SPRINGBOK CYBER NEWSLETTER
October 2014 edition
In spite of some very worrying developments for the West in other parts of the globe, one event last month shone out like a beacon to encourage us all, namely the result of the Scottish Constitutional Referendum.
In spite of the fact that David Cameron gave way in practically every way to the demands of the subversive SNP and their sinister internationalist backers, the majority of Scottish people had the common-sense not vote for the destruction of the natural unity of the British nation. Although the vote was not as overwhelming as we would have liked it to be, it was even so – with a margin of over 10% in favour of the Union - decisive.
Alas the official “Better Together” campaign under the woeful leadership of Alistair Darling, who seemed obsessed with the economic arguments rather than with the far more emotional patriotic arguments, cannot receive any high accolades for the eventual happy outcome of this plebiscite. There were however a number of individuals and organizations who warrant the highest praise for securing the triumph of the Unionist cause, among whom we would single out :-
1) Dan Snow and Tom Holland and their “Let’s Stay Together” Campaign, which procured the backing of hundreds of leading British personalities from throughout the United Kingdom in support of the Union. Although a number of these signatories were highly surprising (to say the least!), the vast majority, regardless of their somewhat “trendy” backgrounds, proved that when the crunch came they were true patriots. Their names must always be remembered and respected therefore.
2) Those leading Scottish celebrities such as Sir Chris Hoy, J.K.Rowling and Alan Hansen who were prepared openly to support the “No Thanks” Campaign in spite of vile intimidation from the SNP-supporting hate-filled “cyber-nats”.
3) The Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland, who by organizing a massive demonstration in favour of a “No” vote in Edinburgh shortly before the Referendum brought much needed colour and patriotic fervour to the debate – so sadly lacking from the official “Better Together” Campaign.
4) The Rt.Hon. Gordon Brown: not exactly our favourite politician we admit, but someone who unlike Alistair Darling was able to mobilize pro-Union Labour voters effectively.
Even though the Referendum was won decisively, the struggle for the Union is alas still not necessarily over. The SNP splittists and their internationalist backers (who of course advocate the break-up of other great European nation states such as Belgium, Spain, France and Italy) may have suffered a severe set-back to their devious plans, but they have not gone away. Whilst the SNP is at a low ebb, especially with the departure of the odious Alex Salmond and the consequent leadership handover, now is the time for pro-Unionist forces to act decisively. We therefore advocate that three main long-term policy campaigns should be initiated in order to try to influence the powers that be, namely :-
1) Advocating that the Holyrood “Parliament” (together with those at Cardiff Bay and Stormont, in its present form) should be abolished, with their powers devolved downwards to either traditional regional or county levels. If such devolution to a lower level is also enacted in England then the West Lothian Question will at last be solved.
2) Pressing for the elimination of all manifestations of Scottish separateness. Why for instance should there be separate NHS, heritage and environmental bodies for Scotland, and why do all major political parties have to suffix their title with the word “Scottish” in Scotland? This is most important in the sporting context of course, where British Lions style teams should be established to play in international competitions for all team sports, particularly in Soccer. The England Cricket Test side (though not necessarily limited overs sides) should be re-branded Great Britain, and the British Lions Rugby side should start to play regular internationals at home.
3) Encouragement should be extended to the Republic of Ireland to re-join the United Kingdom. This will not be accomplished overnight of course, and undoubtedly will take at least another generation to come to fruition, but a start should be made now by making it clear to the citizens of the 26 lost counties that if they ever wish to return they will be welcomed. More specifically, the RoI should be encouraged to leave the disastrous Euro currency and re-join the Sterling Zone.
If immediate steps are taken to enact these proposals then the frightening nightmare of the disintegration of the United Kingdom which we endured in 2014 will never happen again.
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SPRINGBOK CLUB NEWS
The Springbok Club was most honoured to be invited to participate in the annual “Raising of the Flag” Ceremony in Norfolk last month, and a goodly contingent of Springbok Club members were able to make the journey to attend. This event, which commemorates the foundation of Rhodesia on 13th September 1890, consisted of the actual raising of Union Flag ceremony (which re-enacts the flag-raising at what became Cecil Square, Salisbury in 1890), a short religious ceremony conducted by the Rev. Jonathan Boston (the Chaplain to the Moanor of Southrepps), speeches given by Alan Harvey (current Organiser/Secretary of the Springbok Club) and by Lt.Col. Bertram Cubitt (ex-BSAP), the singing of the Rhodesian and British National Anthems accompanied by the Cromer and Sheringham Brass Band and the firing of a 21-gun salute. Our hearty congratulations are extended to Peter Sladden, Michael Thorburn and Capt. Anthony Aldridge upon organizing such a spectacular and uplifting event.
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The details of the Springbok Club’s October meeting are as follows :-
Date : Thursday 23rd October 2014
Time : Assemble from 18.30 hrs, meeting to commence at 19.00 hrs.
Venue : The GOLDEN FLEECE (the downstairs Cellar Bar), 8/9 Queen Street, City of London, EC4N 1SP (nearest tube stations: Bank, St.Paul’s and Mansion House).
Guest Speaker : Mr. ALAN WILLIAMSON MRICS, MInstCES, MBIDP
Alan Williamson commenced his career by qualifying as a chartered quantity surveyor in 1985 and working in this country for major civil engineering contractors, until departing for Southern Africa for the first time in 1988. Living in Botswana for most of the time until 1994, he acted as Chief Quantity Surveyor for Wade Adams having responsibility for central/southern Africa, including Botswana, Angola, Mozambique and Bophuthatswana. This period included time in both Angola and Mozambique during the civil wars in those countries, working for clients such as UNDP. He also travelled extensively around both South Africa and Zimbabwe (Rhodesia) during that time. Upon returning to Great Britain he concentrated upon the construction law side of the business, being based at a practice in Temple Chambers in the City of London since 2000, and having had many construction law articles published in a number of publications since that time. He returned to South Africa several times between 2007 and 2010, travelling around the country extensively over that period, before returning to live there from September 2013 to August 2014. During this time he was site claims manager for Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Africa upon the 4,800 MW coal-fired power station at Kusile between Pretoria and Witbank. His talk will include a summary of his role on this largest coal-fired power station in the world, and some of the immense problems encountered, and his general experiences of life in present day South Africa.
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The Springbok Club has received an invitation from Saracens RFC to attend their friendly match against the Western Province Stormers on Sunday 9th November at Allianz Park, when they will be offering £25.00 tickets to all members and supporters for only £20.00. Would all those interested please either e-mail springbk@netcomuk.co.uk or ‘phone: us on: 07711188430.
Later during November the Springbok Club plans to stage its annual UDI Day celebration buffet, at which the organisation will be welcoming a special Rhodesian guest speaker. Fuller details will be included in next month’s SCN.
In December the Springbok Club will be holding their annual Day of the Vow commemorations, and fuller details will be given in future editions of the SCN.
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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 during the next few months. Fuller details will again be given in future editions of the SCN.
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SWINTON CIRCLE NEWS
The Swinton Circle gave its full support to New Britain’s “Keep the United Kingdom United” procession and rally in London last month, and full details about this event are given in the New Britain News section below.
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Details regarding the Swinton Circle’s forthcoming 2014 AGM are as follows :-
Date : Tuesday 14th October 2014
Time : assemble from 18.30 hrs., meeting to commence at 18.45 hrs.
Venue : The GOLDEN FLEECE (the downstairs cellar bar), 8/9 Queen Street, City of London, EC4N 1SP (nearest tube stations: Bank, St.Paul’s and Mansion House).
ITINERARY
1. Opening of meeting.
2. Apologies for absence.
3. Approval of 2013 AGM Minutes.
4. Organiser’s Report for 2013/2014.
5. Treasurer’s Report for 2013/2014
6. Election of Officers for 2014/2015 (nominations to be submitted by post or e-mail by 13th October).
7. Motions for debate (to be submitted and seconded by post or e-mail prior to 13th October).
8. Any other business.
Only valid and fully paid-up members of the Swinton Circle will be entitled to attend and participate in this business side of this meeting, though membership fees may be renewed on the day. The membership rate still stands at £12.00 per year.
After the business side of this meeting has been concluded (at approximately 19.45 hrs.) we will be most honoured to welcome Mr. Paul Griffin as guest speaker, and all supporters of the Swinton Circle, whether or not actual members, will be welcome to attend this section of the evening's activities. Mr. Griffin will be giving a short talk and presentation about the current situation in the Ukraine, and the hypocrisy which he perceives on both the Western and Russian sides.
Paul Griffin was born at Ottawa, Canada, and studied at the University of Durham where he gained an MSci degree in Geoscience. He currently works in London as an IT Technical Support Analyst, specializing primarily in databases. He has made an extensive study of European history and associated philosophy, which he will expand upon in the course of his talk.
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It is anticipated that the Swinton Circle’s November meeting will feature a very high-profile guest speaker, and will take place on Tuesday 4th November. All members and supporters of the Swinton Circle will be notified of the precise details of this meeting in due course.
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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
New Britain’s staged a “Keep the United Kingdom United” procession and rally in the City of London last month, in order to support the “No Thanks” campaign at the Scottish Constitutional Referendum. Starting from Paternoster Square next to St. Paul’s Cathedral, the procession, led by a bagpiper and a flag-holder bearing the Union Flag, and including other flag-bearers carrying the flags of the four main component parts of the United Kingdom, proceeded through the streets of the City of London to St. Sepulchre’s Church where the Rally took place. At the Rally, which was presided over by Mr. Dennis Delderfield, the National Chairman of New Britain, patriotic songs from all parts of the United Kingdom were sung as the five flag-bearers paraded to the front of the church. This was followed by a spectacular display of traditional Scottish dancing and bagpipe playing, interspaced with rousing speeches from Mick McGough and Rory Broomfield of The Freedom Association. A video recording of part of the rally can be viewed at :-
https://www.youtube.com/embed/tXE0bdBy6mo
and the speech given by Rory Broomfield can be viewed at :-
https://www.youtube.com/embed/biemMSpZKM8
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LATEST MESSAGE FROM THE ZIMBABWE CONSERVATION TASK FORCE
The latest report which we have received from the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force reads as follows :-
“ELEPHANTS POISONED
“We have recently heard about 4 elephants that were poisoned with cyanide. The dead elephants were found on the old mine road off the main Kazangula/Victoria Falls Road. Apparently the cyanide was mixed with salt and sprinkled in an area where the elephants eat the salt. We believe National Parks have now burnt the carcasses.
“PETITION
“A petition has been circulated regarding the take-over of Kanondo by Elisabeth Freeman/Pasalk. The concern is for the Presidential Herd that frequent the area. The petition was signed by 8,000 people, 2,000 of whom were Zimbabweans and handed to Minister Saviour Kasukwere. We believe the petition was ignored due to the fact that a very wealthy tycoon and minister is involved.
“FAREWELL TO MAC BAILEY
“It is with great sadness and regret that we announce the death of Mac Bailey. For those who were not fortunate enough to know him, he was, amongst other things a great conservationist. It was ironical therefore that he was killed by a crocodile in Kariba. We wish his wife Jenny and his children our sincere condolences on the loss of a very special man.”
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EASY RYDER SOLUTION
The Ryder Cup is the world’s most famous match-play golf competition. Founded in 1927, it was originally a contest between teams of golfers from the British Isles and the United States of America. In 1979, however, following a period of perceived US dominance, it was decided to expand the geographic area from which their opponents could be drawn to include the whole of the continent of Europe. Although this decision was made on purely golfing grounds, it was quickly seized upon by the godfathers of the European Union in order to engender none-too-subtle propaganda for their internationalist institution and to popularise the otherwise much-hated 12-star EU flag – in spite of the fact that European golfers could be drawn from throughout the European continent, and not just from member countries of the EU! As a result, therefore, many patriotic British golf-fans have been uncertain which side to support at recent competitions.
Ideally of course, following a period of overwhelming European dominance in the Ryder Cup, and the fact that for the past decade or so it has been British golfers such as Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose and Graeme McDowell who have been dominant on the world stage rather than US golfers, the competition should revert to its original British Isles v. USA format. This however would be unfair on the continental European golfers who have had the glory of competing in this event for the past few years – after all they can’t be blamed for the manner in which the EU politicians have tried to hi-jack the competition!
To us the solution seems obvious however. The Ryder Cup should evolve into a structure similar to the Davis Cup in Lawn Tennis, with teams from all nation states around the world being allowed to compete, and with a world group of the 8 top teams competing on knock-out basis and being fed by four regional groupings. The only difference to the Davis Cup would be that the competition would be spread over a 2-year cycle rather than competed annually. We hope that PGAs on both sides of the Atlantic will be prepared to consider this proposal carefully.
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MESSAGE FROM THE ZIMBABWE PENSIONER SUPPORT FUND
We have recently received the following quite worrying report from the Zimbabwe Pensioner Support Fund :-
“We have been supporting pensioners in Zimbabwe for the past 12 years and are hoping you could possibly do a story about us and how this all came about. Helping us to celebrate this small milestone. Over the years the Zimbabwe Pensioner Support Fund has gone from supporting 1 pensioner to currently supporting just over 1600 pensioners with an apple box filled with non-perishable food in 28 old age homes / organizations throughout Zimbabwe. This is only about 45% or so of the pensioners that need help. We also assist similar organizations called ‘S.O.A.P’ (Support Old Age Pensioners)as well as various kitchens. One of the kitchens we support is the Verity Amm Kitchen in Bulawayo, they supply between 80-100 pensioners with 2 meals a day 4 days a week. As far as we are aware we are the largest Non-Government organization supporting pensioners still in Zimbabwe who lost everything when the Zimbabwe dollar ceased to exist.
“As such we would like to inform interested persons of the true situation regarding the pensioners in Zimbabwe. Many people are under the impression that since the so-called dollarization of their currency the situation for the pensioners has improved. Wrong! In fact, Zimbabwean pensioners are now worse off than ever before. Overnight in January 2010 the reserve bank removed another 12 zeroes and people who had billions of Zimbabwe dollars were paupers the next day. No matter whether they had Zimbabwean dollars in the bank or at home they lost everything and were left with useless pieces of paper. They have never been compensated for the loss and never will be. So even though the currency changed to US dollars what they had in Zimbabwean dollars no longer existed. Pensioners are now at the mercy of Good Samaritans that reach out to them. That is where the Zimbabwe Pensioners Support Fund comes in. The fund was established in 2002 to help a few needy people in an old age home.
“The first thing one needs to understand is that almost 75% of the pensioners do not have a pension or income and those that do receive between US$13 and US$40 . They did make adequate provision for their old age and originally retired comfortably. However, as Zimbabwe's inflation went up into the ‘billions’ of percent, the government kept taking off zeroes in an attempt to stabilize the economy. I was recently speaking to a pensioner in Kadoma Ann who was crying and I asked her what the problem was. This is what she had to say. “I get a pension of US$40 a month from Old Mutual. The bank takes US$2, my rent is US$35 so that leaves me with US$3 for food”. This is a fairly common situation that I come across. There is of cause the very small percentage of pensioners that are well supported by their children.
“With two large trucks we shift around 18-22 tons of non-perishable food, good second hand clothes and medical aides such as wheelchairs, crutches, walking aids, spectacles and non-scheduled medicines every 8 weeks to our Golden Oldies. Over the past year funds have trickled down and we are battling to make ends meet in our continued goal to support our pensioners. We firmly believe that had it not been for the tenacious and ‘Bull Terrier’ like spirit of Hannes Botha (the ZPSF Director), this year’s ‘roadblocks and curved balls’ would have ended this project. Yet as he has said many times to us, ‘these people are my life and nothing will stop me from serving them with payback’.
“We are an officially registered Non-Profit Organization and Section 21A in South Africa and are registered with SARS as a Public Benefit Organization in terms of section 18A the Income Tax Act (Which means all donations are issued with a Tax Certificate and can be claimed back). We rely totally on the generosity of the public to keep our wheels turning.
“Please if you have any queries do not hesitate to contact us.”
The ZPSF can be contacted at: www.zpsf.co.za or by e-mailing: pensupzim@vodamail.co.za
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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.191 : Mr. DAVID WILLIAMS of Durban.
David Williams was born on the Copper Belt of the then Northern Rhodesia, and hailed from a family of patriotic British Imperialists. He moved to South Africa after the sell-out of NR, and volunteered to serve in the SADF reserve forces, seeing action on the frontline during subversive rioting in Natal. He worked as a systems analyst firstly for the Unilever Group and subsequently for the Durban Corporation. It would be very interesting to learn where he is now.
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RECOMMENDED WEB-SITE OF THE MONTH
There perhaps predictably wasn’t much media coverage of the massive pro-Unionist celebrations in George Square, Glasgow, the day after the “No” campaign won a decisive victory at the Scottish Constitutional Referendum. One video filmed by an apparently neutral overseas news outlet showing the extent of the celebrations by the ecstatic patriotic crowd does appear on YouTube however. Both Unionist and Nationalist supporters are interviewed in this clip, but significantly even one “Yes” supporter openly admits that Scotland will now never become independent! Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdvXA1J8Egc
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
SHORT MEMORY
Sir,
Your article about Michael Hart-Jones [September SCN - Ed.] made fascinating reading. I was a supporter of the Save Rhodesia Campaign in Durban during the late 1970s and remember him quite well. Wasn’t he a close acquaintance of that other useless individual who frequented several right-wing organizations in Durban, Norman Perry (who often went under the pseudonym of Norman Short)?
If I remember correctly Perry served on the Committee of the SRC in Durban, but had to be asked to leave after he failed to attend any Committee meetings or even any of the functions staged by the organization. When he turned up at Brian Hurt’s election campaign a few months later he started to run down the SRC like anything, stating that the only way to save Rhodesia was to “kill Oppenheimer” – a really childish comment to make. Then years later he turned up over an hour early at the big Action White Natal rally in the Durban City Hall in order to get one of the best seats available – in spite of having done NOTHING either to organize or to publicise the rally or the campaign in general. He was a classic and odious “armchair politician”. We needed less of them during those vital days. I wonder where he ended up?
Yours etc.,
“Patriot”, Durban, Natal.
[ From what we’ve heard Norman Perry/Short died in Durban about two years ago. Ed.]
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COMMONSENSE
Sir,
Britain should have given Southern Rhodesia independence in 1953 rather than setting up the idiotic Central African Federation. At the very least she should have been given independence at the same time as Zambia and Malawi - she had, after all, been a self-governing democracy since 1922, even if she did reject the sacred cow of "one man one vote." Her non-racial qualified franchise should have been a role model for the whole of Africa and Asia. In addition, all republics should have been barred from the Commonwealth - those who reject our monarch had no business in our Commonwealth.
Yours etc.,
M. Taylor, London, U.K.
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OBITUARY
LORD BANNSIDE
Lord Bannside, the former Dr. Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, who sadly died last month, has often been described as the greatest Ulsterman since Carson. This comparison is actually incorrect, as Carson was of course born a Leinsterman. It would, however, be more accurate to describe Lord Bannside as the greatest Briton since Churchill.
Born in 1926 in Co.Armagh, the then Ian Paisley was the son of a Baptist pastor who had founded his own breakaway denomination. Ian Paisley inherited his father’s staunch Christian faith and was a lifelong opponent of Romanism. In 1951 he preached his first sermon in a corrugated-iron mission chapel in Co.Down. He proved a powerful and charismatic preacher, and soon gathered together a group of adherents who founded the Free Presbyterian Church, which by 1969 had established the Martyr’s Memorial Church in Belfast’s Ravenhill Road, the largest Protestant place of worship in Europe.
Ian Paisley’s strong Christian beliefs, coupled with the mounting threat of SF/IRA insurrection in Ulster, and the apparent appeasement of both the Ulster Unionist Party under Capt. Terence O’Neill and the British Government of the day, made him realize that he was called to enter the political arena. He stood against O’Neill in the Bannside Constituency during the 1969 Stormont elections, greatly reducing O’Neill’s majority. The following year – no doubt realizing the way that the wind was blowing – O’Neill resigned as Stormont PM, and in the subsequent by-election Paisley was victorious. By now obtaining political support from a wide range of Protestant denominations, Paisley then went on to win the North Antrim seat for the Westminster Parliament at the 1970 General Election (a seat which he held until he voluntarily relinquished it 2010). With the Democratic Unionist Party which he was a driving force in establishing now becoming an increasingly dominant political force in Ulster, Paisley was elected an MEP to the European Parliament in 1979, holding the seat until he voluntarily stood down in 2004 – topping the Ulster poll in each election!
A man of considerable physical energy and tremendous personal bravery, he was able to serve in three parliaments/assemblies simultaneously for 25 years. He was forthright in his opposition to Edward Heath’s inexcusable abolition of the Stormont Parliament and his sell-out Sunningdale Agreement, Margaret Thatcher’s appeasement through the Anglo-Irish Accord and the treacherous so-called Good Friday Agreement. He also courageously supported the Ulster Worker’s Council Strike of 1977 (which brought down the Sunningdale Agreement) and the Drumcree protests, and also expressed solidarity with the establishment of the Ulster Resistance movement (the “Ulster Third Force”) in 1981. On the religious front he was equally defiant, bravely handing out Protestant pamphlets in St.Peter’s Square itself and denouncing the Pope as the anti-Christ when he addressed the European Parliament. As a result of all these courageous actions he was subject to many assassination attempts, but survived each time – perhaps through divine intervention.
Towards the end of his political career he caused great controversy within Ulster’s Loyalist community when, as leader of the largest party in the Stormont Assembly of the time, he was prepared to enter into a power-sharing arrangement. The factor which many fail to realise, however, is that during the St.Andrews’ negotiations engineered by the Labour Government of Tony Blair (himself subsequently a Romanist convert) the DUP were presented with a stark choice: either accept a form of power-sharing or else there would be a total sell-out to a united Ireland. The choice was therefore a “no brainer”. In addition to this, however, Paisley and other high-ranking officials within the DUP detected a split within SF/IRA ranks, with the McGuinness faction seemingly being more interested in the trappings of power, as opposed to the nationalist “purity” of the Adams faction, a split which he was astutely able to exploit. In this final act of his political career Ian Paisley – by now Lord Bannside – showed great daring and acumen therefore, which as Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom still seems as secure as ever would certainly appear to be well-placed.
Ian Paisley therefore proved to be probably the greatest British patriot of his age. The sell-out of the six Loyal counties of Ulster to the Republic of Ireland, which seemed to be an almost foregone conclusion in 1969, never came about – and indeed now seems to be further away than ever. For this the Ulster people have one man to thank for his defiance and non-stop energy more than anyone – Dr. Ian Richard Kyle Paisley. It is not only in Ulster itself where Paisley’s British patriotism has born fruit however, for undoubtedly his patriotic activism and fervour also spread to supporters in Scotland, with the happy result of the Scottish Constitutional Referendum (which happened sadly just a few days after his death) being in no small measure due to the spirit of British Unionism which he engendered. Indeed admiration for his religious and patriotic principles extended elsewhere across the globe, as the moving tribute paid to him by Dr. Peter Hammond of the Cape Town-based Frontline Fellowship confirms.
Lord Bannside was an inspiration to us all. Our sincerest condolences are extended to his widow Eileen and to his children Kyle, Ian (who succeeded his father as DUP MP for North Antrim), Sharon, Rhonda and Cherith. In them we are confident that his Christian decency, determination and patriotism will live on.
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