Springbok Cyber Newsletter

Thursday, 18 October 2012

October 2012 Edition.

SPRINGBOK CYBER NEWSLETTER

October 2012 edition

In the February 2012 edition of the SCN we expressed some misgivings about the suitability of Mitt Romney to be the GOP candidate for this year’s U.S. Presidential election. Since then, of course, Mitt Romney has been chosen as the GOP candidate, and we must therefore accept the choice which has been made.

Our concerns about Mitt Romney centred on his perceived pro-German sympathies and his Mormon faith – not that we object to anyone’s choice of religion, but rather because we worried that his faith would alienate a substantial percentage of the American electorate. As the campaign has progressed, however, it has become apparent that Mitt Romney is probably more pro-British than pro-German (as his high praise for Baroness Thatcher and his wife Ann’s effervescent pride in her Welsh ancestry confirms). Furthermore it has become clear that far fewer people than we originally imagined would be alienated by his Mormon religion. Most importantly, however, Mitt Romney possesses one most vital attribute when it comes to November, namely that he is not Barack Hussein Obama.

We were criticized by a number of American readers for stating in our February 2012 edition that Obama’s first term in office hadn’t proved as disastrous as we had feared. We stand by this assessment (after all he was prepared to dispatch the evil Islamic terrorist leader Osama bin Laden, and to continue with drone attacks against terrorist bases in Pakistan), but we must emphasise that this assessment was relative. Against the plus-factors from Obama’s presidency there have already been many minus-factors, most notably his headlong pursuit towards a socialist medical system and his withdrawal from Iraq and proposed withdrawal from Afghanistan before the Taliban terrorists have been annihilated. Furthermore, as we’ve observed in the past, many Donkey Party presidents have reserved their worst actions until their second term of office – just remember Clinton! Our fear, and this is a big fear, is that if Barack Hussein Obama is re-elected then he will enact a rapid de-Westernisation of the United States, hastening a process which was began under the Kennedy/Johnson administrations.

Of course the mystery remains about how Obama was ever elected president in the first place. Bizarrely there still seem to be many in the U.S. – and not just within the Donkey Party – who continue to believe that he was actually born in Hawaii, whereas of course elsewhere throughout the West it is generally accepted that all the evidence points to him having been born in Kenya. Be this as it may, nobody disputes that his father was the son of a primitive Kenyan goat-herdsman, his mother was a promiscuous atheist serial-miscegenist, and that he received his formative education at a Muslim madrassa in Indonesia – hardly, we would assert, the most ideal background for a leader of the Free World! This astonishing choice by the American people in 2008 could well have proved fatal for their country, and indeed for the world, and perhaps it was only a matter of luck that total disasters never occurred. It is a gamble which can’t be taken again in 2012 however.

Mitt Romney may seem to be an unlikely saviour of the West, but there were far worse possibilities, even among this year’s GOP contenders. It is essential that he is victorious in November therefore, as it may be the West’s last chance for salvation – and we’re not being over-melodramatic. We wish him well.

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SPRINGBOK CLUB NEWS

In September the Springbok Club staged a trip to Greenwich in order to see both the restored Cutty Sark and Greenwich Park, the venue for all the Equestrian Events at the recent London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. As well as visiting these two planned locations the Springbok Club party also toured Greenwich Palace, where they were able to see the famous painted ceiling featuring King William III and Queen Mary II seated in splendour – which as this event took place on exactly the same day as the grand march in Belfast commemorating the signing of the Ulster Covenant (where a number of Springbok Club members from Ulster participated) proved a particularly appropriate setting!

On Saturday 20^th October the Springbok Club will be supporting a trip to Chatham Dockyard which forms part of New Britain’s special Trafalgar Festival. Full details of this event are included in the New Britain News section.

During the afternoon of Saturday 10^th November the Springbok Club will be staging its annual UDI Day commemoration dinner, at which a prominent ex-Rhodesian activist now resident in the UK will be guest of honour. This event will take place at a convenient venue in central London, and full details will be given in next month’s SCN.

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SWINTON CIRCLE NEWS

The Swinton Circle held its 2012 AGM last month, at which a new Executive Committee was elected for the forthcoming year, and a minor amendment to the Swinton Circle Constitution regarding the timing of AGMs and the presentations of annual accounts was approved. After the business side of this meeting was concluded Mr. Gary Vincent gave an enthralling illustrated talk about the life and career of Col. Martin Bladen MP. Col. Bladen, who lived from 1680 to 1746, came from a prominent Yorkshire family and was the uncle of Admiral Lord Edward Hawke. After a successful military career, during which he served under Marlborough in the Low Countries, he entered politics, and finished his parliamentary life as MP for Portsmouth. One of his greatest achievements was the bringing to justice of the notorious highwayman Dick Turpin, and he is buried at St. Dunstan’s Church in Stepney, close to where the AGM took place.

On Monday 22^nd October the Swinton Circle will be supporting New Britain in their final day’s events in London which form their Trafalgar Festival. Full details are included in the New Britain News section.

In November the Swinton Circle will be addressed by a famous former Conservative MP and MEP, and in December by a DUP MP. Full details about both these events will be appearing in future editions of the SCN.

Membership fees and donations to the Swinton Circle can now be made via PayPal by accessing the organisation's web-site at: www.swintoncircle.co.uk [Simply 'click' on the line "PayPal = The safer, easier way to pay online" at the bottom of the site's Home Page. If the error message "This content cannot be displayed in a frame" then appears simply 'click' on the line "Open this content in a new window".]

The Swinton Circle also now has a presence on Twitter, on which news about the organisation and policy statements are periodically posted. This can be found on Twitter@SwintonCircle.

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NEW BRITAIN NEWS

New Britain will be staging a special three-day celebration of Trafalgar Day this year over the weekend of 20^th/22^nd October. The details are as follows :-

1) A trip to Chatham Historic Dockyard (where HMS Victory was of course built) on Saturday 20^th October. Assemble at approximately 12.00 noon by the main entrance to the Visitor's Centre (near to the former Pembroke Gate). The day will consist of the laying of a wreath at the dock where HMS Victory was built, and then a general tour round the attractions of the Historic Dockyard, before a meal at one of the excellent restaurants now situated there. Cost of admission is £10.00 per person. Those travelling by train should disembark at Chatham Station (if travelling from London) or at Gillingham Station (if travelling from east Kent), and then taking a short bus journey to the main entrance of the Dockyard (bus route 1, among others, passes both stations and the Dockyard main entrance). Those travelling by car should follow the signposts to the Historic Dockyard as soon as reaching the Medway Towns.

2) A special reception at the Immanuel Church Hall, Pleasington near Blackburn in Lancashire on Sunday 21^st October, commencing at 15.00 hrs, at which it is anticipated that the Mayor and Mayoress of Blackburn will be in attendance.

3) Participation in a wreath-laying ceremony at Admiral Viscount Nelson’s grave in St.Paul’s Cathedral on Monday 22^nd October at 11.00 hrs, followed by a visit to the near-by Hall of the Stationery and Newspaper Makers’ Livery Company, and then a buffet lunch at the crypt of the church of St. Magnus the Martyr near London Bridge commencing at 14.00 hrs. A charge of £6.00 per head will be asked for this buffet lunch. There be a small charge of £6.00 per head for the buffet lunch.

New Britain is also planning to stage events to commemorate Remembrance Sunday in November and a special Falklands Island celebration in December. More details will be given in future editions of the SCN.

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OPEN MESSAGE TO ANDREW MARR FROM THE AUSTRALIAN MONARCHIST LEAGUE

We have recently been informed of the following excellent and encouraging letter written by Mr. Philip Benwell, the National Chairman of the Australian Monarchist League, to the BBC presenter Andrew Marr regarding certain errors relating to Australia’s constitutional position in an otherwise excellent programme which he presented about the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. It reads as follows :-

”Dear Mr Marr,

”In your otherwise excellent programme The Diamond Queen, you say in episode 3 that 'Oaths of Allegiance have been removed in Australia'. This is manifestly untrue as we would have advised had you contacted us, as defenders of our Constitution and our Monarchy instead of speaking only to Australian republicans.

”Accordingly to our Constitution, which can only be changed by a referendum vote of the people: "OATH. I, A.B., do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, Her heirs and successors according to law. SO HELP ME GOD!"

”It is too late now to correct the false impression you have given. You bear a great responsibility to ensure that your comments are factual. In this regard you have failed.

”Yours sincerely,

”Philip Benwell”

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PLEA FROM THE INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR ANIMAL WELFARE

The following most distressing appeal has recently been received from thee IFAW :-

“I'm sickened by a recent attack on elephants, and I'm writing you with this urgent plea to help them.
”IFAW staff have just returned from Bouba Ndjida National Park in Cameroon where we witnessed the aftermath of a horrifying slaughter of these majestic animals.
”To date more than 300 elephant carcasses have been found and poachers have claimed a total of 650.
”That's almost half the Park's total population of these beautiful creatures slaughtered - in just a couple of months!
”Entire elephant families – in Cameroon and in other countries - are being wiped out by assault rifles, stabbed with poison spears, even electrocuted with hidden cables!
”We need to train and equip rangers to protect our majestic elephant friends.
”We need to end the illegal trade in elephant ivory by continuing our groundbreaking law enforcement work with INTERPOL and our critical training of customs officials.
”We need to protect vital elephant habitat and care for the animals wherever they live.
”We need YOU.

”You can help stop the elephant massacre.
”Ivory poachers will stop at nothing to get their hands on ivory.
”And these killers are using a sickening new method: they trap a baby elephant and wait for its mother to come to rescue it. When the mother arrives, they spray her with bullets and kill her in cold blood.
”Please protect elephants from these vicious, ruthless killers.

”Elephants are so much like us. Females in particular are very family-oriented and social. They care so deeply for their young they will risk their own lives to protect them. And they grieve for their lost loved ones, often standing vigil over their bones for days on end and even "burying" them with brush and dirt.
”There's no denying - they need and deserve our protection. And they had it – for a short time. The trade in ivory was banned in 1989. Demand dropped and poaching plummeted.
”But some governments got greedy. They wanted to sell their huge stockpiles of ivory in so-called ‘one-off’ ivory sell-offs.
”The ‘one-off’ sale of 1999 was followed by a second in 2008...and the message was clear for the poachers: since governments will eventually sell the ivory, let's kill elephants, collect their tusks, and slip our illegal ivory into the legal market.
”Elephants are dying every day because of this illegal trade, and they need your help now.
”Please give now to stop the elephant massacre.

”Together we can make a better tomorrow for elephants and all animals.
”Thank you.”

The IFAW can be contacted in this regard at: http://www.ifaw.org/united-kingdom/

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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.

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SCN BLOGSPOT

It is alas taking us quite a bit longer than we anticipated to place all back-issues of the SCN on our new blogspot, though slowly but surely we are getting there. Hopefully all back issues will be in place within the next month or so, but many can already be viewed at :-

http://springbokcybernewsletter.blogspot.co.uk/

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S.A.PATRIOT-IN-EXILE

We are happy to be able to announce that the next edition of S.A.Patriot-in-Exile, No.37, is now well on the way to publication. We will still be requiring further funds in order to cover the printing costs and to distribute it effectively of course, and donations to assist in this task can be made via PayPal at the Springbok Club web-site (www.springbokclub.org.uk) or by cheque made payable to “Patriotic Press” and sent to: S.A.Patriot-in-Exile, BM SAPAT, London WC1N 3XX, U.K.

Copies of S.A.Patriot-in-Exile (editions 30 to 36) are still available price R5.00 or 50p each, as well as batches of 50 copies (including copies of the original S.A.Patriot) price R80.00 or £8.00 (plus 20% for p&p.).

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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.

http://www.bellemodel.biz/emails/emails.html

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MAKE YOUR OWN BILTONG AT THE FRACTION OF THE COST ....

Biltongmakers.Com has, for over 10 years, put a smile on many a South African face. No longer do they have to pay exorbitant prices for biltong that in most cases is not even to their liking!

Now you can make your own Biltong at a fraction of the price you pay right now and .... you can make it the way YOU like it!

Please visit www.biltongmakers.com and see all they have available.

You will never be without some REAL South African Biltong again!

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BOOK OFFERS

"REDNECK P.I." a romantic suspense novel by Trish Jackson.

"Twila's a redneck and proud of it. Harland's a P.I. with a target on his back and a twin brother. An explosive situation!"

Available at www.uncialpress.com in electronic format, and from Amazon.com in print and electronic format.

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"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 B.S.A. Police 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.

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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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"THE SEVEN WATCHMEN" by David Ruppert

A new fascinating novel titled "The Seven Watchmen" by David Ruppert should appeal to South Africans and ex-Rhodesians. It can be ordered from Crest Publishing in South Africa at www.crestpublishing.co.za - or those abroad can buy it directly from David at rupedf72@comcast.net. It's also available on www.Amazon.com

Glenn MacAskill and Michael Bowery of Crest Publishing have also written three books each. Glenn MacAskill is ex-BSAP Special Branch and still working (as Mugabe has denied him any pension) and Michael Bowery is ex-South African Special Forces. Due to the difficulties confronting White writers in the "new" South Africa they launched Crest Publishing to self-publish their own books, and have been doing this since October 2006. Michael Bowery is author of: "Canham's Run", "The Sligo Piper" and "Kill the President", whilst Glenn MacAskill is author of: "King's Gold", "Crime Lords" and "Of Royal Blood". Special discounts to ex-servicemen, Rhodies and Springboks!

For more information, or to make an order, please contact Crest Publishing at: P.O.Box, 97910, Petervale, Transvaal, 2151, South Africa, e-mail: crestbooks@mweb.co.za, or visit the Crest Publishing web-site at: www.crestpublishing.co.za

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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.167: JOHN HIRST of Bexley.

John Hirst, an ex-South African, initially made friendly contact with us several years ago. Evidently a teacher by profession, he was living at the time in the Bexley area of south-east London. Alas the recent few circulars which we’ve sent him have been returned as his last known e-mail address is evidently no longer recognized, and it appears that he has moved residential address also. We would very much like to re-make contact with him however, so if anyone can help we’d be most grateful.

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RECOMMENDED WEB-SITE OF THE MONTH

For those who are unable to attend the Lewes Bonfire Night celebrations this year there are several videos of last year’s parades and displays available via YouTube. The following video of one of the Cliffe B.S. parades really captures the atmosphere! :-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ld6GD5XqoQ

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTER

Sir,

It would not be that easy for me to go over to the UK at 50 years old. I just started my own company working for myself and by myself. It’s profitable, even here in South Africa. Not making lots but making more than I'd make if I worked for someone. If I went anywhere now I'd have to start from the beginning. But it is so much more complicated than I can explain.

Yours etc.,

NLT, Durban, Natal.

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BLOWING HIS COVER

Sir,

I see that you’ve had some problems from someone called Ryan Marcovich.

I therefore went to the trouble of searching him out on FaceBook. It was quite some problem as he’s evidently adopted the weird middle name of “Ofthefamily” – but I got there in the end.

His FaceBook Cover Picture contains the mask of the Marxist “Occupy” movement, and also seems to advertise a subversive left-wing gathering. Definitely not someone who stands for what we stand for therefore! Also, when you read his “About Me” section he seems a bit of a nutter.

Yours etc.,

“Cromwell”, Devon, U.K.

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GERMAN MASTER PLAN

Sir,

Re. the Greek economic catastrophe. As anyone with any sense of reality could have predicted, the entire Euro project - a "one size fits all" idea whereby all the great nation-states of Europe surrender their economic independence to the most powerful member - was destined for failure and disaster.

Great success for Germany however. Look at a map; do you realise that Greece is the perfect jumping platform, neatly in the middle, from Germany to the oil in Iraq? Much easier than shipping it via the Mediterranean Sea around Portugal to Germany, especially now that the Muslim Brotherhood is controlling most of North Africa.

Yours etc.,

H. Koch, Pretoria, Transvaal.

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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!

Monday, 24 September 2012

September 2012 Edition.

SPRINGBOK CYBER NEWSLETTER

September 2012 edition

On 29^th August Archbishop Desmond Tutu announced that he was pulling out of a “Discovery Invest Summit Leadership Conference” (whatever that might be. – Ed.) in Johannesburg because of the presence of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair - his reason being that he regarded Tony Blair as a war criminal because of his role in the Western intervention in Iraq during 2003. A few days later Tutu went further and called for both Tony Blair and President George W. Bush to be arrested and put on trial for war crimes at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

Tony Blair can of course be accused of many reprehensible acts during his period in office – but his support for the Western intervention in Iraq is not one of them. This intervention was of course part of the West’s War against Terror following the 9/11 atrocity. Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi despot at the time, was not only in league with the al-Qa’eda terrorist network, but was also oppressing his own people and developing weapons of mass destruction to further this oppression and to attack Western interests. He was a monster, and all right-minded people must surely have been relieved when he was removed from power and the Iraqi people liberated. Both Tony Blair and George W. Bush therefore deserve the heartfelt thanks of not only the Iraqi people themselves, but also of all freedom-loving people around the globe.

Perhaps Tutu’s apparent support for the tyrant Saddam Hussein isn’t really surprising however. He after all has been closely linked with the ANC regime which currently misrules South Africa, and furthermore never condemned their terrorist activities prior to their accession to power. Although official murder figures are no longer disclosed in the “new” South Africa, a number of organisations who have monitored the situation report that almost 4000 White farmers have been murdered since the ANC were handed power in 1994. The number of urban killings (mainly of old age pensioners) has been far higher of course, so it is therefore clear that a campaign of near genocide against Whites has been taking in the “new” South Africa under the ANC regime. With his overt support for the ANC terrorists is it any wonder therefore that Tutu should also act as an apologist for the mass murderer Saddam Hussein?

Alas, like so many liberals throughout the West, Tony Blair refused to recognize the ANC as the terrorist organization which they so obviously were and to condemn them accordingly prior to assuming office. The realities of power undoubtedly tempered Tony Blair’s premiership however, and few would argue that that he finished his tenure in office as an infinitely better leader than he begun it. In spite of this he has still unfortunately – unlike many White liberals from South Africa itself – failed to recognize and condemn the ANC for their Saddam Hussein-like terrorism and oppression. Perhaps this recent despicable personal attack on him by the ANC apologist Tutu will make him think again however.

It is not Tony Blair and George W. Bush who should be brought to trial at the International Criminal Court for war crimes therefore. It should be the ANC gang which Tutu supports.

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SPRINGBOK CLUB SEPTEMBER EVENT

The Springbok Club’s September event will consist of a trip to Greenwich on Saturday 29^th September in order to see both the restored Cutty Sark and Greenwich Park, the venue for all the Equestrian Events at the recent London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. After visiting both of these places the Springbok Club party will finish the day at one of the famous riverside pubs at Greenwich for an evening meal. The provisional arrangements are for everyone to gather outside the Cutty Sark Station on the Docklands Light Railway from 13.00 hrs to 13.15 hrs, though anyone having difficulty locating the party can always ‘phone 07711188430 for rendezvous details throughout the day.

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FUTURE SPRINGBOK CLUB ACTIVITIES

The Springbok Club has been invited to participate in a three-day celebration of Trafalgar Day being staged by New Britain over the weekend of 20^th/22^nd October. The Springbok Club has been delighted to accept this invitation, and full details of the itinerary are included in the “New Britain News” section below.

In November the Springbok Club will be staging its annual UDI Day dinner, at which it is hoped that a prominent ex-Rhodesian will be guest speaker, and in December will be holding its traditional Day of the Vow commemoration meeting.

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SWINTON CIRCLE NEWS

The Swinton Circle’s 2012 AGM has been put forward to Thursday 27^th September. All current members of the Swinton Circle have been notified of the details of this meeting, though it should be noted that the location has unfortunately had to be changed to an adjacent venue because of an inadvertent double-booking. After the business side of this meeting has been concluded Mr. Gary Vincent will give a short illustrated talk about the life and career of Col. Martin Bladen MP. Col. Bladen, who lived from 1680 to 1746, came from a prominent Yorkshire family and was the uncle of Admiral Lord Edward Hawke. After a successful military career, during which he served under Marlborough in the Low Countries, he entered politics, and finished his parliamentary life as MP for Portsmouth. One of his greatest achievements was bringing the notorious highwayman Dick Turpin to justice, and he is buried at St. Dunstan’s Church in Stepney, close to where this meeting will be taking place. Non-members will be welcome to attend this subsequent section of the evening’s activities. E-mail: swinton@netcomuk.co.uk if interested for more details.

In October the Swinton Circle will be addressed by a famous former Conservative MP, and another renowned former Conservative MP will be the organisation’s guest speaker in November. Full details about both these events will be appearing in next month’s SCN.

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The Swinton Circle also now has a presence on Twitter, on which news about the organisation and policy statements are periodically posted. This can be found on Twitter@SwintonCircle.

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NEW BRITAIN NEWS

New Britain will be staging a special three-day celebration of Trafalgar Day this year over the weekend of 20^th/22^nd October. The details are as follows :-

1) A trip to Chatham Historic Dockyard (where HMS Victory was of course built) on Saturday 20^th October, rendezvousing at the 11.30 hrs at the main visitors’ entrance. There will be a charge of £10.00 per head to enter the Dockyard.

2) A special reception at Pleasington near Blackburn in Lancashire on Sunday 21^st October, commencing at 15.00 hrs, at which it is anticipated that the Mayor of Blackburn will be in attendance.

3) Participation in a wreath-laying ceremony at Admiral Viscount Nelson’s grave in St.Paul’s Cathedral on Monday 22^nd October at 11.00 hrs, followed by a visit to the Hall of the Stationery and Newspaper Makers’ Livery Company, and then a buffet lunch at the crypt of St. Magnus the Martyr commencing at 14.00 hrs. A charge of £6.00 per head will be asked for this buffet lunch.

New Britain is also planning events to commemorate Remembrance Sunday in November and a special Falklands Island event in December. More details will be given in future SCNs.

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ROSS RIGHT ANGLE

George McKay runs a number of excellent Internet forums featuring news stories from around the world which we believe will be of great interest to many of our readers. His main Ross Right Angle blogspot can be accessed at :-

http://rossrightangle.wordpress.com/

In addition he also runs two FaceBook groups under the titles of “RRA Inc.” and “RRA Support”, which many might like to join.

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URGENT APPEAL FROM THE SANWILD WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

We have recently received the following most disturbing message from Louise Joubert of the SanWild Wildlife Sanctuary :-

“Dear SanWild friends,

“This morning we need to call on you to please help us out of serious trouble. A donor who undertook to make a generous donation at the end of April have still not made good on their undertaking and the funds that were suppose to be in our account to help feed the SanWild lions has not arrived. We also do not have any concrete feedback from this donor which means that we cannot even negotiate any interim funding with our bank and we simply can no longer wait for them to make good on their undertaking.

“Sadly this default by our donor has resulted in the SanWild lions not receiving their meal on Saturday and this morning we need to make urgent arrangements to ensure the 16 lions are fed. I will greatly appreciate your help and I am sorry to burden your regular donors with such crisis at such short notice. All donations, no matter how large or small will be appreciated. Please help us feed our lions by tomorrow at the latest.

“Kind regards,

”Louise Joubert - Founder trustee, SanWild Wildlife Sanctuary”

We hope that some of our readers will be able to help SanWild overcome this financial crisis so that they are able to continue with their most important work helping to protest South Africa’s diverse wildlife in very difficult circumstances. Donations may be made via PayPal or by direct Internet banking on their web-site at either :-

http://www.sanwild.org or http://www.sanwild.com

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NEWS ABOUT “BREAKER” MORANT

A supporter has recently sent us this very interesting news story concerning moves to obtain a posthumous pardon for Harry “Breaker” Morant, which we believe will be of great interest to many of our readers. It reads as follows :-

“Harry ‘Breaker’ Morant, a bush poet-turned-soldier who was executed by the British military authorities during the Anglo-Boer War, is a step closer to a posthumous pardon after the Australian government said yesterday it would ask Britain to re-open the case.

“Morant and another Australian army lieutenant, Peter Handcock, faced a firing squad in 1902 for killing 12 unarmed Boer prisoners. A third man, George Witton, was jailed for life. Descendants of the three believe they did not receive a fair trial, and have been campaigning for years to clear their names. The affair was dramatised in the 1980 film Breaker Morant, directed by Bruce Beresford and starring Edward Woodward.

“Now Australian officials are backing the men's families, with the Attorney-General, Robert McClelland, saying he planned to take up the case with the Government in London. After examining the evidence, he told ABC radio: ‘My preliminary conclusion ... is that there was a denial of procedural fairness.’

“Mr McClelland is preparing a submission to the Defence Secretary, Philip Hammond, outlining apparent defects in the court-martial procedure, including the fact that the defendants received inadequate legal representation and were denied access to certain evidence. If those defects were confirmed, he said, the convictions would be overturned.

“The three never denied the shootings, but claimed they acted in the fog of war. They also maintained that Lord Kitchener, the commander of British troops in South Africa, had handed down secret orders not to take any prisoners.

“Morant was a legendary horse-breaker, originally from Somerset, who is thought to have emigrated to Queensland in 1883. He worked on cattle stations in the outback and wrote ballads about rural life that were published in The Bulletin magazine. A womanising, hard-drinking charmer, he volunteered for the Anglo-Boer War at time when Australia was still a collection of British colonies.

“The killings of prisoners took place over four days, and followed the death of the men's commanding officer, Captain Frederick Hunt, in an assault on a Boer stronghold. Hunt was a close friend of Morant's, and the latter was reportedly enraged by accounts that his body was mutilated. His last words, as he faced the firing squad, were: ‘Shoot straight, you bastards!’

“Morant and Handcock are the only Australians ever executed for war crimes. Witton was released from prison after three years following a petition by 80,000 Australians to King Edward VII.

“Last year, Mr Hammond's predecessor, Liam Fox, rejected the families' petition for a pardon. But James Unkles, a military lawyer who has spearheaded their campaign, said yesterday he was confident that the Australian government's intervention would lead to the convictions being annulled.

“Handcock's great-grandson, Michael, told The Independent earlier this year that the execution had long been ‘the cause of great shame for the family’. ‘I'm hoping the record can be set straight now,’ he said.

“’Let the evidence be examined, let the truth come out and, if need be, let the history books be rewritten.’”

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SCN BLOGSPOT

We have recently established a special blogspot to house all back copies of the SCN, so readers and other interested parties may have instant access to them. Although it will undoubtedly take some time to download all editions onto this blogspot, some back issues are already there, and may be accessed at :-

http://springbokcybernewsletter.blogspot.co.uk/

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S.A.PATRIOT-IN-EXILE

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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.

http://www.bellemodel.biz/emails/emails.html

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MAKE YOUR OWN BILTONG AT THE FRACTION OF THE COST ....

Biltongmakers.Com has, for over 10 years, put a smile on many a South African face. No longer do they have to pay exorbitant prices for biltong that in most cases is not even to their liking!

Now you can make your own Biltong at a fraction of the price you pay right now and .... you can make it the way YOU like it!

Please visit www.biltongmakers.com and see all they have available.

You will never be without some REAL South African Biltong again!

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BOOK OFFERS

"A POT OF SOUP" by Susan Gordon

This book is ready to order. Included is an A to W on soup and accompaniments. Alongside the recipe guidelines are photographs, illustrations, health tips, plus snippets on the past and London. It is ideally suited for the life styles of students, new cooks, seasoned cooks, those whose time is of the essence, those who do relish time spent in the kitchen and those tending towards a vegetarian diet. There is space to fill in with personal ideas and variations. Please spread the news that this colourful book on enjoyable winter food is now available.

To order please contact Susan direct at sgordon@morpheus.freeserve.co.uk to arrange collection or delivery at £12.00 a copy, or forward a cheque for £14.35 made payable to S.Gordon at: 106 Bittacy Rise, Mill Hill, London, NW7 2HL, UK. Alternatively copies may be obtained via authorhouse.co.uk (click "bookstore", type "Susan Gordon" in the top box then click "search" and the book appears - no need to register) price with postage is £13.32, or via amazon.co.uk (new releases) type "A Pot of Soup by Susan Gordon".

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"REDNECK P.I." a romantic suspense novel by Trish Jackson.

"Twila's a redneck and proud of it. Harland's a P.I. with a target on his back and a twin brother. An explosive situation!"

Available at www.uncialpress.com in electronic format, and from Amazon.com in print and electronic format.

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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

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

Available from: www.diadembooks.com

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"THE SEVEN WATCHMEN" by David Ruppert

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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.166: TONY & ELAINE LONG of Durban.

Tony and Elaine Long (no relations to either Ian Long or Vic Long - see February 2005 SCN) hailed from the UK, but lived in South Africa for many years prior to taking over the management of the famous Bell Inn in Durban North around 1980. They proved very friendly and popular managers of the establishment, and were particularly well known for their elaborate New Years’ festivities. They moved on to take over the management of Durban Collegians Club during the mid-1980s; where with the help of their assistant manager Steve Elffers (see September 2009 SCN) they managed to turn the Club around following financial difficulties. We have heard rumour that they have now returned to the UK, but it would be nice to learn more details.

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RECOMMENDED WEB-SITE OF THE MONTH

Derek Turner, the editor of the magazine Quarterly Review, recently had an excellent thought-provoking article written upon the death of the US astronaut Neil Armstrong published in the Daily Mail’s online news service. It is well worth a read, and can be found at :-

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2194627/Neil-Armstrong-America-s-great-adventure.html

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

LOOK BACK IN ANGER

Sir,

Having recently retired, I have spent a little time during my travels thinking about the past in the Republic of South Africa. We have purchased a Campervan and enjoy travelling around the North Island.

During the 1990's my wife had spent many a day in and out of hospitals with a heart problem, most of our energy was spent on trying to get her right. During 1995 she had major heart surgery. It was during this period that the RSA was given over to the ANC. I have a question. Was a referendum ever held to give the South African Government authority to negotiate with the ANC?

Yours etc.,

Ray Absalom, New Zealand

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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

Sir,

The problem with history is that the people who create it and the people who suffer the consequences are usually two different groups. (Most of the liberals who created the ‘new’ South Africa have emigrated. We conservatives who stayed behind are paying the price.)

The problem with the future is that nobody will really know until it is too late.

Yours etc.,

H. Koch, Pretoria, Transvaal.

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MILITARY PLAN

Sir,

One of the reasons I lack respect for teachers as a profession is that far too many of them are unpatriotic and anti-military. Anyone who has the insolence to be offended at the sight of British servicemen in uniform is not fit to live in Britain.

One of the things that disillusioned me with the Conservatives was their penny-pinching attitude towards the forces - the result, I suspect, of replacing officers and gentlemen with accountants and spin-doctors as MPs. I would double defence spending, including a big raise and improvement in conditions for servicemen - for instance, all those honourably leaving the forces would be guaranteed jobs and housing. Other departments would be told to stop whinging and follow the forces' example by managing on less.

Yours etc.,

M. Taylor, London, U.K..

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ROGUES GALLERY

A short while ago we were contacted by someone calling himself Ryan Marcovich on FaceBook who initially expressed great interest in the activities of the Springbok Club, although he never actually joined the organization. Initially, having no reason to doubt his bona fides, we responded in a friendly manner inviting him to a number of Springbok Club meetings, though he never turned up to any of them. We then suddenly received a most offensive and disturbing FaceBook message from him however, in which he made vague and unsubstantiated allegations of harassment against a leading member of the organization, which could be construed as being libelous. The name Marcovich would appear to be eastern European in origin, though according to his FaceBook page he was brought up in Natal. Does anyone know whether this is a real person we therefore wonder, or is it just another false persona constructed by our enemies? Needless to say, any information received will be treated in the strictest confidence.

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See you again next month!