "Open this Content in a New Window".
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NEW BRITAIN NEWS
Details regarding New Britain’s long-awaited “Keep the United Kingdom United” rally have now been finalized, and are as follows :-
Date : Saturday 13th September 2014
Assembly point : Paternoster Square, next to St.Paul’s Cathedral
Assembly time : 12.00 noon
At approximately 12.10 hrs the procession will march off through the streets of the City of London to St.Sepulchre’s Church where the rally will take place, which will feature bagpipes, Scottish dancers and speeches by two prominent supporters of the Better Together campaign.
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LATEST REPORT FROM THE ZIMBABWE CONSERVATION TASK FORCE
We have recently received the following long but very informative report from the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force (ZCTF). In spite of its length we thought that readers might be very interested in the information which it contains :-
“ARMY GENERALS BOOTED OUT OF CONSERVANCY
“There has been a guarded welcome of a decision by the ZANU-PF politburo to rescind all offer letters, granted to top party and army officials, for land in the Save Valley Conservancy.
”A politburo meeting chaired by Robert Mugabe on Monday also resolved to remove all beneficiaries of the wildlife-based land grab from properties that were meant to be protected under Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements (BIPPAs). This reportedly includes the Sango, Sabi, Chishakwe, Masapasi, Makore, Gunundwe and Chamurwe ranches.
”Other conservancy land gazetted by the state for takeover will now come under the ownership of the National Parks authority.
”During the Monday meeting Mugabe criticised what he called "double dipping" by his officials, who already benefitted during ZANU-PF's commercial farm grab campaign. Party spokesperson Rugare Gumbo reportedly confirmed that this was the politburo position too.
” ‘The issue was if you did not yet have a farm, then government will give you one elsewhere and not in Save Valley. Most of them are multiple land owners which is what the politburo said should not happen. That was the decision, and their removal must be expedited as per the politburo (resolution),’ Gumbo said.
”National Parks in 2012 issued hunting permits to 25 so-called indigenous ‘farmers' who were given land in the Conservancy under the government's ‘Wildlife Best Land Reform Policy'. This was in spite of a damning parliamentary report in 2012, which said that the forced seizure of Save land by top political and military figures with ‘no interest (or) experience in wildlife conservation’ had resulted in massive destruction there.
”The officials who benefitted included war vets leader Joseph Chinotimba, Major General Gibson Mashingaidze, Major General Engelbert Rugeje, Masvingo Governor Titus Maluleke, then ZANU-PF Masvingo provincial chair Lovemore Matuke, then Deputy Health Minister Douglas Mombeshora, ZANU-PF's central committee member Enock Porusingazi, as well as ZANU-PF MPs Alois Baloyi, Abraham Sithole, Samson Mukanduri and Noel Mandebvu.
”ZANU-PF's Gumbo said that the government has withdrawn all 25-year leases offered to the top officials ‘with immediate effect.’
" ‘The politburo made a decision to remove all those that had been allocated leases in Save Valley. It does not matter whether you are a politburo member or not, all beneficiaries were ordered out of that place,’ Gumbo said.
”We believe the decision is ‘overdue’, because local Zimbabweans have not benefitted since top chefs took over the Save land.
”The owners of the conservancies originally came up with an idea that the rural folk would become shareholders, but the big boys didn't like it and they took over. Now that is being withdrawn and it's about time. They need to be held accountable for the greed and corruption going on.
”The previously gazetted land, now set to be handed over to National Parks, should instead be given back to the original land owners.
”We don't believe that Parks will be able to do a good job. They should leave the land with the actual owners. They are the best conservationists; they employ professional people to make things work. At the moment National Parks can't even pay their employees. So it's doomed to fail.
”He also added that the planned ‘indigenisation' of conservancy land owned by White Zimbabweans would have a negative impact on Save Valley. Former Indigenisation Minister Saviour Kasukuwere has said that only White Zimbabweans will be required to comply with ZANU-PF's indigenisation laws in the Conservancy. This is despite the fact that the indigenisation policy was originally meant to only target foreign owned investments in Zimbabwe.
"’Foreign-owned properties will not be affected as they are protected under investment laws, but those [properties] of local Whites will be,’ Kasukuwere said.
”This doesn't make any sense. They have to come up with a definite ruling (on indigenisation) because we need the foreign investment.
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COMMONWEALTH GAMES FEVER
The 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games were, as we predicted, a great triumph, both organisationally and as far as sporting excellence were concerned. There is still much debate about whether the UK should compete as one united country in the Commonwealth Games, or to continue sending separate teams from all the component parts of the British Isles. There are good arguments both for and against the two sides of the debate, but one thing is for certain, and that is that the forthcoming Scottish “independence” Referendum should never have been allowed to be held so close to so much massive enthusiasm being generated for a separate Scottish team competing on home soil! This was of course a cunning plan devised by Alex Salmond and the SNP, and all the Unionist parties at Westminster must be severely castigated for letting them get away with such an obvious ploy!
As far as South Africa was concerned they won 13 gold medals compared to 12 at Delhi in 2010, but dropped from 5th to 7th place in the medal table. Clap, clap. So how do these “new” South African performances compare to South African results during the era of civilized rule (an era when it must be remembered there were far few events where medals were awarded)? At the first ever British Empire Games held at Hamilton, Canada in 1930 South Africa won 6 gold medals and finished 3rd in the medal table, and this rose to 16 at Vancouver in 1954 and 13 at Cardiff in 1958, when on both occasions the country finished 3rd. Surely the conclusion which must be drawn is obvious?
The next 2018 Commonwealth Games will be held at the Gold Coast in Australia, an advanced first world country where another professional efficient spectacular is bound to be staged (unlike at Kingston, Jamaica in 1966, Kuala Lumpur in 1998 and Delhi in 2010, all of which Games in third world countries were plagued with problems). The venue of the 2022 Commonwealth Games has still to be decided however, but there are two candidate cities, Edmonton in Canada and – wait for it – Durban in the “new” South Africa! Surely the powers that be can’t be stupid enough to stage the Games in yet another third world city? Every effort must therefore be made to persuade the Commonwealth Games Federation General Assembly to choose Edmonton as the venue for 2022!
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SEARCH SERVICES FOR THOSE SEEKING LOST RELATIVES
Find any South African, even those who have emigrated. We also search Botswana, Namibia and ex-Rhodesia/Zimbabwe.
Please use the search request form at :-
http://www.bellemodel.biz/emails/emails.php?id=emails_from_SCN
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BOOK OFFERS
"LIEUTENANT COLONEL ALFRED JAMES TOMLINSON: MEMOIRS OF AN AFRICAN PIONEER AND BSAP OFFICER" is now available at Amazon.com, and can be shipped to anywhere in the world. This book contains excerpts from Lieut. Tomlinson's writings detailing his experiences as a member of the BSAP in Southern Rhodesia, where he rose from the rank of an ordinary trooper to retire as the commanding officer. It also includes the personal story of Majaqaba Ncube, a man who was enslaved by Lobengula when his entire village was massacred by the chief's soldiers. After he escaped, Lieut. Tomlinson saved him from certain death and gave him a job. They lost contact and were reunited after 45 years, when Majaqaba presented Lieut. Tomlinson with an earthenware jar.
Trish also writes romantic suspense and romantic comedy fiction. www.trishjaxon.com
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"P.K. VAN DER BYL - AFRICAN STATESMAN" by Hannes Wessels
ISBN: 978-1-920143-49-7 / paperback / illustrated
Retail price: R250.00, Web-site price: R200.00 + postage
The narrative gives the reader an overview of the history of the White man in southern Africa with detailed emphasis on the Rhodesian story through the life and times of PK van der Byl, one of the major players in a political drama that ended in the accession to power of Robert Mugabe under the auspices of the British government. By his very nature PK was controversial and confrontational. This account is likely to give offence to some because it portrays him as bluntly as he was in real life. Much can be contested about PK van der Byl but few will dispute he was an extremely colourful character with a devilish sense of humour. This memoir covers his life with a full flourish while doing nothing to detract from the seriousness of the international political and military conflict in which he was engaged. The reader will glean new information on a highly controversial subject and emerge with a more sympathetic understanding of what PK van der Byl and his colleagues did and strove for. The human tragedy that has followed the removal from power of Ian Smith and his Rhodesian Front party will almost certainly force the reader to deal with some uncomfortable conclusions, of value to anyone sincere about grappling with the volatile and deeply troubling challenges that confront all Africans today.
This book and others of interest can be purchased from 30 Degrees South via their web-site: www.30degreessouth.co.za
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"BLUE WATCH" by Gwyn Fford-Osborne
Rhodesia, in 1975 and a bloody vicious civil war is at its height. A war between the White minority supported by the Black majority and the ZAPU and ZANU terrorist groups, supported by Zambia and Mozambique. Kensington, a small town in the farming belt has been the subject of several terrorist attacks but with only a small police force for defence, the local T.A. unit having been called up for service on the Zambia border the situation appears grim. Until Iffor Meredith turns up on a pilgrimage to meet up with his wife and son of his old army buddy, recently murdered by terrorists. A deadly ambush on the "Dix" family and his escape from a land mine attack makes Iffor determined to offer resistance of some form or other to the terrorists. His application to join the Rhodesian Army has been accepted and he sets about forming a small militia. With all the fit men already on call up, who can he recruit from. Then he's invited to a darts match at the Moth Club and meets up with the remnants of the town's Fire Brigade, the men considered too old for call up. Blue Watch.
Available from: www.diadembooks.com
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CREST PUBLISHING BOOKS
Crest Publishing retails books by Glenn MacAskill (ex-BSAP Special Branch) entitled "King's Gold", "Crime Lords", "Kill Victoria!", "Hunt the Assassin" and "MacKinnon's Diamond", and by the late Michael Bowery including "Canham's Run", "The Sligo Piper" "Kill the President", "Al Qaeda Armageddon" and his autobiography "Shred when Read", as well as novels by David Ruppert entitled "The Seven Watchmen" and "The Greater Glory" - all of which will be of great interest to South Africans and ex-Rhodesians.
For more information, or to make an order, please contact Crest Publishing at: P.O.Box, 4178, Honeydew, Johannesburg, 2040, South Africa, e-mail: glennallanmacaskill@gmail.com, or visit the Crest Publishing web-site at: www.crestpublishing.co.za. Special discounts are available to ex-servicemen, Rhodies and Springboks!
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"THE SAINTS" - DVD versions of the book about the history of the RLI
Now available from Msasa Enterprises. Contact: msasasa@iafrica.com or UK tel.: 07732 685400.
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WHERE ARE THEY NOW ?
No.189 : Mr. MIKE WEBB of Oxfordshire.
Mike Webb served in the Royal Tank Regiment before turning up in Durban during mid-1981, where he worked as a barman at the Riviera Hotel on the Victoria Embankment – a job which he was clearly way over-qualified for. The reason for this soon became apparent however, as he was involved in the failed Seychelles coup attempt of November 1981 – which was hatched and planned at the Riviera Hotel. After escaping from the Seychelles on the hijacked Air India jet he was sentenced to imprisonment in South Africa, and after this all contact with him ceased – until we met him again unexpectedly at a reception for the Hon. Ian Douglas Smith at the RAF Club in London during the late 1990s. He informed us then that he was living at Thame in Oxfordshire, but alas we never received any reply from him to several pieces of correspondence sent to the address which he had given. We wonder therefore whether anyone knows whether he’s still living in Thame, or if not where he is now based?
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RECOMMENDED WEB-SITE OF THE MONTH
We have recently been contacted by the publishers of eNONGQAI - a Police & National Security magazine mainly for Veterans of the South African Forces. eNongquai Publications maintain a very informative web-site dedicated to preserving the history of the South African Police (SAP) from 1913 until 1994, which can be accessed at :-
http://www.enongqaipublications.com/
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
FATTY FOAMS
Sir,
I was reading an Internet blog a while ago and spotted that Allan Robertson [the former Organiser of the Swinton Circle who was expelled from the organization in early 2009 for gross misconduct – Ed.] had accused you of misuse of power and position in the Swinton Circle. Even one of his own former supporters had then reported that whenever he hears your name he flies into a tantrum and almost foams at the mouth!
Yours etc.,
Richard Windsor, Canterbury, U.K.
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MISSION IMPOSSIBLE
Sir,
My wife and I worked for 25 years without a salary, lived on donations of friends and churches, firstly at Jubilee Mission Hospital, Hammanskraal, then Mission Aviation Fellowship/South Africa in Edenvale, lastly Shekinah Care Foundation, New Hanover, Natal. All those years we worked 24/7 amongst Blacks & Whites. I can write a thousand stories about our work, not once did we see the same tragedy that is now taking place. Yes, there were sad shameful stories, but not on the scale in the stories we now receive from you and the Freedom Front Plus. My brother was left to die on the side of the road in Cato Ridge; not one Black man went to his aid. Mine is one of ten thousand stories.
Yours etc.,
Ray Absalom, New Zealand
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DEFENDING THE RIGHT
Sir,
The Conservatives are prepared to do even more damage to our defences, slashing even the Paras because of the sacred cow of "saving taxpayers' money." This taxpayer heard a lecture on the great Admiral Beatty recently - in the 1920s he complained about politicians jeopardising our defences for the sake of a shilling off the Income Tax. Some things never change.
They should save money by cutting spending on the EU and slashing it on overseas aid. Defence should be restored to Thatcher-era levels, and I am sticking with UKIP. This is what comes of replacing officers and gentlemen with accountants and spin-doctors as Conservative MPs.
Yours etc.,
M. Taylor, London, U.K.
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IVOR BENSON – A RETROSPECTIVE
A supporter recently wrote to us asking whether we knew anything about Mr. Ivor Benson, the late South African journalist and political analyst, specifically regarding the allegation that he was anti-Semitic. Mr. Benson was well known to our movement when we were still based in Natal during the late 1970s and 1980s, and so we replied giving a full account of our knowledge of the man to this supporter. It was afterwards suggested that this review of the man’s life might be suitable for a wider audience, so we therefore repeat it below :-
“We knew Ivor Benson well in South Africa during the late 1970s and early 1980s. His National Forum organization had been recommended to us by a colleague from the UK, and we successfully managed to make contact with the organisation through Duncan du Bois of the Save Rhodesia Campaign (a long-standing member), and started attending their meetings regularly in 1977. Over the following few years we came to know Ivor and his wife Joan very well, and liked them both a lot. They were both very friendly and affable, with Ivor himself having an “impish” sense of humour. Both were also clearly highly intelligent and well-read, but we never detected that Ivor harboured any anti-Semitic sentiments at that time. We alas recall Joan making somewhat anti-Semitic comments on at least one occasion however, and there were occasional surreptitious anti-Semitic questions from the floor at National Forum meetings – which were highly embarrassing, and we believe led to at least one member leaving the organization as a result.
“We got to know quite a bit about Ivor’s background and history over the following years. Contrary to popular belief he was not of completely British stock. Either his father or his grandfather was a Norwegian seaman who had ‘jumped ship’ in Durban Harbour and landed up at Bethlehem in the O.V.S./O.F.S., where Ivor was born. We are uncertain about the ethnic origins of his other ancestors, but as Bethlehem is/was a 95% Afrikaner town we would imagine that they were more likely to have been Afrikaners rather than British-South Africans – though the family did Anglocize their name from Bjornsen (or some such similar spelling) to Benson. Ivor evidently excelled at school, and entered journalism as a profession, where he eventually worked his way up to become Deputy Editor of the Rand Daily Mail – the premier English-language daily newspaper in the Transvaal at the time. It is interesting to note in this regard that the RDM always had a very liberal reputation – but this didn’t stop Ian Smith from ‘head-hunting’ Ivor to become head of the Rhodesian Government’s Information operations during the run-up to UDI in 1965 (this would certainly imply that Ivor was not particularly right-wing prior to his time in Rhodesia). Ivor stayed in this position for only just over a year however, resigning not for ideological reasons but because of a strategic disagreement, as he totally disagreed with Ian Smith’s desire to reach a negotiated settlement with Harold Wilson’s Labour Government even after UDI was declared, believing instead that Rhodesia should simply ‘get on with independence’.
“In spite of only being in Rhodesia for just over a year something very fundamental happened to Ivor during this period – namely he met and married Joan. He was well into his middle-age at the time, and had never previously been married – whereas Joan had been married at least once before. It is certainly our belief that Joan became a great influence on Ivor’s political thinking, and probably caused him to veer towards anti-Semitism during the twilight years of his life – something which of course was most regrettable. After leaving Rhodesia Ivor and Joan moved to Pinetown where Ivor never again seemed to have any regular employment – spending all his time launching his magazine Behind the News, writing books and founding the National Forum. The speculation was that Joan either had or inherited money, and that they lived on this. We were once informed that the print-run for Behind the News was only 1000 (S.A.Patriot’s was initially 3000, though subsequently reduced to 2000), and that the Bensons’ garage was full of piles of unsold copies of Behind the News - and that whilst parking their car they had apparently knocked down these piles several times, leaving them on the oily ground and never bothering to pick them up. Quite clearly therefore, especially as it never carried any adverts, Behind the News never made any money!
“Meetings of the National Forum continued to be held regularly throughout the 1970s however, and after we made contact in 1977 always seemed to be well-attended and featured very interesting guest speakers (including Harvey Ward, the former head of Rhodesian Television). In about 1981 Ivor announced that he was moving from Pinetown to Krugersdorp because ‘at such a vital stage in South African history it was important to be in the Transvaal, the fulcrum of political activity’. With Ivor gone the National Forum collapsed in Natal, and although Ian Long and David Bell (whose wife, incidentally, was Jewish) tried to carry on operations under the title of the Vanguard Association, this was still-born. We therefore founded our own Patriotic Forum (the predecessor of today’s Springbok Club), which was named with ‘Patriotic’ from ‘S.A.Patriot’ and ‘Forum’ from the ‘National Forum’. We continued to receive copies of Behind the News even after Ivor moved to Krugersdorp, but became increasingly concerned by some of its nuttier ‘conspiracy theory’ contents. There are conspiracies and cover-ups in this world of course – but Ivor’s ‘grand conspiracy theories’ went so far over the top that they were unbelievable. When he claimed that the Falklands War was fought ‘for oil’ and not to protect the liberty of the Falkland Islands’ people it became too much for us, so we cut all contact as a result.
“Evidently during the late 1980s Ivor and Joan moved to the UK (apparently because Ivor was seriously ill and they had no medical insurance, so therefore wanted to make use of the NHS), staying initially with a certain Mr. Don Martin in Suffolk. Don Martin is/was a total ‘conspiracy theory’ crank, so far off the edge it appears that he was too much for Ivor and Joan, so they moved away from him and severed all links. Ivor died in the early 1990s, but alas we don’t know whatever became of Joan.”
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See you again next month!
Sunday, 20 July 2014
July 2014 Edition.
SPRINGBOK CYBER NEWSLETTER
July 2014 edition
This month marks the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War One, the bloodiest conflict in human history in which tens of millions of Europeans of all nationalities needlessly lost their lives. Moreover, it has rightly been observed that whilst this basically European conflict was taking place the non-White races around the world had every reason to sit back and smile.
Worryingly there now appear to be certain pro-EU elements around the world who are asserting that Germany did not initiate WWI. Strictly speaking they are of course correct, as it was Austria-Hungary who first unjustifiably declared war on Serbia. Closer investigation, however, reveals that the fossilized Austro-Hungarian government was pressurized into this declaration of war by their far more dominant ally Germany. Furthermore, it was Germany who subsequently declared war unilaterally on France following Russia’s mobilization of troops in support of the Serbian people – and then invaded totally neutral Belgium in order to attack France!
But of course Germany had been itching to initiate a massive European war for some time, with the clear aim of establishing Berlin’s hegemony across the whole continent. In 1905 the Tangier Crisis first threatened to unleash such a continental conflict, and was only defused when Germany found itself practically isolated at the Conference of Algeciras. Tensions rose again during the Agadir Crisis of 1911, another clear attempt by the German government to provoke a European conflagration. There can be no doubt whatsoever therefore that the blame for starting World War One lies squarely at the door of Germany, and Germany alone.
Perhaps however it is inaccurate to blame Germany per se for all this warmongering. When the history of the 19th century is examined it can clearly be seen that 20th century German aggression was simply a continuation of Prussian expansionism. Both during the war of 1848-51 and again in 1864 Prussia fought unprovoked wars against Denmark simply in order to seize the Danish duchies of Schleswig and Holstein (areas which still haven’t been returned to Denmark!). In 1866 Prussia fought another totally unjustifiable war, this time against Austria-Hungary, purely in order to establish itself as the dominant German-speaking state. Then of course there was the inexcusable Franco-Prussian War, after which Prussia not only transmogrified itself into the German “Empire”, but also made a further illegal land-grab, this time of Alsace and Lorraine. Quite clearly therefore there has been a devil at work for the past 200 or so years somewhere in the German – or should we say Prussian – soul.
But to return to World War One, the centenary of the start of which we are marking this month. Not only was Germany the clear instigator of this conflict, but was also guilty of a whole range of atrocities which today would be regarded as war crimes. Their use of poison gas was the first example of WMDs being deployed, and the arbitrary executions of captured prisoners, the shootings of French and Belgian civilians simply for protesting against the invasions of their countries, and of course the sadistic bayoneting of Belgian babies, were all examples of pure evil which can never be justified by any civilized person. The horrendous atrocities committed by the Germans during World War Two are alas often white-washed by claiming that they were “Nazi atrocities” rather than “German atrocities” – but except for scale is there any real difference between the evils of the Holocaust and the evil actions of bayoneting Belgian babies?
It is a big unsolved mystery why at the Versailles Peace Conference, unlike what happened to the two lesser belligerent powers of Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire, Germany wasn’t also split into its component parts, or why areas of its European lands weren’t handed to those countries which it invaded as compensation. “If” of course is always a big word in history, but is seems quite clear that if Germany had been split into its component parts like Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire then there would have been no Nazis, no World War Two, a probable collapse of the Soviet Union far earlier, and no disintegration of the great European global empires. In short the world today would be a far better place than it actually is!
What is even more inexplicable is why the lessons of this mistake were not learnt after the end of WWII. Although Germany was partitioned between the Western Zones (which became the GFR) and the Soviet Zone (which became the GDR), these two states were easily reunified following the collapse of the Iron Curtain. If Germany had instead been split into its several pre-19th century nation-states, with only a shrunken Prussia too weak exercise any hegemony, then this spectre is highly unlikely ever to have come about. As it is, of course, during the latter half of the 20th century Germany simply tried to achieve by “peaceful” means what it had twice earlier that century failed to achieve by more violent methods, in the form of the establishment of the EU. As a result of this “European Project” – more accurately called the “German Project” – most southern European nations, and increasingly eastern European states also, now live in penury and under the dictat of their German masters.
Let’s not be too pessimistic however. Although twice during the first half of the 20th Century Germany tried to conquer and control the whole of Europe, they failed on both occasions. There is no reason therefore to doubt that they will now fail again in their more “peaceful” attempts to achieve the same aims – especially as EuroScepticism is now so firmly on the ascendancy in so many European countries. Once they fail again then some means must be found to do what should have been done in 1919 and again in 1945, namely to split Germany into its various component parts. Such an outcome will be the only valid and accepted memorial to all those innocent Serbs, Russians, Frenchmen and women, Belgians and Britons who needlessly lost heir lives as a result of German aggression during World War One.
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SPRINGBOK CLUB NEWS
Unfortunately the inclement weather meant that the turnout for the Springbok Club’s June activity, the trip to the Olympic Park and the rejuvenated Lea Valley, was not as large as was hoped and expected. Once the rain had cleared away those who did attend enjoyed a most pleasant and inspiring day however, which included a trip inside the Olympic Velodrome to see some of the training runs being made by national and local cyclists, and outdoor viewings of the Copper Box, the Olympic Stadium and the Aquatic Centre. After the stroll down the picturesque Lea Valley the remaining members of the party adjourned to a hostelry at the near-by Westfield Centre in Stratford for a most convivial ending to a very enjoyable day.
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For its July event the Springbok Club will be joining forces with the Swinton Circle in order to stage a meeting to be addressed by a leading official of a pro-British Overseas Territories organization. This promises to be a most enthralling event, which will be held on Thursday 31st July at a venue in central London, commencing at 19.00 hrs. All members of both the Springbok Club and the Swinton Circle will be notified of the precise details of this event in due course, but if any other reader would like to attend simply e-mail: springbok@netcomuk.co.uk for more information.
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In September the Springbok Club will be staging a meeting which will be addressed by a leading member of the organization who will have just returned from a professional contract in the “new” South Africa, and who will tell something about the true conditions currently prevailing there. In November the Springbok Club plans to stage its annual UDI Day celebration buffet, at which there will be a guest speaker with strong Rhodesian connections.
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Later during the year the London Branch of the Springbok Club is planning a trip to a special exhibition at the Imperial War Museum, and the Kent Branch will be organising a trip to see some of the historical sites of the Medway Towns, as well as staging an informal social gathering in Canterbury
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SWINTON CIRCLE NEWS
In June the Swinton Circle gave its full support to New Britain’s annual Canada Day celebrations, which this year took the form of a musical evening at a venue in the City of London. There was a very high percentage of Swinton Circle members and supporters who attended this event, thus illustrating the increasingly close friendship and co-operation between the two organizations, and they were all in agreement in praising New Britain for organizing such a splendid event.
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On Thursday 31st July the Swinton Circle will be joining forces with the Springbok Club in order to stage an meeting to be addressed by a leading official from a pro-British Overseas Territories organization, as detailed more fully in the Springbok Club column above.
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In August the Swinton Circle will be staging a meeting to be addressed by a prominent former Conservative MP. Fuller details will be given in next month’s SCN.
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As part of its campaign in support of a “No” vote in the forthcoming Scottish Constitutional Referendum the Swinton Circle has sent the following letter to all Scottish daily newspapers :-
“Dear Sir,
“It is often claimed by the ‘Yes’ campaign in the Scottish Referendum debate that most English people secretly hope that Scotland breaks away, or at least couldn’t care less. As a London-based Conservative organisation with our finger very much on the English political pulse we can assert categorically that this is not the case.
“The vast majority of English people value the Union, and do not wish to see their Scottish brothers and sisters become foreigners. The Union has been one of the world’s greatest success stories, which has benefitted us all. We have fought together in two world wars against tyranny (as well as in many other conflicts against threatening despots); together we initiated the industrial and agricultural revolutions; together we created the greatest and most benevolent Empire which the world has ever seen, which transformed effortlessly into today’s Commonwealth (shortly to be gloriously manifested by the Glasgow Commonwealth Games!); together we have been in the forefront of global free trade and technological advance.
“With Britain’s relationship with the European Union about to be renegotiated and probably relaxed, our future appears to be even more exhilarating. The days ahead therefore seem likely to inspire us all, and to herald an even greater chapter in the saga of our island nation. This exciting future can clearly only achieve its full potential if we remain united.
“It is therefore the ‘No’ vote, not the ‘Yes’ vote, which is the positive vote for the future.
“Yours sincerely,
“( The Executive Committee of the Swinton Circle.)”
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Membership fees and donations to the Swinton Circle can be made via PayPal on the organisation’s web-site home page at www.swintoncircle.co.uk - simply 'click' on the line "PayPal = the safer, easier way to pay online" at the bottom of the home page; if the error message "This content cannot be displayed in a Frame" appears then simply 'click' on the line "Open this Content in a New Window".
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LATEST REPORT FROM THE SANWILD WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
We have recently received the following message from the SanWild Wildlife Sanctuary :-
“This time around our mailer is all about rhinos and their safety and what you can do to play a meaningful role in rhino conservation.
“For us at SanWild it has always been and will always remain about individual animals. We believe that we deal with one animal at a time and because of this approach we have managed to save thousands of wild animals.
“Now let's talk rhinos for a moment and how you can help us right now to make a real difference in the lives of three orphaned rhinos! This trio is waiting for a safe home and a long-term future. Their mums were all slaughtered by ruthless poachers in an ongoing war that is being waged against South Africa's rhino and they were very fortunate to survive. Through great team work and with the help of dedicated rangers they were fortunately found in time to be rescued. Since their rescue they have been cared for pretty well, but it is now time for these little rhinos to find a new and secure home where they will be protected in perpetuity by professional and well-armed rangers while living in the wild where they belong.
“We really would like to help these little ones to find a safe home, but we simply cannot do it without your help.
“While we are setting up a very well protected rhino sanctuary and are funding the land, the training of professional counter poaching units and the deployment of the units, we need some help to raise the funds to purchase the calves. A substantial amount of money has already been spent on the rescue and subsequent feeding of these rhino calves, but the owners are keen to ensure that the animals go to a safe destination and they have agreed to allow us to make an offer to purchase the animals. I am confident that our offer will be favorably accepted and we have therefore already started on repairs on our current facilities in order to accommodate the new arrivals.
“The safety and the security of the calves makes fund-raising very difficult as we need to protect them against the preying eyes of animal traders that are buying rhino calves for export to China and Vietnam. Although calves may not be exported right away they are taken to care-giving facilities and when they are old enough these young, relatively tame animals are sent to a life in hell in China and Vietnam's rhino farms.
“We therefore ask that you place your trust in us for the time being while we give it our all to raise the required funds. Should we fail to be successful in our bid to acquire the calves it is our intention to reimburse donors or alternatively should they choose, put the funds raised into a special rhino calf trust fund that will only be used for rhino calves. However should we be successful in our efforts we will give you all the details in due course after the arrival of the animals at SanWild.
“In preparation of the arrival of the calves we are sending three staff members to a workshop presented by Karen Trendler (South Africa's leading wildlife rehabilitation expert on rhino calves) and the Endangered Wildlife Trust in Johannesburg on the 13 & 14th February 2014. We will also be most grateful for sponsorship of the three staff members to the value of R5000.00.”
SanWild can be contacted in this regard via their web-site at: www.sanwild.org
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COMMONWEALTH GAMES FEVER
Two years after the triumphant London Olympic and Paralympic Games the UK is fortunate once again to host another major global sporting extravaganza when Glasgow hosts the 2014 Commonwealth Games. We do not doubt that Glasgow will excel in providing an equally spectacular and inspiring Games as that which London produced in 2012.
The only drawback to this year’s Commonwealth Games is that they will take place against the backdrop of the controversial Scottish Constitutional Referendum, which means that the Neanderthals from the “Yes” campaign will inevitably be able to make capital out of Scottish successes both in competitions and organizationally. Those in authority therefore erred extremely badly in allowing the splittist referendum to be held so close to such a headline-grabbing event. Serious questions must be asked therefore regardless of the result of the referendum (though happily the latest opinion polls continue to show a clear majority in favour of the Unionist “No” campaign), with those responsible held to account.
The Swinton Circle received significant global interest earlier this year for their campaign to initiate regular Winter Commonwealth Games, and once the current Games are concluded the organization intends to initiate another Commonwealth Games-orientated campaign, this time advocating that only a united GB & NI team should compete in future. In this regard it was most encouraging to hear Dan Snow advocating that a united GB & NI team should compete in future Soccer World Cups on Newsnight shortly after England’s sorry early exit from this year’s tournament in Brazil!
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THE “NEW” SOUTH AFRICA SLIDES FURTHER DOWNWARDS
The London-based South African “freebee” newspaper “The South African” isn’t particularly our favourite publication. They carried a wicked smear report on a Springbok Club meeting in 2010 in which they libeled a then recently deceased member of the Springbok Club’s Executive Committee. Yes, it’s easy to libel a dead man isn’t it!
As a result the speculation was that “The South African” was controlled – or certainly heavily influenced – by the ANC. A recent report which appeared on their on-line news service dated 8th April is therefore very significant, as in it even they had to admit that “Nigeria overtakes SA as Africa’s biggest economy”.
Prior to F.W.de Klerk’s treason and sell-out of 1990 South Africa was universally accepted as “Africa’s super-power”. It was a first-world nation with an economy which was believed to exceed all of the rest of sub-Saharan Africa put together. Nigeria, on the other hand, was – and indeed still is – a third-world basket-case. Although it has massive oil reserves these remain largely unexploited due to widescale Islamic control and terrorism in the north, and rampant corruption, lawlessness and anarchy in the south. For such a chaotic nation now to have overtaken South Africa with all its natural mineral resources in the economy stakes surely says all that needs to be said about the disasters of ANC rule.
In the 25 short years since F.W.de Klerk’s surrender of the nation South Africa has therefore descended from being a first-world super-power to being placed even below the Nigerian basket-case. A very clever man was Mr. de Klerk.
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SEARCH SERVICES FOR THOSE SEEKING LOST RELATIVES
Find any South African, even those who have emigrated. We also search Botswana, Namibia and ex-Rhodesia/Zimbabwe.
Please use the search request form at :-
http://www.bellemodel.biz/emails/emails.php?id=emails_from_SCN
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BOOK OFFERS
"LIEUTENANT COLONEL ALFRED JAMES TOMLINSON: MEMOIRS OF AN AFRICAN PIONEER AND BSAP OFFICER" is now available at Amazon.com, and can be shipped to anywhere in the world. This book contains excerpts from Lieut. Tomlinson's writings detailing his experiences as a member of the BSAP in Southern Rhodesia, where he rose from the rank of an ordinary trooper to retire as the commanding officer. It also includes the personal story of Majaqaba Ncube, a man who was enslaved by Lobengula when his entire village was massacred by the chief's soldiers. After he escaped, Lieut. Tomlinson saved him from certain death and gave him a job. They lost contact and were reunited after 45 years, when Majaqaba presented Lieut. Tomlinson with an earthenware jar.
Trish also writes romantic suspense and romantic comedy fiction. www.trishjaxon.com
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"P.K. VAN DER BYL - AFRICAN STATESMAN" by Hannes Wessels
ISBN: 978-1-920143-49-7 / paperback / illustrated
Retail price: R250.00, Web-site price: R200.00 + postage
The narrative gives the reader an overview of the history of the White man in southern Africa with detailed emphasis on the Rhodesian story through the life and times of PK van der Byl, one of the major players in a political drama that ended in the accession to power of Robert Mugabe under the auspices of the British government. By his very nature PK was controversial and confrontational. This account is likely to give offence to some because it portrays him as bluntly as he was in real life. Much can be contested about PK van der Byl but few will dispute he was an extremely colourful character with a devilish sense of humour. This memoir covers his life with a full flourish while doing nothing to detract from the seriousness of the international political and military conflict in which he was engaged. The reader will glean new information on a highly controversial subject and emerge with a more sympathetic understanding of what PK van der Byl and his colleagues did and strove for. The human tragedy that has followed the removal from power of Ian Smith and his Rhodesian Front party will almost certainly force the reader to deal with some uncomfortable conclusions, of value to anyone sincere about grappling with the volatile and deeply troubling challenges that confront all Africans today.
This book and others of interest can be purchased from 30 Degrees South via their web-site: www.30degreessouth.co.za
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"BLUE WATCH" by Gwyn Fford-Osborne
Rhodesia, in 1975 and a bloody vicious civil war is at its height. A war between the White minority supported by the Black majority and the ZAPU and ZANU terrorist groups, supported by Zambia and Mozambique. Kensington, a small town in the farming belt has been the subject of several terrorist attacks but with only a small police force for defence, the local T.A. unit having been called up for service on the Zambia border the situation appears grim. Until Iffor Meredith turns up on a pilgrimage to meet up with his wife and son of his old army buddy, recently murdered by terrorists. A deadly ambush on the "Dix" family and his escape from a land mine attack makes Iffor determined to offer resistance of some form or other to the terrorists. His application to join the Rhodesian Army has been accepted and he sets about forming a small militia. With all the fit men already on call up, who can he recruit from. Then he's invited to a darts match at the Moth Club and meets up with the remnants of the town's Fire Brigade, the men considered too old for call up. Blue Watch.
Available from: www.diadembooks.com
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CREST PUBLISHING BOOKS
Crest Publishing retails books by Glenn MacAskill (ex-BSAP Special Branch) entitled "King's Gold", "Crime Lords", "Kill Victoria!", "Hunt the Assassin" and "MacKinnon's Diamond", and by the late Michael Bowery including "Canham's Run", "The Sligo Piper" "Kill the President", "Al Qaeda Armageddon" and his autobiography "Shred when Read", as well as novels by David Ruppert entitled "The Seven Watchmen" and "The Greater Glory" - all of which will be of great interest to South Africans and ex-Rhodesians.
For more information, or to make an order, please contact Crest Publishing at: P.O.Box, 4178, Honeydew, Johannesburg, 2040, South Africa, e-mail: glennallanmacaskill@gmail.com, or visit the Crest Publishing web-site at: www.crestpublishing.co.za. Special discounts are available to ex-servicemen, Rhodies and Springboks!
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"THE SAINTS" - DVD versions of the book about the history of the RLI
Now available from Msasa Enterprises. Contact: msasasa@iafrica.com or UK tel.: 07732 685400.
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WHERE ARE THEY NOW ?
No.188 : Mr. BRUCE ILLINGWORTH of Rhodesia.
Bruce Illingworth was a proud Rhodesian who travelled to work for a few years in the UK during his youth in the early-1970s, becoming a successful manager of a Bingo hall in the south of England. He returned to Rhodesia in 1974 however, intending to establish a sanctions-busting export business specializing in soapstone carvings. Contact with him was alas lost shortly after this, but it would be very interesting to learn where he is now,
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RECOMMENDED WEB-SITE OF THE MONTH
Although now slightly dated, our friends in the Australian Monarchist League constructed an excellent web-page in order to celebrate the recent highly successful visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to Australia. This site is still of great interest, and can be accessed at :-
http://www.royalvisit.com.au/itinerary/
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
TRUTH COMMISSION
Sir,
I am sickened by the programmes on the BBC applauding Mandela and inferring that he is some kind of “saint”. Far from this he and that wife of his Winnie were murderers and terrorists.
I resent the brainwashing of lies that are being told to our children and the way some so called celebrities have jumped on the bandwagon.
The truth will out and posterity will condemn evil.
Yours etc.,
Mandy Lloyd, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain.
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JUDAS WATCH
Sir,
I see that that old scoundrel Allan Robertson is struggling to obtain decent speakers for the pathetic outfit which he established after he was expelled from the Swinton Circle.
In April he had as his guest speaker Mr. David Silvester, who had earlier been expelled from UKIP after making a bizarre statement that the Somerset floods were divine punishment for the legalization of same-sex marriage. Of course all decent people will oppose same-sex marriage, but to claim that the Somerset floods were caused by this is, quite frankly, bonkers!
At his next meeting in June Robertson had a well-known Holocaust-denier as his guest speaker. Bad enough in itself of course, but in a circular he sent out afterwards he boasted that the vote of thanks at this meeting was given by Christopher Luke. Not only was Luke expelled from the Swinton Circle along with Robertson after it was revealed that he was involved in the unsuccessful coup attempt, but he is also a quite open and unapologetic homosexual!
I wonder if Mr. Silvester, who in view of his opposition to same-sex marriage is presumably not particularly enamoured towards homosexuality, realizes that he graced an outfit which harbours both holocaust-deniers and overt homosexuals to its bosom? The hypocrisy seems unbelievable all the way round!
Yours etc.,
“Loyalist”, London, U.K.
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ENGLISH-SPEAKING UNION
Sir,
At British Commonwealth meet-ups which are held across the country, the UK/Australia/NZ are of course main topics, but South Africa comes up occasionally, usually from a "Cautionary example" point of view. Praise for Mandela was conspicuous by its absence!
Our very best wishes to Springbok Club members everywhere...
Yours etc.,
Alan Truelove, Washington D.C., U.S.A.
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ON THE MARK
Sir,
As a British Nationalist and Unionist, I am utterly opposed not only to Scotland's seceding from the United Kingdom but to all devolution. There should be one nation with one system of local government combining the best of the English, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish systems. I would restore the old pre-1964 counties and boroughs with six county councils in Northern Ireland, elections by STV and referenda on major issues.
As a monarchist, I am not only in favour of keeping existing monarchies but to restoring overthrown ones. Any growth in republican sentiment in Australia must be largely due to the anti-Australian policies of various British governments regarding immigration and the EU. We should restore the old position of Canada, Australia and New Zealand and we and all those countries should restrict immigration to those non-refugees able to read, write and speak fluent English and with something to offer them.
Reactionary, nostalgic, out of date? What if I am? It's better than being PC!
Yours etc.,
M. Taylor, London, U.K.
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OBITUARY
RUSSELL STOTTER
It was with great sadness that we recently learnt of the death of Russell Stotter at the tragically early age of only 61.
Russell Stotter was born at Salisbury, Rhodesia, in 1951. He grew up in Kitwe, Northern Rhodesia, and was educated at Churchill School in Rhodesia and at Dale College in King William’s Town, South Africa. He started his working career with Standard Bank in 1970, being stationed at branches throughout Rhodesia. At the same time he of course did his National Service, serving with the Rhodesian Corps of Signals. In 1976 he moved to Victoria Falls where he trained as a croupier. Once qualified he worked in casinos at both Kariba and Inyanga, before being appointed manager of the Montclair Casino Hotel at the age of only 32.
In 1979 he met his future wife Alice Tromm, and together they moved to Alice’s native Amsterdam in 1984, marrying five months later. They bought a café-bar on the fringe of Amsterdam’s red-light district, which they turned into a popular sports-themed venue showing South African rugby videos, evidently obtaining more customers than the near-by red-light district attractions! The South African Cricket team patronized the venue during the 1999 Cricket World Cup, and they sponsored a Dutch team in the Hong Kong Sevens tournament, as well as an Amsterdam students’ rugby club. It was here that we first met Russell when the Springbok Club staged a trip to Amsterdam in 1999. A quite and unassuming man, Russell impressed us greatly by his clear enduring love for Rhodesia, particularly concerning its history, sporting achievements and wildlife.
Shortly after this, frustrated by all the massive business regulations in the Netherlands and wishing to live in a warmer climate, Russell and Alice moved to Tavira in Portugal, and it was here that Russell sadly died in May 2013. He was dressed in his Springbok tracksuit for his funeral, the Rhodesian flag was draped across his coffin, and “Rise Oh Voices of Rhodesia” was played. Alice then returned briefly to Zimbabwe where she scattered Russell’s ashes over Lake Kariba.
Russell Stotter was a great man, the kind which Rhodesia regularly managed to produce. We are honoured to have been able to meet him, and our sincere condolences are extended to Alice and to all the many other members of his family.
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See you again next month!
July 2014 edition
This month marks the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War One, the bloodiest conflict in human history in which tens of millions of Europeans of all nationalities needlessly lost their lives. Moreover, it has rightly been observed that whilst this basically European conflict was taking place the non-White races around the world had every reason to sit back and smile.
Worryingly there now appear to be certain pro-EU elements around the world who are asserting that Germany did not initiate WWI. Strictly speaking they are of course correct, as it was Austria-Hungary who first unjustifiably declared war on Serbia. Closer investigation, however, reveals that the fossilized Austro-Hungarian government was pressurized into this declaration of war by their far more dominant ally Germany. Furthermore, it was Germany who subsequently declared war unilaterally on France following Russia’s mobilization of troops in support of the Serbian people – and then invaded totally neutral Belgium in order to attack France!
But of course Germany had been itching to initiate a massive European war for some time, with the clear aim of establishing Berlin’s hegemony across the whole continent. In 1905 the Tangier Crisis first threatened to unleash such a continental conflict, and was only defused when Germany found itself practically isolated at the Conference of Algeciras. Tensions rose again during the Agadir Crisis of 1911, another clear attempt by the German government to provoke a European conflagration. There can be no doubt whatsoever therefore that the blame for starting World War One lies squarely at the door of Germany, and Germany alone.
Perhaps however it is inaccurate to blame Germany per se for all this warmongering. When the history of the 19th century is examined it can clearly be seen that 20th century German aggression was simply a continuation of Prussian expansionism. Both during the war of 1848-51 and again in 1864 Prussia fought unprovoked wars against Denmark simply in order to seize the Danish duchies of Schleswig and Holstein (areas which still haven’t been returned to Denmark!). In 1866 Prussia fought another totally unjustifiable war, this time against Austria-Hungary, purely in order to establish itself as the dominant German-speaking state. Then of course there was the inexcusable Franco-Prussian War, after which Prussia not only transmogrified itself into the German “Empire”, but also made a further illegal land-grab, this time of Alsace and Lorraine. Quite clearly therefore there has been a devil at work for the past 200 or so years somewhere in the German – or should we say Prussian – soul.
But to return to World War One, the centenary of the start of which we are marking this month. Not only was Germany the clear instigator of this conflict, but was also guilty of a whole range of atrocities which today would be regarded as war crimes. Their use of poison gas was the first example of WMDs being deployed, and the arbitrary executions of captured prisoners, the shootings of French and Belgian civilians simply for protesting against the invasions of their countries, and of course the sadistic bayoneting of Belgian babies, were all examples of pure evil which can never be justified by any civilized person. The horrendous atrocities committed by the Germans during World War Two are alas often white-washed by claiming that they were “Nazi atrocities” rather than “German atrocities” – but except for scale is there any real difference between the evils of the Holocaust and the evil actions of bayoneting Belgian babies?
It is a big unsolved mystery why at the Versailles Peace Conference, unlike what happened to the two lesser belligerent powers of Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire, Germany wasn’t also split into its component parts, or why areas of its European lands weren’t handed to those countries which it invaded as compensation. “If” of course is always a big word in history, but is seems quite clear that if Germany had been split into its component parts like Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire then there would have been no Nazis, no World War Two, a probable collapse of the Soviet Union far earlier, and no disintegration of the great European global empires. In short the world today would be a far better place than it actually is!
What is even more inexplicable is why the lessons of this mistake were not learnt after the end of WWII. Although Germany was partitioned between the Western Zones (which became the GFR) and the Soviet Zone (which became the GDR), these two states were easily reunified following the collapse of the Iron Curtain. If Germany had instead been split into its several pre-19th century nation-states, with only a shrunken Prussia too weak exercise any hegemony, then this spectre is highly unlikely ever to have come about. As it is, of course, during the latter half of the 20th century Germany simply tried to achieve by “peaceful” means what it had twice earlier that century failed to achieve by more violent methods, in the form of the establishment of the EU. As a result of this “European Project” – more accurately called the “German Project” – most southern European nations, and increasingly eastern European states also, now live in penury and under the dictat of their German masters.
Let’s not be too pessimistic however. Although twice during the first half of the 20th Century Germany tried to conquer and control the whole of Europe, they failed on both occasions. There is no reason therefore to doubt that they will now fail again in their more “peaceful” attempts to achieve the same aims – especially as EuroScepticism is now so firmly on the ascendancy in so many European countries. Once they fail again then some means must be found to do what should have been done in 1919 and again in 1945, namely to split Germany into its various component parts. Such an outcome will be the only valid and accepted memorial to all those innocent Serbs, Russians, Frenchmen and women, Belgians and Britons who needlessly lost heir lives as a result of German aggression during World War One.
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SPRINGBOK CLUB NEWS
Unfortunately the inclement weather meant that the turnout for the Springbok Club’s June activity, the trip to the Olympic Park and the rejuvenated Lea Valley, was not as large as was hoped and expected. Once the rain had cleared away those who did attend enjoyed a most pleasant and inspiring day however, which included a trip inside the Olympic Velodrome to see some of the training runs being made by national and local cyclists, and outdoor viewings of the Copper Box, the Olympic Stadium and the Aquatic Centre. After the stroll down the picturesque Lea Valley the remaining members of the party adjourned to a hostelry at the near-by Westfield Centre in Stratford for a most convivial ending to a very enjoyable day.
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For its July event the Springbok Club will be joining forces with the Swinton Circle in order to stage a meeting to be addressed by a leading official of a pro-British Overseas Territories organization. This promises to be a most enthralling event, which will be held on Thursday 31st July at a venue in central London, commencing at 19.00 hrs. All members of both the Springbok Club and the Swinton Circle will be notified of the precise details of this event in due course, but if any other reader would like to attend simply e-mail: springbok@netcomuk.co.uk for more information.
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In September the Springbok Club will be staging a meeting which will be addressed by a leading member of the organization who will have just returned from a professional contract in the “new” South Africa, and who will tell something about the true conditions currently prevailing there. In November the Springbok Club plans to stage its annual UDI Day celebration buffet, at which there will be a guest speaker with strong Rhodesian connections.
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Later during the year the London Branch of the Springbok Club is planning a trip to a special exhibition at the Imperial War Museum, and the Kent Branch will be organising a trip to see some of the historical sites of the Medway Towns, as well as staging an informal social gathering in Canterbury
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SWINTON CIRCLE NEWS
In June the Swinton Circle gave its full support to New Britain’s annual Canada Day celebrations, which this year took the form of a musical evening at a venue in the City of London. There was a very high percentage of Swinton Circle members and supporters who attended this event, thus illustrating the increasingly close friendship and co-operation between the two organizations, and they were all in agreement in praising New Britain for organizing such a splendid event.
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On Thursday 31st July the Swinton Circle will be joining forces with the Springbok Club in order to stage an meeting to be addressed by a leading official from a pro-British Overseas Territories organization, as detailed more fully in the Springbok Club column above.
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In August the Swinton Circle will be staging a meeting to be addressed by a prominent former Conservative MP. Fuller details will be given in next month’s SCN.
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As part of its campaign in support of a “No” vote in the forthcoming Scottish Constitutional Referendum the Swinton Circle has sent the following letter to all Scottish daily newspapers :-
“Dear Sir,
“It is often claimed by the ‘Yes’ campaign in the Scottish Referendum debate that most English people secretly hope that Scotland breaks away, or at least couldn’t care less. As a London-based Conservative organisation with our finger very much on the English political pulse we can assert categorically that this is not the case.
“The vast majority of English people value the Union, and do not wish to see their Scottish brothers and sisters become foreigners. The Union has been one of the world’s greatest success stories, which has benefitted us all. We have fought together in two world wars against tyranny (as well as in many other conflicts against threatening despots); together we initiated the industrial and agricultural revolutions; together we created the greatest and most benevolent Empire which the world has ever seen, which transformed effortlessly into today’s Commonwealth (shortly to be gloriously manifested by the Glasgow Commonwealth Games!); together we have been in the forefront of global free trade and technological advance.
“With Britain’s relationship with the European Union about to be renegotiated and probably relaxed, our future appears to be even more exhilarating. The days ahead therefore seem likely to inspire us all, and to herald an even greater chapter in the saga of our island nation. This exciting future can clearly only achieve its full potential if we remain united.
“It is therefore the ‘No’ vote, not the ‘Yes’ vote, which is the positive vote for the future.
“Yours sincerely,
“( The Executive Committee of the Swinton Circle.)”
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Membership fees and donations to the Swinton Circle can be made via PayPal on the organisation’s web-site home page at www.swintoncircle.co.uk - simply 'click' on the line "PayPal = the safer, easier way to pay online" at the bottom of the home page; if the error message "This content cannot be displayed in a Frame" appears then simply 'click' on the line "Open this Content in a New Window".
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LATEST REPORT FROM THE SANWILD WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
We have recently received the following message from the SanWild Wildlife Sanctuary :-
“This time around our mailer is all about rhinos and their safety and what you can do to play a meaningful role in rhino conservation.
“For us at SanWild it has always been and will always remain about individual animals. We believe that we deal with one animal at a time and because of this approach we have managed to save thousands of wild animals.
“Now let's talk rhinos for a moment and how you can help us right now to make a real difference in the lives of three orphaned rhinos! This trio is waiting for a safe home and a long-term future. Their mums were all slaughtered by ruthless poachers in an ongoing war that is being waged against South Africa's rhino and they were very fortunate to survive. Through great team work and with the help of dedicated rangers they were fortunately found in time to be rescued. Since their rescue they have been cared for pretty well, but it is now time for these little rhinos to find a new and secure home where they will be protected in perpetuity by professional and well-armed rangers while living in the wild where they belong.
“We really would like to help these little ones to find a safe home, but we simply cannot do it without your help.
“While we are setting up a very well protected rhino sanctuary and are funding the land, the training of professional counter poaching units and the deployment of the units, we need some help to raise the funds to purchase the calves. A substantial amount of money has already been spent on the rescue and subsequent feeding of these rhino calves, but the owners are keen to ensure that the animals go to a safe destination and they have agreed to allow us to make an offer to purchase the animals. I am confident that our offer will be favorably accepted and we have therefore already started on repairs on our current facilities in order to accommodate the new arrivals.
“The safety and the security of the calves makes fund-raising very difficult as we need to protect them against the preying eyes of animal traders that are buying rhino calves for export to China and Vietnam. Although calves may not be exported right away they are taken to care-giving facilities and when they are old enough these young, relatively tame animals are sent to a life in hell in China and Vietnam's rhino farms.
“We therefore ask that you place your trust in us for the time being while we give it our all to raise the required funds. Should we fail to be successful in our bid to acquire the calves it is our intention to reimburse donors or alternatively should they choose, put the funds raised into a special rhino calf trust fund that will only be used for rhino calves. However should we be successful in our efforts we will give you all the details in due course after the arrival of the animals at SanWild.
“In preparation of the arrival of the calves we are sending three staff members to a workshop presented by Karen Trendler (South Africa's leading wildlife rehabilitation expert on rhino calves) and the Endangered Wildlife Trust in Johannesburg on the 13 & 14th February 2014. We will also be most grateful for sponsorship of the three staff members to the value of R5000.00.”
SanWild can be contacted in this regard via their web-site at: www.sanwild.org
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COMMONWEALTH GAMES FEVER
Two years after the triumphant London Olympic and Paralympic Games the UK is fortunate once again to host another major global sporting extravaganza when Glasgow hosts the 2014 Commonwealth Games. We do not doubt that Glasgow will excel in providing an equally spectacular and inspiring Games as that which London produced in 2012.
The only drawback to this year’s Commonwealth Games is that they will take place against the backdrop of the controversial Scottish Constitutional Referendum, which means that the Neanderthals from the “Yes” campaign will inevitably be able to make capital out of Scottish successes both in competitions and organizationally. Those in authority therefore erred extremely badly in allowing the splittist referendum to be held so close to such a headline-grabbing event. Serious questions must be asked therefore regardless of the result of the referendum (though happily the latest opinion polls continue to show a clear majority in favour of the Unionist “No” campaign), with those responsible held to account.
The Swinton Circle received significant global interest earlier this year for their campaign to initiate regular Winter Commonwealth Games, and once the current Games are concluded the organization intends to initiate another Commonwealth Games-orientated campaign, this time advocating that only a united GB & NI team should compete in future. In this regard it was most encouraging to hear Dan Snow advocating that a united GB & NI team should compete in future Soccer World Cups on Newsnight shortly after England’s sorry early exit from this year’s tournament in Brazil!
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THE “NEW” SOUTH AFRICA SLIDES FURTHER DOWNWARDS
The London-based South African “freebee” newspaper “The South African” isn’t particularly our favourite publication. They carried a wicked smear report on a Springbok Club meeting in 2010 in which they libeled a then recently deceased member of the Springbok Club’s Executive Committee. Yes, it’s easy to libel a dead man isn’t it!
As a result the speculation was that “The South African” was controlled – or certainly heavily influenced – by the ANC. A recent report which appeared on their on-line news service dated 8th April is therefore very significant, as in it even they had to admit that “Nigeria overtakes SA as Africa’s biggest economy”.
Prior to F.W.de Klerk’s treason and sell-out of 1990 South Africa was universally accepted as “Africa’s super-power”. It was a first-world nation with an economy which was believed to exceed all of the rest of sub-Saharan Africa put together. Nigeria, on the other hand, was – and indeed still is – a third-world basket-case. Although it has massive oil reserves these remain largely unexploited due to widescale Islamic control and terrorism in the north, and rampant corruption, lawlessness and anarchy in the south. For such a chaotic nation now to have overtaken South Africa with all its natural mineral resources in the economy stakes surely says all that needs to be said about the disasters of ANC rule.
In the 25 short years since F.W.de Klerk’s surrender of the nation South Africa has therefore descended from being a first-world super-power to being placed even below the Nigerian basket-case. A very clever man was Mr. de Klerk.
------------------------------------------------------------------
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------------------------------------------------------------------
SEARCH SERVICES FOR THOSE SEEKING LOST RELATIVES
Find any South African, even those who have emigrated. We also search Botswana, Namibia and ex-Rhodesia/Zimbabwe.
Please use the search request form at :-
http://www.bellemodel.biz/emails/emails.php?id=emails_from_SCN
------------------------------------------------------------------
BOOK OFFERS
"LIEUTENANT COLONEL ALFRED JAMES TOMLINSON: MEMOIRS OF AN AFRICAN PIONEER AND BSAP OFFICER" is now available at Amazon.com, and can be shipped to anywhere in the world. This book contains excerpts from Lieut. Tomlinson's writings detailing his experiences as a member of the BSAP in Southern Rhodesia, where he rose from the rank of an ordinary trooper to retire as the commanding officer. It also includes the personal story of Majaqaba Ncube, a man who was enslaved by Lobengula when his entire village was massacred by the chief's soldiers. After he escaped, Lieut. Tomlinson saved him from certain death and gave him a job. They lost contact and were reunited after 45 years, when Majaqaba presented Lieut. Tomlinson with an earthenware jar.
Trish also writes romantic suspense and romantic comedy fiction. www.trishjaxon.com
----------------------------
"P.K. VAN DER BYL - AFRICAN STATESMAN" by Hannes Wessels
ISBN: 978-1-920143-49-7 / paperback / illustrated
Retail price: R250.00, Web-site price: R200.00 + postage
The narrative gives the reader an overview of the history of the White man in southern Africa with detailed emphasis on the Rhodesian story through the life and times of PK van der Byl, one of the major players in a political drama that ended in the accession to power of Robert Mugabe under the auspices of the British government. By his very nature PK was controversial and confrontational. This account is likely to give offence to some because it portrays him as bluntly as he was in real life. Much can be contested about PK van der Byl but few will dispute he was an extremely colourful character with a devilish sense of humour. This memoir covers his life with a full flourish while doing nothing to detract from the seriousness of the international political and military conflict in which he was engaged. The reader will glean new information on a highly controversial subject and emerge with a more sympathetic understanding of what PK van der Byl and his colleagues did and strove for. The human tragedy that has followed the removal from power of Ian Smith and his Rhodesian Front party will almost certainly force the reader to deal with some uncomfortable conclusions, of value to anyone sincere about grappling with the volatile and deeply troubling challenges that confront all Africans today.
This book and others of interest can be purchased from 30 Degrees South via their web-site: www.30degreessouth.co.za
----------------------------
"BLUE WATCH" by Gwyn Fford-Osborne
Rhodesia, in 1975 and a bloody vicious civil war is at its height. A war between the White minority supported by the Black majority and the ZAPU and ZANU terrorist groups, supported by Zambia and Mozambique. Kensington, a small town in the farming belt has been the subject of several terrorist attacks but with only a small police force for defence, the local T.A. unit having been called up for service on the Zambia border the situation appears grim. Until Iffor Meredith turns up on a pilgrimage to meet up with his wife and son of his old army buddy, recently murdered by terrorists. A deadly ambush on the "Dix" family and his escape from a land mine attack makes Iffor determined to offer resistance of some form or other to the terrorists. His application to join the Rhodesian Army has been accepted and he sets about forming a small militia. With all the fit men already on call up, who can he recruit from. Then he's invited to a darts match at the Moth Club and meets up with the remnants of the town's Fire Brigade, the men considered too old for call up. Blue Watch.
Available from: www.diadembooks.com
----------------------------
CREST PUBLISHING BOOKS
Crest Publishing retails books by Glenn MacAskill (ex-BSAP Special Branch) entitled "King's Gold", "Crime Lords", "Kill Victoria!", "Hunt the Assassin" and "MacKinnon's Diamond", and by the late Michael Bowery including "Canham's Run", "The Sligo Piper" "Kill the President", "Al Qaeda Armageddon" and his autobiography "Shred when Read", as well as novels by David Ruppert entitled "The Seven Watchmen" and "The Greater Glory" - all of which will be of great interest to South Africans and ex-Rhodesians.
For more information, or to make an order, please contact Crest Publishing at: P.O.Box, 4178, Honeydew, Johannesburg, 2040, South Africa, e-mail: glennallanmacaskill@gmail.com, or visit the Crest Publishing web-site at: www.crestpublishing.co.za. Special discounts are available to ex-servicemen, Rhodies and Springboks!
----------------------------
"THE SAINTS" - DVD versions of the book about the history of the RLI
Now available from Msasa Enterprises. Contact: msasasa@iafrica.com or UK tel.: 07732 685400.
------------------------------------------------------------------
WHERE ARE THEY NOW ?
No.188 : Mr. BRUCE ILLINGWORTH of Rhodesia.
Bruce Illingworth was a proud Rhodesian who travelled to work for a few years in the UK during his youth in the early-1970s, becoming a successful manager of a Bingo hall in the south of England. He returned to Rhodesia in 1974 however, intending to establish a sanctions-busting export business specializing in soapstone carvings. Contact with him was alas lost shortly after this, but it would be very interesting to learn where he is now,
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RECOMMENDED WEB-SITE OF THE MONTH
Although now slightly dated, our friends in the Australian Monarchist League constructed an excellent web-page in order to celebrate the recent highly successful visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to Australia. This site is still of great interest, and can be accessed at :-
http://www.royalvisit.com.au/itinerary/
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
TRUTH COMMISSION
Sir,
I am sickened by the programmes on the BBC applauding Mandela and inferring that he is some kind of “saint”. Far from this he and that wife of his Winnie were murderers and terrorists.
I resent the brainwashing of lies that are being told to our children and the way some so called celebrities have jumped on the bandwagon.
The truth will out and posterity will condemn evil.
Yours etc.,
Mandy Lloyd, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain.
----------------------------
JUDAS WATCH
Sir,
I see that that old scoundrel Allan Robertson is struggling to obtain decent speakers for the pathetic outfit which he established after he was expelled from the Swinton Circle.
In April he had as his guest speaker Mr. David Silvester, who had earlier been expelled from UKIP after making a bizarre statement that the Somerset floods were divine punishment for the legalization of same-sex marriage. Of course all decent people will oppose same-sex marriage, but to claim that the Somerset floods were caused by this is, quite frankly, bonkers!
At his next meeting in June Robertson had a well-known Holocaust-denier as his guest speaker. Bad enough in itself of course, but in a circular he sent out afterwards he boasted that the vote of thanks at this meeting was given by Christopher Luke. Not only was Luke expelled from the Swinton Circle along with Robertson after it was revealed that he was involved in the unsuccessful coup attempt, but he is also a quite open and unapologetic homosexual!
I wonder if Mr. Silvester, who in view of his opposition to same-sex marriage is presumably not particularly enamoured towards homosexuality, realizes that he graced an outfit which harbours both holocaust-deniers and overt homosexuals to its bosom? The hypocrisy seems unbelievable all the way round!
Yours etc.,
“Loyalist”, London, U.K.
----------------------------
ENGLISH-SPEAKING UNION
Sir,
At British Commonwealth meet-ups which are held across the country, the UK/Australia/NZ are of course main topics, but South Africa comes up occasionally, usually from a "Cautionary example" point of view. Praise for Mandela was conspicuous by its absence!
Our very best wishes to Springbok Club members everywhere...
Yours etc.,
Alan Truelove, Washington D.C., U.S.A.
----------------------------
ON THE MARK
Sir,
As a British Nationalist and Unionist, I am utterly opposed not only to Scotland's seceding from the United Kingdom but to all devolution. There should be one nation with one system of local government combining the best of the English, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish systems. I would restore the old pre-1964 counties and boroughs with six county councils in Northern Ireland, elections by STV and referenda on major issues.
As a monarchist, I am not only in favour of keeping existing monarchies but to restoring overthrown ones. Any growth in republican sentiment in Australia must be largely due to the anti-Australian policies of various British governments regarding immigration and the EU. We should restore the old position of Canada, Australia and New Zealand and we and all those countries should restrict immigration to those non-refugees able to read, write and speak fluent English and with something to offer them.
Reactionary, nostalgic, out of date? What if I am? It's better than being PC!
Yours etc.,
M. Taylor, London, U.K.
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OBITUARY
RUSSELL STOTTER
It was with great sadness that we recently learnt of the death of Russell Stotter at the tragically early age of only 61.
Russell Stotter was born at Salisbury, Rhodesia, in 1951. He grew up in Kitwe, Northern Rhodesia, and was educated at Churchill School in Rhodesia and at Dale College in King William’s Town, South Africa. He started his working career with Standard Bank in 1970, being stationed at branches throughout Rhodesia. At the same time he of course did his National Service, serving with the Rhodesian Corps of Signals. In 1976 he moved to Victoria Falls where he trained as a croupier. Once qualified he worked in casinos at both Kariba and Inyanga, before being appointed manager of the Montclair Casino Hotel at the age of only 32.
In 1979 he met his future wife Alice Tromm, and together they moved to Alice’s native Amsterdam in 1984, marrying five months later. They bought a café-bar on the fringe of Amsterdam’s red-light district, which they turned into a popular sports-themed venue showing South African rugby videos, evidently obtaining more customers than the near-by red-light district attractions! The South African Cricket team patronized the venue during the 1999 Cricket World Cup, and they sponsored a Dutch team in the Hong Kong Sevens tournament, as well as an Amsterdam students’ rugby club. It was here that we first met Russell when the Springbok Club staged a trip to Amsterdam in 1999. A quite and unassuming man, Russell impressed us greatly by his clear enduring love for Rhodesia, particularly concerning its history, sporting achievements and wildlife.
Shortly after this, frustrated by all the massive business regulations in the Netherlands and wishing to live in a warmer climate, Russell and Alice moved to Tavira in Portugal, and it was here that Russell sadly died in May 2013. He was dressed in his Springbok tracksuit for his funeral, the Rhodesian flag was draped across his coffin, and “Rise Oh Voices of Rhodesia” was played. Alice then returned briefly to Zimbabwe where she scattered Russell’s ashes over Lake Kariba.
Russell Stotter was a great man, the kind which Rhodesia regularly managed to produce. We are honoured to have been able to meet him, and our sincere condolences are extended to Alice and to all the many other members of his family.
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See you again next month!
Sunday, 15 June 2014
June 2014 Edition.
SPRINGBOK CYBER NEWSLETTER
June 2014 edition
It is of course easy to say “We told you so”, but recent events in Iraq have left us with little alternative other than to shout this phrase out loud.
Following the liberation of Iraq from Saddam Hussein’s evil and threatening rule, the control of the country during the aftermath of hostilities was not ideal – due in no small way we believe to the fact that the United States, with no real experience of colonial administration, had to take the lead in the reconstruction operations. Even more reprehensible, however, was the manner in which the Western powers – firstly the UK under the weak-willed Gordon Brown, and then the US under the odious Obama administration – abdicated their responsibilities by withdrawing from the country long before the job was finished. Indeed we would argue that the job could never be finished, and it was therefore necessary to re-establish some form of ongoing colonial supervision.
Following the unfortunate withdrawal of Western forces from Iraq developments in neighbouring Syria were probably predictable, as detecting Western weakness both moderate and far more militant Sunni Islamic factions rose up in rebellion against President Assad’s Alawite regime. The requirement then of course was for Western military intervention in Syria in support of the more moderate Syrian National Council, and perhaps to construct some form of alliance between them and Assad’s government in opposition to the far more dangerous expansionist Sunni forces. Instead, alas, a spirit of cowardly isolationism triumphed in the West, with both the UK Parliament and the US Congress vetoing military action.
Again we would argue that events which followed were inevitable, as the expansionist Sunni militants in Syria joined forces with the hidden remnants of Saddam Hussein’s Ba’athist regime in Iraq to form the terrorist ISIS organization, which sought to gain power in both countries and thereby to establish a fundamentalist Sunni “Caliphate” stretching across the Middle East. There are of course those ostriches in the West who stick their heads in the sand and claim that such matters are none of our business, and that we should just let the Arabs get on with their own affairs. Such bird-brains seem to fail to realize that we now live in the 21st century, not in the middle ages – in a GLOBAL world of rapid mass-communications and transportation, where events in one part of the world can have immediate impact and significance throughout the globe.
It of course shouldn’t be forgotten also that this part of the Middle East is awash with weapons of mass destruction and the means to deliver them anywhere in the world. It is not just Saddam Hussein’s WDMs which were shipped over the border into Syria prior to the start of the Second Gulf War which are to be worried about in this regard, but also those WMDs and their means of production which stayed hidden in Iraq – the locations of which are undoubtedly known to those former Ba’athist officials who have now thrown their support behind ISIS.
The current unfolding situation is therefore of extreme concern to us all. Had Western forces not been withdrawn from Iraq, or had the West intervened militarily during the early days of the Syrian civil war, then ISIS would now have been nothing more than an obscure group of powerless Sunni fanatics. But of course we can’t turn the clock back in history to rectify these mistakes. All we can do now is to hope that Western leaders can display enough courage and self-confidence to confront and defeat ISIS before they can establish their “Caliphate” and initiate even more deadly attacks against the West. There can be no hope of this emanating from the US under the current Obama administration of course, but the significant gains made by parties of the patriotic right during the recent Euro Elections – particularly in the former colonial powers of Britain and France – gives us hope.
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SPRINGBOK CLUB NEWS
Last month the Springbok Club celebrated Empire Day by staging a most enjoyable and informative conducted walking tour through the St.James’s area of London, viewing many sites and statues associated with some of the more colourful characters of Britain’s Imperial history, particularly the 1st Baron Clive (“Clive of India”). After the tour (which was completed in spite of a downpour of rain!) the party adjourned to a most pleasant hostelry near to St.James’s Park, where an informal and somewhat light-hearted discussion took place about some of the places seen during the tour, in a most convivial atmosphere.
----------------------------
For its June activity the Springbok Club will be reviving many happy memories from those halcyon days in 2012 by staging a trip to the Olympic Park in east London, and viewing several of the venues where Olympic and Paralympic events took place there. All members of the Springbok Club will be notified of the full details about this event once full arrangements have been finalised, but for more information e-mail: springbk@netcomuk.co.uk.
----------------------------
In July the Springbok Club will be staging a very interesting joint meeting with the Swinton Circle which will feature a most interesting guest speaker associated with the British Overseas Territories, and in September the Springbok Club will be staging a meeting at which will be addressed by a leading member of the organization who will have just returned from a professional contract in the “new” South Africa.
----------------------------
Later during the year the London Branch of the Springbok Club is planning a trip to a special exhibition at the Imperial War Museum, and the Kent Branch will be organising a trip to see some of the historical sites of the Medway Towns, as well as staging an informal social gathering in Canterbury
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SWINTON CIRCLE NEWS
The Swinton Circle staged a magnificent spring buffet last month, where the guest speaker was Mr, Michael Shrimpton, the renowned barrister and national intelligence consultant, who used the occasion to launch his new book Spyhunter. This meeting was extremely well attended, resulting in the only real problem at this evening, namely that not nearly enough buffet snacks had been ordered! We apologise therefore to all attendees who were not able to obtain their fair share of buffet snacks, but would emphasise that this is why it is so important for supporters who intend to attend future such buffets to inform the organisers in advance.
We are also happy to be able to announce that this meeting was video-recorded, so a recording of Mr. Shrimpton’s most enlightening and mesmerizing speech can be viewed at the following sites :-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J60ihbDFhNk
followed by :-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wr_QlsSLfg
----------------------------
For their June event the Swinton Circle will be giving their full support to New Britain’s annual Canada Day celebrations, the full details of which are given in the “New Britain News” section.
In July the Swinton Circle will be joining forces with the Springbok Club, brief details of which appear above.
----------------------------
Membership fees and donations to the Swinton Circle can be made via PayPal on the organisation’s web-site home page at www.swintoncircle.co.uk - simply 'click' on the line "PayPal = the safer, easier way to pay online" at the bottom of the home page; if the error message "This content cannot be displayed in a Frame" appears then simply 'click' on the line "Open this Content in a New Window".
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NEW BRITAIN NEWS
After a problematic start to the year, when unfortunately several of their planned events had to be cancelled, we are pleased to be able to report that New Britain is fully back on track, and will be staging their annual Canada Day celebrations again this year. The details of this event are as follows:-
Date : Monday 30th June 2014
Time : To commence at 19.00 hrs
Venue : St. Botolph’s Hall, Bishopsgate, London EC2M 3TL (adjacent to Liverpool Street Station).
Musical entertainment will be provided by “The Heros Band”, and strawberries and cream will be served. A letter of solidarity with Canada will also be signed at this event, to be sent to the Canadian Prime Minister.
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REPORT FROM THE ZIMBABWE CONSERVATION TASK FORCE
We have recently received a most extensive report from the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, an important section of which we reproduce below :-
“Denlynian, a conservation farm in the Beit Bridge district of Zimbabwe has been the target of illegal invasions for several years now.
“In October last year, the invaders violently evicted all the company staff as well as a group of Polish Safari clients. They took occupation of the staff quarters and went on a looting spree, asset stripping the property and slaughtering the wildlife. The Messenger of the Court in Beit Bridge approached the Officer in Charge of Beit Bridge rural to seek a police escort to effect the Warrant of Ejection issued by the High Court in 771/2010. The eviction of the invaders was carried out satisfactorily on the 4th February 2014.
“The farm owner's daughter in law was on her way out of the property on the 8th February 2014 when her car got stuck in the mud. While she was waiting for assistance a large group of people approached her in 3 vehicles. The leader of the group claimed to be the Lands Officer and said that the farm owner's family had no right to be on the property and that the daughter in law was trespassing. He was extremely rude, aggressive and intimidatory and said that he was soon going to settle 75 people on the property.
“The court order issued in October 2010 stated ‘Ministry of Lands are interdicted from taking any steps to cause any person to occupy the farm or to hinder or disturb the Applicant in his occupation thereof.’ It further stated ‘the companies are entitled to remain on the properties in peaceful and undisturbed possession of the properties and further entitled to continue their safari and hunting operations on the property.’
“In a meeting with their lawyer, the Lands Officer, who had previously been served with the court order didn't have the vaguest understanding of the provisions of the court order. He admitted that he had issued new offer letters and had authorised the invasion of the properties. He further admitted that he had organised the re-invasion group who had harassed the owner's daughter in law.
“A man who owns the mortuaries in Beit Bridge and Gwanda is now building a resort on the property and it is rumoured that he is also building a golf course. It is alleged that this is a joint venture with Kembo Mahade, the Minister of Home Affairs.”
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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
Fred Ingram writes offering a most exciting employment opportunity :-
“I am a Rhodesian who owns a large freehouse pub-restaurant in Wiltshire. I am looking for a couple to run and grow my business so that I can retire. If you are interested in this opportunity then call Fred Ingram on 01225-862559, 01451-605000 or 07515351405.”
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WORLD CUP EUPHORIA
The 2014 Soccer World Cup has now kicked-off in Brazil, and already it looks like being a most efficiently organised and relatively problem-free tournament – quite unlike the previous competition in 2010!
Unfortunately, however, the perhaps predictable mob of left-wing kill-joys have been protesting in many Brazilian cities against the “costs” of staging such a prestigious event, and claiming that the money could be “better spent” on other causes. These leftist demonstrators of course know nothing whatsoever about macro-economics, and remind us very much of the scumbags who similarly protested against the staging of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London. The London kill-joys were of course quickly shut-up by the groundswell of almost universal patriotic support for London 2012 – something which of course resulted in a financial bonanza for the UK, which then enabled Britain to be the first nation to come out of recession. Almost certainly the 2014 Soccer World Cup will produce similar long-term financial benefits for Brazil, and we wish the country every success in not only reaping these rewards, but also in silencing their own unpatriotic protesting scum.
------------------------------------------------------------------
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Slow PC or laptop? Viruses? Computer problems?
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E-mail Bert Oosthuizen of Cybernetix IT Solutions on: berto@cybernetx.co.uk or visit: www.cybernetixit.co.uk for more info.
------------------------------------------------------------------
SEARCH SERVICES FOR THOSE SEEKING LOST RELATIVES
Find any South African, even those who have emigrated. We also search Botswana, Namibia and ex-Rhodesia/Zimbabwe.
Please use the search request form at :-
http://www.bellemodel.biz/emails/emails.php?id=emails_from_SCN
------------------------------------------------------------------
BOOK OFFERS
"LIEUTENANT COLONEL ALFRED JAMES TOMLINSON: MEMOIRS OF AN AFRICAN PIONEER AND BSAP OFFICER" is now available at Amazon.com, and can be shipped to anywhere in the world. This book contains excerpts from Lieut. Tomlinson's writings detailing his experiences as a member of the BSAP in Southern Rhodesia, where he rose from the rank of an ordinary trooper to retire as the commanding officer. It also includes the personal story of Majaqaba Ncube, a man who was enslaved by Lobengula when his entire village was massacred by the chief's soldiers. After he escaped, Lieut. Tomlinson saved him from certain death and gave him a job. They lost contact and were reunited after 45 years, when Majaqaba presented Lieut. Tomlinson with an earthenware jar.
Trish also writes romantic suspense and romantic comedy fiction. www.trishjaxon.com
----------------------------
"P.K. VAN DER BYL - AFRICAN STATESMAN" by Hannes Wessels
ISBN: 978-1-920143-49-7 / paperback / illustrated
Retail price: R250.00, Web-site price: R200.00 + postage
The narrative gives the reader an overview of the history of the White man in southern Africa with detailed emphasis on the Rhodesian story through the life and times of PK van der Byl, one of the major players in a political drama that ended in the accession to power of Robert Mugabe under the auspices of the British government. By his very nature PK was controversial and confrontational. This account is likely to give offence to some because it portrays him as bluntly as he was in real life. Much can be contested about PK van der Byl but few will dispute he was an extremely colourful character with a devilish sense of humour. This memoir covers his life with a full flourish while doing nothing to detract from the seriousness of the international political and military conflict in which he was engaged. The reader will glean new information on a highly controversial subject and emerge with a more sympathetic understanding of what PK van der Byl and his colleagues did and strove for. The human tragedy that has followed the removal from power of Ian Smith and his Rhodesian Front party will almost certainly force the reader to deal with some uncomfortable conclusions, of value to anyone sincere about grappling with the volatile and deeply troubling challenges that confront all Africans today.
This book and others of interest can be purchased from 30 Degrees South via their web-site: www.30degreessouth.co.za
----------------------------
"BLUE WATCH" by Gwyn Fford-Osborne
Rhodesia, in 1975 and a bloody vicious civil war is at its height. A war between the White minority supported by the Black majority and the ZAPU and ZANU terrorist groups, supported by Zambia and Mozambique. Kensington, a small town in the farming belt has been the subject of several terrorist attacks but with only a small police force for defence, the local T.A. unit having been called up for service on the Zambia border the situation appears grim. Until Iffor Meredith turns up on a pilgrimage to meet up with his wife and son of his old army buddy, recently murdered by terrorists. A deadly ambush on the "Dix" family and his escape from a land mine attack makes Iffor determined to offer resistance of some form or other to the terrorists. His application to join the Rhodesian Army has been accepted and he sets about forming a small militia. With all the fit men already on call up, who can he recruit from. Then he's invited to a darts match at the Moth Club and meets up with the remnants of the town's Fire Brigade, the men considered too old for call up. Blue Watch.
Available from: www.diadembooks.com
----------------------------
CREST PUBLISHING BOOKS
Crest Publishing retails books by Glenn MacAskill (ex-BSAP Special Branch) entitled "King's Gold", "Crime Lords", "Kill Victoria!", "Hunt the Assassin" and "MacKinnon's Diamond", and by the late Michael Bowery including "Canham's Run", "The Sligo Piper" "Kill the President", "Al Qaeda Armageddon" and his autobiography "Shred when Read", as well as novels by David Ruppert entitled "The Seven Watchmen" and "The Greater Glory" - all of which will be of great interest to South Africans and ex-Rhodesians.
For more information, or to make an order, please contact Crest Publishing at: P.O.Box, 4178, Honeydew, Johannesburg, 2040, South Africa, e-mail: glennallanmacaskill@gmail.com, or visit the Crest Publishing web-site at: www.crestpublishing.co.za. Special discounts are available to ex-servicemen, Rhodies and Springboks!
----------------------------
"THE SAINTS" - DVD versions of the book about the history of the RLI
Now available from Msasa Enterprises. Contact: msasasa@iafrica.com or UK tel.: 07732 685400.
----------------------------
THE WARTHOG’S TUSK
If you enjoyed The Biscuit Barrel, you’re going to love The Warthog’s Tusk, the latest Zimbabwean murder mystery from the pen of Vancouver, BC, author David Slater.
Samuel Kumalo, the giant Matabele policeman, has returned unscathed from the Great War in France and Tanganyika, and is anxious to spend his demobilization pay on a small farm, some cattle and a bride price for his favourite Penhalonga shebeen-queen, Agnes Nyatoti. At his wedding he hears about the death of a well-liked young teacher at a nearby Methodist mission school. The young man has been discovered by the mission’s night-watchman, horribly gored by a warthog, something that Samuel finds very peculiar indeed. He soon discovers that everything at the Mission is not as it should be, with evil undercurrents abounding.
Then the night-watchman himself is found dead and Samuel’s own young family finds itself in grave danger as the story winds up to a terrifying conclusion on the precipitous banks of the Pungwe River gorge.
The book is available in both print and Kindle versions from www.Amazon.com or from www.createspace.com/4582855, or directly from the author at Opusdavey@gmail.com
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WHERE ARE THEY NOW ?
No.187 : Mr. VIC van de DRONKER of Durban.
Vic van de Dronker lived in the Morningside area of Durban, and ran a highly successful and advanced computer business from an office on the corner of Field Street and the Victoria Embankment during the late 1980s. He was also a low-key but very sincere supporter of the patriotic movement in Durban. A number of people would be interested to learn what has become of him.
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RECOMMENDED WEB-SITE OF THE MONTH
The Magna Carta Party has recently established a most intriguing web-site, which can be accessed at :-
http://www.magnacartaparty.org.uk
-----------------------------------------------------------------
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
KOCH UP
Sir,
It was widely rumoured, and indeed greatly expected, that the death and/or funeral of the ANC terrorist leader "Nelson" Mandela would be the signal for a mass pogrom of Whites in South Africa. The terrorist Mandela died at the end of last year, yet this sadistic apparent wish of his did not come to fruition as he had evidently planned.
”The night of terror" was predicted 100 years ago by two Afrikaans prophets, Siener van Rensburg and Johanna Brandt. "The night of the long knives" was a plan of the Blacks while Mandela was in jail. Even in jail, he was their "hope". If he died in jail, they would cause anarchy amongst the Whites.
It is commonly assumed that the two concepts refer to the same "night", but it is not. The reasons why the "night" has not happened are :-
1. "The night of the long knives" of the Blacks is no longer necessary. Mandela has "freed" them.
2. Siener van Rensburg predicted that "The night of terror" will happen AFTER a Black leader's death, not WITH it. (If you study his predictions carefully, you will notice that he predicted several events between Mandela's death and the "The night of terror", which has not happened.)
"The night of terror" may still come.
Yours etc.,
Heinrich W. Koch, Pretoria, Transvaal.
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HEROIC RHODESIA
Sir,
I do enjoy reading the SCN. You always make some well justified points - and you do write very clearly and well. We now know that you have a long interesting past!
Re my ‘Heroic Rhodesia’ insertion in the Daily Telegraph, when I previously put this in two chaps made contact with kind words, but this time it slipped by without a murmur - or, to be more precise, nothing came back to me.
One point of note: if you ever find yourself doing something similar it is worth knowing that the Telegraph charges significantly less for military notices that than they do for private notices. I now know that it is important to state that this is a military notice.
Look forward to meeting up with you next time you are this way.
Yours etc.,
Alexander von Tutschek, Somerset, U.K.
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A HEROIC RHODESIAN
Sir,
Many thanks for forwarding your Springbok Cyber Newsletter on to me [August 2013 edition. Ed.] You did a magnificent obituary in memory of my Dad and from the bottom of my heart I thank you.
Regarding the 'Raising of the Flag' event, Dad used to be involved in this annual ceremony and therefore Mum and I were sent an invitation by the house staff of Peter Sladden. Regrettably I had to decline as Mum is not up to such events which is sad but that is the reality of her condition unfortunately.
Once again I thank you for such a fine tribute to Dad whom we so sorely miss. It has been truly appreciated and as you will see I have also copied Paul onto this e-mail so he too, can appreciate what you have done in respect of Dad and again, thank you for your condolences.
Yours etc.,
Deborah Petter-Bowyer, Norfolk, U.K.
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ROGUES GALLERY
Long-standing readers will probably recall ongoing adverts which we carried up until a year or so ago for a Belgium-based company called “BiltongMakers”, who retailed not only biltong itself, but also special cabinets in which to cure and produce biltong for yourself.
This company was run by an ex-South African named Mr. Lo Krijger, who gave every impression of being fully supportive of the aims and objectives of our movement – as the fact that he had successfully relocated from the “new” South Africa to Belgium certainly seemed to confirm was the case.
About a year ago, however, we were dumbfounded to learn that he had decided to return to the “new” South Africa, and he consequently asked us to discontinue his advert and to remove his e-mail address from our circulation list. This of course we did immediately upon receiving his request – but what followed over the next few months proved increasingly disturbing. He started to e-mail us regularly each month stating that he was still receiving copies of the SCN, and demanding in increasingly irate terms that his details be removed. We re-checked our records on each occasion, only to confirm that his e-mail address was definitely no longer on our circulation list. We wrote back confirming this on each occasion, suggesting that perhaps has was still on our circulation list under am alternative e-mail address, or else some colleague had been re-forwarding him copies thinking that he might still be interested in our activities – but on each occasion he denied that either possibility was true.
It then came to light where Mr. Krijger’s true loyalties lay, for we received a sickening piece of pro-ANC propaganda from him. Was Mr. Krijger’s trouble-making antics simply the result of on-line incompetence we therefore wonder, or has there always been something more suspicious about him and his motivation? Evidently he has now re-founded his “BiltongMakers” company in the Cape Town area. If anybody knows anything further about this sinister man then we would be most interested to learn, and advise everyone to be highly circumspect in any dealings with him or his company.
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Finally, if you would prefer to be deleted from our SCN circulation list then simply e-mail us with the word "unsubscribe". Alternatively, if you liked this SCN and think more of your friends would like to receive copies then please let us know their e-mail addresses!
See you again next month!
June 2014 edition
It is of course easy to say “We told you so”, but recent events in Iraq have left us with little alternative other than to shout this phrase out loud.
Following the liberation of Iraq from Saddam Hussein’s evil and threatening rule, the control of the country during the aftermath of hostilities was not ideal – due in no small way we believe to the fact that the United States, with no real experience of colonial administration, had to take the lead in the reconstruction operations. Even more reprehensible, however, was the manner in which the Western powers – firstly the UK under the weak-willed Gordon Brown, and then the US under the odious Obama administration – abdicated their responsibilities by withdrawing from the country long before the job was finished. Indeed we would argue that the job could never be finished, and it was therefore necessary to re-establish some form of ongoing colonial supervision.
Following the unfortunate withdrawal of Western forces from Iraq developments in neighbouring Syria were probably predictable, as detecting Western weakness both moderate and far more militant Sunni Islamic factions rose up in rebellion against President Assad’s Alawite regime. The requirement then of course was for Western military intervention in Syria in support of the more moderate Syrian National Council, and perhaps to construct some form of alliance between them and Assad’s government in opposition to the far more dangerous expansionist Sunni forces. Instead, alas, a spirit of cowardly isolationism triumphed in the West, with both the UK Parliament and the US Congress vetoing military action.
Again we would argue that events which followed were inevitable, as the expansionist Sunni militants in Syria joined forces with the hidden remnants of Saddam Hussein’s Ba’athist regime in Iraq to form the terrorist ISIS organization, which sought to gain power in both countries and thereby to establish a fundamentalist Sunni “Caliphate” stretching across the Middle East. There are of course those ostriches in the West who stick their heads in the sand and claim that such matters are none of our business, and that we should just let the Arabs get on with their own affairs. Such bird-brains seem to fail to realize that we now live in the 21st century, not in the middle ages – in a GLOBAL world of rapid mass-communications and transportation, where events in one part of the world can have immediate impact and significance throughout the globe.
It of course shouldn’t be forgotten also that this part of the Middle East is awash with weapons of mass destruction and the means to deliver them anywhere in the world. It is not just Saddam Hussein’s WDMs which were shipped over the border into Syria prior to the start of the Second Gulf War which are to be worried about in this regard, but also those WMDs and their means of production which stayed hidden in Iraq – the locations of which are undoubtedly known to those former Ba’athist officials who have now thrown their support behind ISIS.
The current unfolding situation is therefore of extreme concern to us all. Had Western forces not been withdrawn from Iraq, or had the West intervened militarily during the early days of the Syrian civil war, then ISIS would now have been nothing more than an obscure group of powerless Sunni fanatics. But of course we can’t turn the clock back in history to rectify these mistakes. All we can do now is to hope that Western leaders can display enough courage and self-confidence to confront and defeat ISIS before they can establish their “Caliphate” and initiate even more deadly attacks against the West. There can be no hope of this emanating from the US under the current Obama administration of course, but the significant gains made by parties of the patriotic right during the recent Euro Elections – particularly in the former colonial powers of Britain and France – gives us hope.
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SPRINGBOK CLUB NEWS
Last month the Springbok Club celebrated Empire Day by staging a most enjoyable and informative conducted walking tour through the St.James’s area of London, viewing many sites and statues associated with some of the more colourful characters of Britain’s Imperial history, particularly the 1st Baron Clive (“Clive of India”). After the tour (which was completed in spite of a downpour of rain!) the party adjourned to a most pleasant hostelry near to St.James’s Park, where an informal and somewhat light-hearted discussion took place about some of the places seen during the tour, in a most convivial atmosphere.
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For its June activity the Springbok Club will be reviving many happy memories from those halcyon days in 2012 by staging a trip to the Olympic Park in east London, and viewing several of the venues where Olympic and Paralympic events took place there. All members of the Springbok Club will be notified of the full details about this event once full arrangements have been finalised, but for more information e-mail: springbk@netcomuk.co.uk.
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In July the Springbok Club will be staging a very interesting joint meeting with the Swinton Circle which will feature a most interesting guest speaker associated with the British Overseas Territories, and in September the Springbok Club will be staging a meeting at which will be addressed by a leading member of the organization who will have just returned from a professional contract in the “new” South Africa.
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Later during the year the London Branch of the Springbok Club is planning a trip to a special exhibition at the Imperial War Museum, and the Kent Branch will be organising a trip to see some of the historical sites of the Medway Towns, as well as staging an informal social gathering in Canterbury
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SWINTON CIRCLE NEWS
The Swinton Circle staged a magnificent spring buffet last month, where the guest speaker was Mr, Michael Shrimpton, the renowned barrister and national intelligence consultant, who used the occasion to launch his new book Spyhunter. This meeting was extremely well attended, resulting in the only real problem at this evening, namely that not nearly enough buffet snacks had been ordered! We apologise therefore to all attendees who were not able to obtain their fair share of buffet snacks, but would emphasise that this is why it is so important for supporters who intend to attend future such buffets to inform the organisers in advance.
We are also happy to be able to announce that this meeting was video-recorded, so a recording of Mr. Shrimpton’s most enlightening and mesmerizing speech can be viewed at the following sites :-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J60ihbDFhNk
followed by :-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wr_QlsSLfg
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For their June event the Swinton Circle will be giving their full support to New Britain’s annual Canada Day celebrations, the full details of which are given in the “New Britain News” section.
In July the Swinton Circle will be joining forces with the Springbok Club, brief details of which appear above.
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Membership fees and donations to the Swinton Circle can be made via PayPal on the organisation’s web-site home page at www.swintoncircle.co.uk - simply 'click' on the line "PayPal = the safer, easier way to pay online" at the bottom of the home page; if the error message "This content cannot be displayed in a Frame" appears then simply 'click' on the line "Open this Content in a New Window".
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NEW BRITAIN NEWS
After a problematic start to the year, when unfortunately several of their planned events had to be cancelled, we are pleased to be able to report that New Britain is fully back on track, and will be staging their annual Canada Day celebrations again this year. The details of this event are as follows:-
Date : Monday 30th June 2014
Time : To commence at 19.00 hrs
Venue : St. Botolph’s Hall, Bishopsgate, London EC2M 3TL (adjacent to Liverpool Street Station).
Musical entertainment will be provided by “The Heros Band”, and strawberries and cream will be served. A letter of solidarity with Canada will also be signed at this event, to be sent to the Canadian Prime Minister.
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REPORT FROM THE ZIMBABWE CONSERVATION TASK FORCE
We have recently received a most extensive report from the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, an important section of which we reproduce below :-
“Denlynian, a conservation farm in the Beit Bridge district of Zimbabwe has been the target of illegal invasions for several years now.
“In October last year, the invaders violently evicted all the company staff as well as a group of Polish Safari clients. They took occupation of the staff quarters and went on a looting spree, asset stripping the property and slaughtering the wildlife. The Messenger of the Court in Beit Bridge approached the Officer in Charge of Beit Bridge rural to seek a police escort to effect the Warrant of Ejection issued by the High Court in 771/2010. The eviction of the invaders was carried out satisfactorily on the 4th February 2014.
“The farm owner's daughter in law was on her way out of the property on the 8th February 2014 when her car got stuck in the mud. While she was waiting for assistance a large group of people approached her in 3 vehicles. The leader of the group claimed to be the Lands Officer and said that the farm owner's family had no right to be on the property and that the daughter in law was trespassing. He was extremely rude, aggressive and intimidatory and said that he was soon going to settle 75 people on the property.
“The court order issued in October 2010 stated ‘Ministry of Lands are interdicted from taking any steps to cause any person to occupy the farm or to hinder or disturb the Applicant in his occupation thereof.’ It further stated ‘the companies are entitled to remain on the properties in peaceful and undisturbed possession of the properties and further entitled to continue their safari and hunting operations on the property.’
“In a meeting with their lawyer, the Lands Officer, who had previously been served with the court order didn't have the vaguest understanding of the provisions of the court order. He admitted that he had issued new offer letters and had authorised the invasion of the properties. He further admitted that he had organised the re-invasion group who had harassed the owner's daughter in law.
“A man who owns the mortuaries in Beit Bridge and Gwanda is now building a resort on the property and it is rumoured that he is also building a golf course. It is alleged that this is a joint venture with Kembo Mahade, the Minister of Home Affairs.”
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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
Fred Ingram writes offering a most exciting employment opportunity :-
“I am a Rhodesian who owns a large freehouse pub-restaurant in Wiltshire. I am looking for a couple to run and grow my business so that I can retire. If you are interested in this opportunity then call Fred Ingram on 01225-862559, 01451-605000 or 07515351405.”
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WORLD CUP EUPHORIA
The 2014 Soccer World Cup has now kicked-off in Brazil, and already it looks like being a most efficiently organised and relatively problem-free tournament – quite unlike the previous competition in 2010!
Unfortunately, however, the perhaps predictable mob of left-wing kill-joys have been protesting in many Brazilian cities against the “costs” of staging such a prestigious event, and claiming that the money could be “better spent” on other causes. These leftist demonstrators of course know nothing whatsoever about macro-economics, and remind us very much of the scumbags who similarly protested against the staging of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London. The London kill-joys were of course quickly shut-up by the groundswell of almost universal patriotic support for London 2012 – something which of course resulted in a financial bonanza for the UK, which then enabled Britain to be the first nation to come out of recession. Almost certainly the 2014 Soccer World Cup will produce similar long-term financial benefits for Brazil, and we wish the country every success in not only reaping these rewards, but also in silencing their own unpatriotic protesting scum.
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COMPUTER REPAIR SERVICES
Slow PC or laptop? Viruses? Computer problems?
Have it resolved instantly, via the internet. Experienced, qualified and reputable IT expert is on standby to fix PC problems while you watch. Anywhere in the world, in the comfort of your own home or office! No fix, no fee, free diagnosis. (Requires working internet connection)
E-mail Bert Oosthuizen of Cybernetix IT Solutions on: berto@cybernetx.co.uk or visit: www.cybernetixit.co.uk for more info.
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SEARCH SERVICES FOR THOSE SEEKING LOST RELATIVES
Find any South African, even those who have emigrated. We also search Botswana, Namibia and ex-Rhodesia/Zimbabwe.
Please use the search request form at :-
http://www.bellemodel.biz/emails/emails.php?id=emails_from_SCN
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BOOK OFFERS
"LIEUTENANT COLONEL ALFRED JAMES TOMLINSON: MEMOIRS OF AN AFRICAN PIONEER AND BSAP OFFICER" is now available at Amazon.com, and can be shipped to anywhere in the world. This book contains excerpts from Lieut. Tomlinson's writings detailing his experiences as a member of the BSAP in Southern Rhodesia, where he rose from the rank of an ordinary trooper to retire as the commanding officer. It also includes the personal story of Majaqaba Ncube, a man who was enslaved by Lobengula when his entire village was massacred by the chief's soldiers. After he escaped, Lieut. Tomlinson saved him from certain death and gave him a job. They lost contact and were reunited after 45 years, when Majaqaba presented Lieut. Tomlinson with an earthenware jar.
Trish also writes romantic suspense and romantic comedy fiction. www.trishjaxon.com
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"P.K. VAN DER BYL - AFRICAN STATESMAN" by Hannes Wessels
ISBN: 978-1-920143-49-7 / paperback / illustrated
Retail price: R250.00, Web-site price: R200.00 + postage
The narrative gives the reader an overview of the history of the White man in southern Africa with detailed emphasis on the Rhodesian story through the life and times of PK van der Byl, one of the major players in a political drama that ended in the accession to power of Robert Mugabe under the auspices of the British government. By his very nature PK was controversial and confrontational. This account is likely to give offence to some because it portrays him as bluntly as he was in real life. Much can be contested about PK van der Byl but few will dispute he was an extremely colourful character with a devilish sense of humour. This memoir covers his life with a full flourish while doing nothing to detract from the seriousness of the international political and military conflict in which he was engaged. The reader will glean new information on a highly controversial subject and emerge with a more sympathetic understanding of what PK van der Byl and his colleagues did and strove for. The human tragedy that has followed the removal from power of Ian Smith and his Rhodesian Front party will almost certainly force the reader to deal with some uncomfortable conclusions, of value to anyone sincere about grappling with the volatile and deeply troubling challenges that confront all Africans today.
This book and others of interest can be purchased from 30 Degrees South via their web-site: www.30degreessouth.co.za
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"BLUE WATCH" by Gwyn Fford-Osborne
Rhodesia, in 1975 and a bloody vicious civil war is at its height. A war between the White minority supported by the Black majority and the ZAPU and ZANU terrorist groups, supported by Zambia and Mozambique. Kensington, a small town in the farming belt has been the subject of several terrorist attacks but with only a small police force for defence, the local T.A. unit having been called up for service on the Zambia border the situation appears grim. Until Iffor Meredith turns up on a pilgrimage to meet up with his wife and son of his old army buddy, recently murdered by terrorists. A deadly ambush on the "Dix" family and his escape from a land mine attack makes Iffor determined to offer resistance of some form or other to the terrorists. His application to join the Rhodesian Army has been accepted and he sets about forming a small militia. With all the fit men already on call up, who can he recruit from. Then he's invited to a darts match at the Moth Club and meets up with the remnants of the town's Fire Brigade, the men considered too old for call up. Blue Watch.
Available from: www.diadembooks.com
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CREST PUBLISHING BOOKS
Crest Publishing retails books by Glenn MacAskill (ex-BSAP Special Branch) entitled "King's Gold", "Crime Lords", "Kill Victoria!", "Hunt the Assassin" and "MacKinnon's Diamond", and by the late Michael Bowery including "Canham's Run", "The Sligo Piper" "Kill the President", "Al Qaeda Armageddon" and his autobiography "Shred when Read", as well as novels by David Ruppert entitled "The Seven Watchmen" and "The Greater Glory" - all of which will be of great interest to South Africans and ex-Rhodesians.
For more information, or to make an order, please contact Crest Publishing at: P.O.Box, 4178, Honeydew, Johannesburg, 2040, South Africa, e-mail: glennallanmacaskill@gmail.com, or visit the Crest Publishing web-site at: www.crestpublishing.co.za. Special discounts are available to ex-servicemen, Rhodies and Springboks!
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"THE SAINTS" - DVD versions of the book about the history of the RLI
Now available from Msasa Enterprises. Contact: msasasa@iafrica.com or UK tel.: 07732 685400.
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THE WARTHOG’S TUSK
If you enjoyed The Biscuit Barrel, you’re going to love The Warthog’s Tusk, the latest Zimbabwean murder mystery from the pen of Vancouver, BC, author David Slater.
Samuel Kumalo, the giant Matabele policeman, has returned unscathed from the Great War in France and Tanganyika, and is anxious to spend his demobilization pay on a small farm, some cattle and a bride price for his favourite Penhalonga shebeen-queen, Agnes Nyatoti. At his wedding he hears about the death of a well-liked young teacher at a nearby Methodist mission school. The young man has been discovered by the mission’s night-watchman, horribly gored by a warthog, something that Samuel finds very peculiar indeed. He soon discovers that everything at the Mission is not as it should be, with evil undercurrents abounding.
Then the night-watchman himself is found dead and Samuel’s own young family finds itself in grave danger as the story winds up to a terrifying conclusion on the precipitous banks of the Pungwe River gorge.
The book is available in both print and Kindle versions from www.Amazon.com or from www.createspace.com/4582855, or directly from the author at Opusdavey@gmail.com
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WHERE ARE THEY NOW ?
No.187 : Mr. VIC van de DRONKER of Durban.
Vic van de Dronker lived in the Morningside area of Durban, and ran a highly successful and advanced computer business from an office on the corner of Field Street and the Victoria Embankment during the late 1980s. He was also a low-key but very sincere supporter of the patriotic movement in Durban. A number of people would be interested to learn what has become of him.
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RECOMMENDED WEB-SITE OF THE MONTH
The Magna Carta Party has recently established a most intriguing web-site, which can be accessed at :-
http://www.magnacartaparty.org.uk
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
KOCH UP
Sir,
It was widely rumoured, and indeed greatly expected, that the death and/or funeral of the ANC terrorist leader "Nelson" Mandela would be the signal for a mass pogrom of Whites in South Africa. The terrorist Mandela died at the end of last year, yet this sadistic apparent wish of his did not come to fruition as he had evidently planned.
”The night of terror" was predicted 100 years ago by two Afrikaans prophets, Siener van Rensburg and Johanna Brandt. "The night of the long knives" was a plan of the Blacks while Mandela was in jail. Even in jail, he was their "hope". If he died in jail, they would cause anarchy amongst the Whites.
It is commonly assumed that the two concepts refer to the same "night", but it is not. The reasons why the "night" has not happened are :-
1. "The night of the long knives" of the Blacks is no longer necessary. Mandela has "freed" them.
2. Siener van Rensburg predicted that "The night of terror" will happen AFTER a Black leader's death, not WITH it. (If you study his predictions carefully, you will notice that he predicted several events between Mandela's death and the "The night of terror", which has not happened.)
"The night of terror" may still come.
Yours etc.,
Heinrich W. Koch, Pretoria, Transvaal.
----------------------------
HEROIC RHODESIA
Sir,
I do enjoy reading the SCN. You always make some well justified points - and you do write very clearly and well. We now know that you have a long interesting past!
Re my ‘Heroic Rhodesia’ insertion in the Daily Telegraph, when I previously put this in two chaps made contact with kind words, but this time it slipped by without a murmur - or, to be more precise, nothing came back to me.
One point of note: if you ever find yourself doing something similar it is worth knowing that the Telegraph charges significantly less for military notices that than they do for private notices. I now know that it is important to state that this is a military notice.
Look forward to meeting up with you next time you are this way.
Yours etc.,
Alexander von Tutschek, Somerset, U.K.
----------------------------
A HEROIC RHODESIAN
Sir,
Many thanks for forwarding your Springbok Cyber Newsletter on to me [August 2013 edition. Ed.] You did a magnificent obituary in memory of my Dad and from the bottom of my heart I thank you.
Regarding the 'Raising of the Flag' event, Dad used to be involved in this annual ceremony and therefore Mum and I were sent an invitation by the house staff of Peter Sladden. Regrettably I had to decline as Mum is not up to such events which is sad but that is the reality of her condition unfortunately.
Once again I thank you for such a fine tribute to Dad whom we so sorely miss. It has been truly appreciated and as you will see I have also copied Paul onto this e-mail so he too, can appreciate what you have done in respect of Dad and again, thank you for your condolences.
Yours etc.,
Deborah Petter-Bowyer, Norfolk, U.K.
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ROGUES GALLERY
Long-standing readers will probably recall ongoing adverts which we carried up until a year or so ago for a Belgium-based company called “BiltongMakers”, who retailed not only biltong itself, but also special cabinets in which to cure and produce biltong for yourself.
This company was run by an ex-South African named Mr. Lo Krijger, who gave every impression of being fully supportive of the aims and objectives of our movement – as the fact that he had successfully relocated from the “new” South Africa to Belgium certainly seemed to confirm was the case.
About a year ago, however, we were dumbfounded to learn that he had decided to return to the “new” South Africa, and he consequently asked us to discontinue his advert and to remove his e-mail address from our circulation list. This of course we did immediately upon receiving his request – but what followed over the next few months proved increasingly disturbing. He started to e-mail us regularly each month stating that he was still receiving copies of the SCN, and demanding in increasingly irate terms that his details be removed. We re-checked our records on each occasion, only to confirm that his e-mail address was definitely no longer on our circulation list. We wrote back confirming this on each occasion, suggesting that perhaps has was still on our circulation list under am alternative e-mail address, or else some colleague had been re-forwarding him copies thinking that he might still be interested in our activities – but on each occasion he denied that either possibility was true.
It then came to light where Mr. Krijger’s true loyalties lay, for we received a sickening piece of pro-ANC propaganda from him. Was Mr. Krijger’s trouble-making antics simply the result of on-line incompetence we therefore wonder, or has there always been something more suspicious about him and his motivation? Evidently he has now re-founded his “BiltongMakers” company in the Cape Town area. If anybody knows anything further about this sinister man then we would be most interested to learn, and advise everyone to be highly circumspect in any dealings with him or his company.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Finally, if you would prefer to be deleted from our SCN circulation list then simply e-mail us with the word "unsubscribe". Alternatively, if you liked this SCN and think more of your friends would like to receive copies then please let us know their e-mail addresses!
See you again next month!
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