SPRINGBOK CYBER NEWSLETTER
March 2000 editionIt is difficult to decide whether our biggest emotion resulting from the outcome of the recent zimbabwe constitutional referendum should be euphoria or surprise.
Certainly the unexpected result should fill us all full of pleasure, but even so it is the surprise nature of the outcome which is perhaps more significant.
Three important factors concerning this referendum should be born in mind:-
1) Undoubtedly the Mugabe regime tried to rig the result as much as they could, and it is therefore obvious that the actual voting figures were far more emphatically in favour of a "No" vote than the official 46%/54% breakdown suggests.
2) The "official" population of zimbabwe is 11 million, with 5 million allegedly entitled to vote, yet in the event only 1.3 million attended the polls - in spite of intense pressure from both sides to vote. This undoubtedly means that the true population of the country is only a fraction of the official "propaganda" figure (AIDS has undoubtely taken its toll), and furthermore this is also probably the case in all sub-Saharan African countries.
3) The Mugabe regime fought an overtly "racist" campaign (with press advertisements showing a White couple wearing "Vote No" t-shirts alongside the slogan "they wish to be kings and queens again"). The outcome therefore clearly shows that - consciously or subconsciously - the vast majority of Blacks are willing to accept a return to White rule. This certainly dovetails with several recent reports about Blacks approaching Ian Smith to return to the political arena.
We have often been "ridiculed" in the past for our confidence that the White man will one day resume his proper position of authority in Africa, but the result of the recent zimbabwe referendum certainly suggests that this situation may be a lot closer than many people suspect.
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FEBRUARY SPRINGBOK CLUB MEETING
The February Springbok Club meeting, which was held in an informal atmosphere in a most pleasant central London pub, proved an encouraging success. It was addressed by Brendon Jones, who had recently returned from his first trip back to Cape Town for 5 years, and amongst other things he informed us that, although over the last 5 years he had been proud to say that the state of South African roads were in better condition than those in the UK, since returning to South Africa he would now have to retract this statement, as no money was visibly being spent on the infrastructure of the country. He went on to tell us that a man he formerly worked for had once positively advised him that the economy of South Africa would return to its former glory within five to seven years after a sharp decline and consequent rise, based upon the promises of the "new" South Africa. That was 9 years ago, and it is still in decline. We would like to thank Brendon for what proved to be a most absorbing and informative address.
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MARCH SPRINGBOK CLUB MEETING
We are going to be most honoured and privileged to welcome as our special guest speaker for our March meeting none other than Mr. Chris Cocks. The details of this meeting are as follows:-
Date : Saturday 18th March 2000
Time : 19.00 hrs. for 19.30 hrs.
Venue: The MORPETH ARMS, 58 Millbank, Westminster, London SW1 (in the upstairs function room).
The Morpeth Arms is close to both the Tate Gallery and Vauxhall Bridge, and the nearest Underground station is Pimlico.
Chris Cocks was born and brought up in Rhodesia. In 1976 he joined the Rhodesian Light Infantry as a National Serviceman, and spent the next four years fighting in the Bush War. He served in the elite 3 Commando of the RLI which specialised in the military tactic of "Fireforce", whereby troops were helicoptered or parachuted into an area immediately after terrorist presence had been reported, rising through the ranks to become lance corporal, stick leader and Troop Commander. After the fall of Rhodesia Chris held a variety of jobs before moving to South Africa where, in 1998, he co-founded the publishing business "Covos-Day Books". He has written three books himself, the most famous being "Fireforce", an account of his experiences during the Bush War.
We anticipate great interest in this meeting, and would ask all supporters, if possible, to let us know in advance if they intend to attend. There will be a small charge of £3.00 per head for admission (though of course free for Honorary, Life and Full Members of the "Springbok Club", and £1.50 per head for Associate Members), which may be paid at the door.
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BRANCH NEWS
Unfortunately a small "hiccup" has meant that the Kent Branch "pub evening" has had to be postponed until the end of the month. This is now expected to take place in either Canterbury or Herne Bay. If you are interested in attending please let us know and we'll forward you precise details once everything has been finalised.
Brendon Jones is currently in the process of forming a branch of the Springbok Club in Wiltshire. If you are keen to become involved then again please let us know.
Lars Karnestam, our Stockholm Branch organiser and Scandinavian co-ordinator, has informed us that he's about to go on-line to the Internet. We hope to be able to let you know his e-mail address next month, so that all Scandinavian supporters can contact him.
It looks as if a formal branch of the Springbok Club may be formed in California shortly. If you have contacts there who may be interested then please contact our American co-ordinator, Ferdi Fourie, direct at : ffourie@cse.unl.edu
Finally we have recently heard that our Australian co-ordinator, Nick Maine, has just re-married! Big congratulations therefore from everyone at the Springbok Club!
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LONDON SWINTON CIRCLE MEETING
Our friends at the London Swinton Circle recently held a meeting at the Houses of Parliament where their guest speaker was Michael Colvin, the Conservative MP for Romsey. Michael Colvin, a moderate Eurosceptic, spoke well, and in question time afterwards a Springbok Club official debated with him over his assertion that a Europe-wide defence industry was necessary in order to compete with the United States, citing the success of "Armscor" as an example of how a relatively small country could establish its own highly-effective defence industry.
A couple of days after this meeting, however, we were all shocked to hear the news that Michael Colvin and his wife had been killed in a terrible fire which swept through their mansion in Hampshire. We therefore extend our sincerest and heartfelt sympathies to the family of Michael Colvin.
The London Swinton Circle can be contacted at : swincirc@aol.com
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THE PLOT THICKENS ...
Southern Cross Africa News has recently carried a most interesting story in which they reveal that a letter has been leaked from Cliff Saunders, the former SABC journalist who enjoyed a very right-wing reputation, in which he demanded R100,000 in back-pay for "services rendered" from Joe Nhlanhla, the head of the "new" South African security services. Inter alia, Saunders evidently mentions the fact that he set-up Jani Allen, the former Sunday Times journalist, to spy on the Inkatha Freedom Party.
Saunders stayed in London during the mid-1990's, when by all accounts he was closely associated with Mr. Arthur Kemp, another alleged right-wing South African "exile".
Arthur Kemp had previously been a great friend of S.A.Patriot, writing for us pseudonymiously during the mid-1980's. In spite of this fact, however, he made no attempt to contact us after he moved to London, and when we managed to trace him he informed us that he did not want to be associated with us as we had allegedly "changed our political views". This of course was a ludicrous claim, as anyone who knows us can confirm. We have not been alone in these strange allegations of Kemp however, for he has said much the same about a former close associate in the National Student's Federation's UCT affiliate the Moderate Students Movement, Lance Terry, and has also made a number of unsubstantiated attacks against leading members of the CP of SA.
Kemp furthermore wrote a most strange and universally "panned" book on the obscure AWB outfit, exaggerating its size and importance out of all proportion. When we confronted him with this criticism after he showed us draft copies of its contents in early 1990 his response was that "if I didn't exaggerate its size then the book would not be publishable". This book was eventually produced shortly prior to the 1992 South African Referendum, when it undoubtedly generated great publicity for this joke organisation, which was used by the NP-establishment in order to divide and discredit authentic opposition to their sellout proposals. Most ominously, however, Kemp was assisted in writing this book by none other than - surprise, surprise - Jani Allen, who even provided him with a skimpily-dressed picture of herself for publication!
There are also several unanswered questions about Kemp's role in the arrest and subsequent show-trial of that great South African patriot, Clive Derby-Lewis. Significantly, furthermore, in spite of claiming to be an "exile" in the UK, he voluntarily returned to the "new" South Africa in the late 1990's. We would be very interested to receive any further information about this sinister saga.
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BOOK OFFER
COVOS BOOKS of South Africa are specialist publishers of Africana, and offer a range of most interesting and illuminating books which will appeal to many of our supporters. Amongst the titles they stock are:-
FIREFORCE - One man's war in the Rhodesian Light Infantry, by Chris Cocks. Hard cover with dust jacket, 228 x 155 mm., 368 pages, 120 black and white and colour photos, plus maps and sketches. Widely acclaimed as the classic account of counter-insurgency warfare in Africa. Includes the RLI roll of honour, citations and operational orders. Price R185.00.
HOW WE KEPT THE FLAG FLYING, by Donald MacDonald. Hard cover, 213 x 137 mm., 303 pages, with frontispiece and 7 illustrations and various diagrams. This enduring story of the Siege of Ladysmith is the first in a series of Anglo-Boer War reprints. Price R169.95.
PAMWE CHETE - The Legend of the Selous Scouts, by Lt.Col. Ron Reid-Daly. The revamped, rewritten version of the best-selling "Top Secret War". With new, previously unpublished material, including the roll of honour and full schedules of citations and wings. New photo sections. The definitive account of this exceptional unit's short but distinguished service in the field of counter-insurgency operations during the Rhodesian Bush War. Price R225.00.
SURVIVAL COURSE, by Chris Cocks. The sequel to "Fireforce", chronicling the author's fifteen-month experience, up until the advent of Zimbabwe in 1980, as a stick-leader in the specialist PATU (Police Anti-Terrorist Unit), operating on Rhodesia's eastern border. Part 2 deals with the author's traumatic and harrowing transition to civilian life. Price R95.00.
COVOS BOOKS can be contacted at : P.O.Box 6996, Weltevredenpark, Transvaal, 1715, South Africa. Tel.: +2711-4769926, fax.: +2711-4769927, e-mail : covos@global.co.za
We are happy to be able to confirm that the Springbok Club can now supply copies of all these books, prices being £20.00 (Fireforce), £15.00 (How We Kept the Flag Flying), £27.50 (Pamwe Chete) and £10.00 (Survival Course). All payments should be made payable to "Patriotic Press", and sent to: BCM SAPAT, London WC1N 3XX, UK. (Please add 10% for p.& p.).
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NEW BOOK
We have been asked to point out that Ronnie Anderson edited the book "Palm Wine and Leopard's Whiskers" (which actuallly contains the reminiscences of over 40 Eastern Nigerian colonials) rather than writing it himself. Furthermore the name of his outlet in the UK is "Yesterdays Books", not "Yesteryears Books"!
It can therefore be obtained from: "Yesterday's Books", The Lodge, 6 Cecil Avenue, Bournemouth, Hampshire (repeat HAMPSHIRE), BH8 9EH, price £25.00 a copy. For details of where to obtain copies in the rest of the world please contact Ronnie direct at: ronlen@xtra.co.nz
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WHERE ARE THEY NOW ?
A regular feature in which we ask whether anyone knows the current whereabouts of a friend or colleague who has lost contact.
No.19 : Mrs. BETTY DANTES
Betty Dantes used to run a "milkshake bar" on Durban's Dairy Beach ("surfer's paradise") with her husband. It is believed that her husband died a few years ago, but we would still be very keen to make contact with her again.
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RECOMMENDED WEB-SITE
Rather than an actual web-site this month, two most interesting web-pages.
The first is a very encouraging article from the Canadian newspaper "National Post", in which they advocate ethnic rather than geographical alliances for the Internet age. It can be accessed at :-
http://www.nationalpost.com/commentary.asp?f=000224/215143.html
The second is a further illustration of the "terrorist international", revealing the fact that the IRA provided the detonators used in the Oklahoma bombing. This can be accessed at :-
http://www.totse.com/files/FA012/okciracn.htm
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See you again next month!
