SPRINGBOK CYBER NEWSLETTER
June 2000 editionRecent events north of the Limpopo may have let us overlook a quite disturbing development happening in the "new" South Africa itself - the revelation that the captain of the South African cricket team, Hansie Cronje, plus several other members of the national side, have been implicated in a match-fixing scandal.
Although Cronje still denies receiving money from Far Eastern betting syndicates actually to "throw" matches (he only admits taking unauthorised money for match "predictions") few people believe him, especially when it is admitted that the entire side once held a team-meeting to decide whether to accept money to "throw" a one-day international against India (in any civilised society such an approach would have been dismissed out of hand by the team captain, without any recourse to consulting the entire team!).
We should never forget, however, that in 1992 it was this same South African cricket side, containing many of the same players, who issued a joint statement from Australia advocating a "Yes" vote in favour of national suicide in that year's constitutional referendum. By so doing they showed that personal wealth and glory was more important to them than the future existence of the country which gave them birth.
Is it any wonder therefore that these same self-centred individuals should now engage in such corrupt match-fixing activities? Under the control of the loathsome Ali Bacher South African cricket is rotten to the core, but we must ask ourselves which is the more evil - to accept money to fix the result of individual matches, or to use your position of influence to advocate the destruction of your own country.
Meanwhile the "Zimbabwe" cricket team are currently touring Britain. During the Second Test against England at Trent Bridge they appeared wearing black armbands in memory of Tony Oates, the White farmer who had been murdered by Mugabe's marauding savages, whose son Jason had represented Zimbongoland at junior level. At the same time, however, the same players were still prepared to wear the Marxist red star emblem of the Mugabe regime, and their party political "national" flag. The hypocrisy is dreadful.
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THE SPRINGBOK CLUB SPRING BRAAI
The Springbok Club's Spring Braai went ahead at Swanley on the London/Kent border thanks to the kind generosity of Exco member Tony Waller in providing facilities.
The attendance, although higher than last year's, was still disappointing small however. Many supporters have commented in the past about how too many of our functions are serious in nature, and not enough are social - yet when we organise a more socially-orientated event the turnout tends to be far smaller. We know that the geographic location of this gathering was perhaps a little difficult to find (we've heard that one supporter intending to attend simply couldn't find the venue!) and so consequently we are planning to hold our Autumn Braai at a different location nearer to the centre of London. We trust therefore that far more of our supporters will be able to make a special effort to attend this event.
After the braai a video of the film "Africa Addio" was shown, which all present found most poignant and enlightening. Perhaps we will try to hold a further showing of this video some time in future for a larger audience.
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PATRIOTIC FORUM MEETING
The Springbok Club has joined forces with a number of other organisations under the banner of the "Patriotic Forum" in order to host a special meeting featuring a most interesting visiting American guest speaker. The details are as follows:-
Date : Monday 12th June 2000
Time : 18.30 hrs for 19.30 hrs
Venue : The Star Tavern (Belgrave Mews West, Belgravia, London S.W.1.)
(This meeting will take place in the upstairs Function Room, where we have arranged for private bar facilities to be provided. We would therefore ask everyone to go straight up to this private Function Room as soon as they arrive.)
Guest Speaker : Mr. Bill Cooke
Mr. Cooke comes from Baltimore in Maryland in the USA, and is the founder and chairman of the "Falklands Society", an Internet-based organisation which aims to foster US/UK friendship. He is currently studying law at the University of Baltimore, having previously read history and political science. He is a member both of the US Libertarian Party and the National Rifle Association. The theme of his talk will be relations between the United States, Britain and the Commonwealth.
As can be seen, the Function Room is booked for an hour prior to the actual commencement of the meeting, and this will give everyone the chance to meet and chat with Bill Cooke beforehand.
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SPRINGBOK CLUB NEWS
In July the Springbok Club aims to hold a dinner to mark Rhodes and Founders Day. This will probably be held sometime over the weekend of 14th/15th/16th July at a venue in south London (Croydon area), though precise details still have to be finalised. We have however already arranged for a most eminent after-dinner speaker, and needless to say full details will be given in the July edition of the SCN. If you are keen to attend please let us know as soon as possible however.
Nick Maine, our current Australasian co-ordinator, still wishes to hand over this position because of his many other commitments and advancing years (though he will continue to be active in the Gold Coast area). If you are from either Australia or New Zealand and would be willing to take over this position then again please let us know.
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LONDON SWINTON CIRCLE MEETINGS
The London Swinton Circle (which is also an associate of the "Patriotic Forum") staged an most informative meeting last month when Andrew Hunter MP (the conservative member for Basingstoke) was their guest speaker. Mr. Hunter, who had previously exposed ANC/IRA terrorist links, spoke on the theme of "Terrorism and Security" and showed that he had an expert knowledge of the current nature of international terrorism, and the threat which it posed to western civilisation. During question time a member of the Springbok Club drew everyone's attention to the fact that the two so-called "neutral" inspectors of the IRA arms dumps were in fact terrorist supporters, Cyril Ramaphosa having been an active member of the ANC terrorist organisation, and Maarti Artisaari having been an apologist for the SWAPO terrorist gang whilst a United Nations representative to SWA.
On Thursday June 15th 2000 the London Swinton Circle will be staging another most interesting meeting in the House of Commons (Committee Room No.10, at 18.45 hrs for 19.00 hrs) when the guest speaker will be Mr. John Wilkinson MP, the Conservative member for Ruislip. His theme will be "The Challenge of Europe".
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REAL SOUTH AFRICAN FLAGS
We are happy to be able to announce that we now have a small stock of full-sized real South African flags. They are being sold for £12.00 each (payments should be made payable to "Patriotic Press" and sent to: BCM SAPAT, London WC1N 3XX, UK). The price will only be £10.00 if you intend to collect the flag personally at future Springbok Club meetings however, but we would ask overseas purchasers to add on an appropriate extra amount to cover overseas postage costs. Purchasers from North America should however contact Ferdi Fourie direct. E-mail him at: ffourie@cse.unl.edu to find precise details about supply.
[We must apologise for the slight delay in forwarding flags to those who have already made orders. As you will no doubt realise we have been very pre-occupied with arranging meetings etc. over the last few weeks, and as a result the processing of correspondence has experienced consequent delays. We anticipate forwarding everything in the next few days however.]
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PATRIOTIC PRESS'S SOUTH AFRICAN NEWSLETTER
During that vital period of South African history during the end of 1989 and the beginning of 1990 we managed to publish an in-depth analysis of the developing situation in the country called "Patriotic Press's South African Newsletter". Although we were forced to cease publication when we were forced to relocate operations to the UK, we have recently received a request for a full set of all eight editions of this publication. This, alas, meant that we had to convert all the relevant data-files to our current more advanced Desk-Top Publishing system - but having done this we wonder whether any other supporters would like to purchase a set?
Although this publication is of course no longer of any current relevance, it is even so still of great historical interest. We are now therefore selling them for £20.00 (£10.00 for Full Members of the Springbok Club) for a complete set of all eight editions. Payment should be made to "Patriotic Press" (in Sterling) and sent to : BCM SAPAT, London WC1N 3XX, U.K..
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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.
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) and £27.50 (Pamwe Chete). 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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RUGBY SPRINGBOK SUPPORTER CLUB
Barry Cohen writes to tell us about the [rugby] Springbok Supporter Club:-
The Springbok Supporter Club was launched by the SARFU in April 1999, sponsored by ABSA Bank. One of the aims of the club is to co-ordinate an expat' supporter base, and to this end we are offering free overseas club franchises should anyone be interested.
Membership is obtained by: 1) Paying the full membership fee of R125 (ex VAT) which entitles you to a Supporter Kit (retails for R150). 2) Obtain a SA Rugby Visa card from ABSA Bank (only available in SA), whereupon membership is free for year 1, and subsidised for years 2 and 3. 3) Limited free membership through our website: see fan zone on www.sarugby.net (This option is soon to be launched).
Your membership entitles you to:-
* Limited test match tickets both in South Africa and abroad.
* Limited Currie Cup and Super 12 semi-final and final match tickets for games played in South Africa.
* Ability to participate in the club golf days and dinners (where sport memorabilia is auctioned), with present and former Springboks in attendance.
* Ability to attend hospitality functions prior to test matches.
* Various negotiated benefits and discounts.
* Access to club merchandise.
* Limited number of seats available at the Player of the Year dinner.
* Limited times available at the official Springbok golf day (12 June, Pretoria).
* Bi-monthly e-mails and faxed newsletter.
* Tour and travel benefits.
* Various prizes randomly drawn.
* Membership card and club certificate.
* On-line chat-line.
* Latest SARFU media releases.
The Chairman of the Club is Wynand Claassens (1981 Springbok captain), and the club is managed by Supersport Dream League, of whom Barry Cohen is the CEO, and Tracy Booys the Club Administration Manager.
For more details contact Barry Cohen at : Barry@dreamleague.co.za
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"FREEBIES" WEB-SITE
A new web-site is now available which has been designed by ex-Rhodesian John Allman, now living in York.
This new "green" and environmentally friendly web-site is to help people re-cycle items which they no longer use or want. The idea is that others in your community will visit the site, see useful items, and claim them. No money changes hands, all transactions are free, although you have to make your own arrangements to collect the items you want. If you see something you want, just claim it. No mailings will be used for commercial purposes.
To find out more visit this "freebies" web-site at :-
http://www.freebiesrus.co.uk
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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.22 : Mr. KURT GARZ
Kurt Garz lived in the Hillary area of Durban, and worked for Hulletts at their factory in Rossburgh/Clairmont. At the time which we knew him, in the late 1980's, his wife had just given birth to their first child. He was a good friend and colleague, and we would like to make re-contact if possible.
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RECOMMENDED WEB-SITE
At the present moment, when attempts are being made to destroy the RUC as a result of the infamous Patten Report in order to appease terrorists, it is encouraging to learn of an active campaign to defend this brave and highly-respected police force. The "Campaign to Defend the RUC" is a UK-wide campaign launched in September 1999, and run by volunteers. It is both non-party and non-sectarian. They run an excellent web-site on which "Defend the RUC" Petition Forms (run in conjunction with the Daily Telegraph) can be down-loaded. It can be accessed at :-
http://www.defendtheruc.org.uk
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See you again next month!
