Libreville, the experience

By Mark van den Broek, Libreville

Meintjeskop Ditaba No 1/1998

The mission in Libreville, Gabon is responsible for our relations with six countries in the Central African Sub-region, namely: Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Gahon and Sao Tomé e Principe.

First, a little something (dry, formal, blah-blah-blah) about the country and city from which the officials of this mission maintain these relations:

As with the rest of the region, it would appear that Gabon’s history is defined through its steady colonisation. The first European traders arrived in the 15th century, namely Portuguese navigators, who arrived from Sao Tomé Island. They were followed by the Dutch and then the British, although relations between these visitors and the indigenous people stayed sporadic and superficial. French explorers began to penetrate inland after I839, after King Koewe Rapontchomho, also known as King Denis, signed a treaty with the French.

After a long period of French colonisation of Gabon, Leon Mba  led Gabon to Independence on August 17 1960 and became its first President. His then Vice President Albert-Rene Bongo (now known as El Hadj Omar Bongo) became Gabon's second President with President Mha's death in 1967.

President Bongo founded the PDG (Partie Democratique Gabonais) in 1968 as the only legal party.

In the late 1980’s, democratic reforms involving free elections with multiparty participation as well as a new constitution, became  politically imperative. In 1990, a new National Assembly was formed for a 5-year term composed of I20 deputies of which 4:5 per cent represented opposition parties.

 After the political turmoil and unrest that followed the Presidential election of December 1993 (which gave President Bongo 51% of the vote), formal negotiations were held between the government and the opposition in Paris, culminating in the signing of the "Paris Accords".

The cabinet was reconstituted as   a "Government of National Unity" under a new caretaker Prime Minister, the task of organising free and transparent local, parliamentary and senatorial elections, which finally took place towards the end of 1996. The next Presidential election is expected to be held during November or December 1998.

Economically speaking, Gabon relies mainly on its oil industry, timber and, to a very small degree, manganese and uranium mining, for export earnings. Gabon has the highest per capita  income in Sub-Saharan Africa should one exclude the Seychelles. The local currency is the CFA Franc, which is tied to the French Franc at an exchange rate of IOO to 1.

Libreville is the capital of Gabon and in 1996 had an estimated population of approximately 575,000, of which approximately one third is expatriate Africans. There are some 9,000 Europeans, the vast majority of whom are French (many being military families and "co-operants" sent to assist in the government services). The city grew rapidly after independence, from 18,000 in in the mid 1950’s to nearly 170,000 in 1970.

The city takes its name the settlement organised by the French navy in August I849 for 50 freed adult slaves and two children of Vili origin from the Congo who were rescued several years before from  the slaving ship "Elizia". In 1846, the slaves were freed and transported to the fort on the "Plateau," where the Presidential Palace is now located .This small portion of the northern bank of the estuary came to be called Libreville.  After that bit of formality down to the real brass tacks

After 16 months in Gabon, and after visits to four of the neighbouring countries (only Equatorial Guinea remains to remains to be explored), I realised that, despite all its best intentions, the Training Institute failed to bring a few things to be attention. Hence, I herewith present:

SEVEN NEEDFUL THINGS NEVER COVERED IN TRAINING

1.            Sand surf … and unwanted guests at your Christmas guests at your Christmas celebrations.

Picture the scene: first posting, tropical environment, beach, sun, surf, one week before Christmas 1996, relaxing with newly found friends in the local  community, some of the kids having a bright idea: let’s bury Mark, a nice guy really, in the sand.

Yes, wonderful, obviously the effects of the tropical sun  had long turned my brain to mush and my logical reasoning capacity  was about as potent as a gnat’s …. sneeze, 

So bury me it was with great gusto and participation from said twit. Great.  Until about three hours later, at home when the interminable itching started. ´Mmm” I thought (brain flash). “Something isn’t quite right.”  Quite right, brain box, 40 unwanted guests for Christmas: sandworms.

Didn’t see anything of use in this regard in the training nodules.

All’s well that ends well. The worms gave up after two months  (I guess they finally realised  that they gate-crashed my Christmas party)  Mom stopped insisting that I give up this foolhardy venture after 6 months, and my friends finally move closer than a metre after 12. Halitosis se moer!

2. Air-conditioning as a Zen experience

Temperatures ranging from the high twenties to mid thirties with roughly 80% to 90% humidity. Words fail me. A description like “roiling, shimmering wavelets of heat unfold before me as I struggle bravely to take another step” is useless (and pathetic imagery in any case. But, aah, the moment of bliss, of divine inspiration: my office.

No, really. Never had I imagined the powerful emotions and the subsequent sense of ultimate, serene calm and sense of oneness with all things that can result from merely stepping into a South African embassy. Air-conditioning: truly Zen, truly Nirvana.

Course suggestion: air conditioning and the Ozone hole: the upside to increased exposure to the Ozone hole to dangerous UV rays.

3. Negotiating techniques and avoiding the pitfalls of conflict

No matter what anyone tells you about their negotiating capacities, there are always a few situations in life that cannot, could never, and will never be resolved through the application of ANY negotiating technique, namely:

·         Genghis Khan’s indifference to the effect of sharp pointy things on the relationship which should exist between the average human head and the accompanying pair of shoulders.

·         The average taxi driver’s interpretation of globally accepted norms of road use; and   The African pothole, a true legend to the time (and probably the source of all the earth that went into creating the Himalayas.)

4. Handling praise

On the Junior Management Course, it was pointed out time and again how important it was to handle praise properly. All rather immaterial, in my opinion, given the average level of praise-doling experienced maybe it is just me … hmm.

Anyway let’s see how any of you would handle the following accolade received by the official (no really) for providing contact details for some South African universities:

“Dear Harald

(*note: official’s second name no longer used in official correspondence)

You have been very Powerful and Wonderful throughout 1997. May the good God give you Goodness so that you have nice days during 1998.”

Isn’t that nice??? My head is still spinning.

5. The joys of bachelorhood

Being a single diplomat abroad for all the freedom one might imagine it ought to bring, also results in situations of a more awkward persuasion.

Ever had a total stranger write to you to tell you that she thinks you her sister would be perfect for you and would really like a South African boyfriend, if not husband, as  this would open up endless opportunities for her sister to live and study in South Africa?

No? Well, apparently the sister in question has always approved of her sibling’s  choice of potential partners, is currently studying in Russia, and lists travelling , movies, music and basketball as her main interests. Oh, apparently she would please one greatly and is 23 years old. Any takers out there? Call me and I’ll get her number in Moscow.

Let’s see, under what course module would this fall? Beats me.

6. Answering those routine letters that really make life interesting:

Part of any official’s posting abroad will be, at some point or another, expose said official to Documents. Not only that, that the official might even he expected to read such documents. Amongst these one normally finds loads of letters written by individuals out there who seem hell – bent on tearing you away just when the paint was beginning to dry really nicely. In some cases (heaven forbid) an official  might even he expected  to respond (shudder).

Let's see if any of you respond to this letter from a Dr Takor Takor, which apparently wended its way around some pretty mighty halls before being sent to our bastion of scientific and scientific excellence, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

For the sake of world peace and the minimal embarrassment of any fellow members of the community of nations, the country of origin has been removed:(And, once again, I quote ad verbatim ):

"PRESIDENT NELSON MANDELA

TO THE HONOURABLE PRESIDENT

OF SOUTH AFRICA, PRETORIA -

DURBAN

Dear Sir,

I am a Medical Doctor teaching in the Country X Medical School here in Capital City y. I am a citizen of Country X doing a lot of research. Here are the slides  and photocopies (32 PHOTOCOPIES,  30 SLIDES ‘notes: none provided representing the findings that have resulted from this work)

THE ATTENTION OF YOUR SCIENTISTS IS DRAWN TO THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:

i. THE NEW PERIODIC TABLE OF 156 CHEMICAL ELEMENTS HAS 3 NEW ENRICHING GASES (AHAZON, ZAFMAIGON, NAAKHBQN) some of, which are in the South African mines. These gases are better enrichers than helium. Rational exploitation of them  will give you handsome dividends  necessary for our ambitious expansion schemes in housing and education..

ii. THE ASTRONOMICAL FINDINGS SHOW DETAILS CONTRARY TO PRESENT OPINION

.

iii. MATHEMATICAL FORMULAE ARE INCLUDED FOR USE BY THE PLANE MAKERS OF YOUR COUNTRY.

We have deliberately omitted many slides, because of the unstable nature of the politics of your country. When all the elements are aggregated in peace and constructive government we in future send such material that enable new aircraft and alloys to be built.. Should any scientist need slides, a donation to cover cost of production and photography will be highly commendable  with  any requests."

Ja well, no fine.

So, to all of you out there So, to all of you out there who thought that Libreville was just another cushy posting or maybe even a tough African assignment, think again. Clearly one's sanity (or insanity, as the two terms are quite relative and related) is daily exercised strenuously on a daily basis. I myself must confess to a great level of unfitness.

No, seriously, at the end of the day  (if I may end with a platitude), every posting is what you make it, no posting is "the" posting ad in an ideal world, I’d be there and you’d be here.

SOME LIGHTER MOMENTS IN THE EMBASSY

Lynn Crossley, Libreville

Here follows a quote from a letter to the Ambassador, written in the home language (French):

                                                                                                                                                01 April 1996

RE: REQUEST FOR YOUR HELP ON THE OCCASION OF MY CUSTOMARY WEDDING

Excellency

I have a quick feeling and of modesty at the place of your renowned personality. Allow me also, Mr Ambassador, to express to you the globality of the problem I experience.

IN fact, our African requirements are such that we must pay homage to them. So I practice at the General Secretary of the Ministry of Justice and I am remunerated as a non permanent work force.

In other respects, I accuse monetary difficulties compared to what I get monthly but only I am at the stage of preparations.

That is why, Mr Ambassador,, I would beg you to please accede to this heavy task.

Convinced I dare believe in the sincere will towards the content of this correspondence.

Please accept, Mr Ambassador, my respects in the recognition of my highest consideration.

List of different goods which must be submitted to the in-laws:

1      Foreign beers (various)

2     Machetes (a pair)

3     Axe and file

4     Mosquito net

5     Liqueurs (30) and sweets

6     Basket

7     Can of oil and a bag of rice

       Big fish

Signed by a hopeful husband-to-be.

Letter to an old friend

Bumpy flight across the Andes

                                   

 By Pierre Diétrichsen                                                                               

 Pretoria, 11 July 1994

Dear Fred,

In the "decade of the students" when I finished school, we promised to keep contact. Well. I failed you on that one! But I remembered our conversations and here I am, about to make up for almost three decades.

Nothing came of my thoughts about becoming a journalist. Even less came of my family's wishes about medicine, although it was close! Teaching appealed to me, but probably largely because of the long holidays and the prospect of many young female colleagues. So I passed through Voortrekkerhoogte and ended up doing economics, political science, law and other such grand-sounding stuff which launched me into the Union Buildings. No, no, not the Archives, but something a bit more active and modern, the mecca of the pinstriped suit brigade at Foreign Affairs. I must admit that some of the "chiefs" reminded me of archives, but that was only until I had attended my first cocktail, if you know what I mean!

Fred, at this point you may consider skipping the next page or three if you prefer to go straight to the last paragraph where I give you news about my health and family. If you like the idea of getting confused about the sanity of an old friend, read on! For a start, I must confess that I studied South of the Orange and even liked it. Experienced a lot more than red wine and liberal politics!

My first days and weeks at Foreign Affairs brought all sorts of new concepts about management and organisation to the surface. Not to mention totally new shorthand peculiar to Foreign Affairs. Names and ranks took on a special place in one's thinking. If my memory serves me well, my rank, like that of Derek, Andre, Danie, Bossie and others, was FSO grade seven. They also called us cadets but relax, we didn't wear uniforms. The FSO was for Foreign Service Officer which I sort of liked because of the "traditional" sound to it. I found out that the really important people were the Third and Second Secretaries who had had one posting abroad already. They had smart cars and flashy clothes while the older guys, Counsellors and Under- Secretaries all seemed a bit distant, as if they were always watching the first floor!

I was let into the secret by my boss, who in a moment of weakness, explained that those middle-rankers with a lot of self-confidence would visit the men's room on that floor at strategic intervals in the hope of bumping into the Secretary, the big chief, with the hope of voicing their wishes, and especially the urgency of their wishes about postings, to the boss. Certainly an original in corporate communications!

I mentioned shorthand. This covered a vast field. At first I had to find out what was meant by "the bag". "a cable", "a note", "an OTP", "Brand", "Hans", "Boy" "Stoney", "Charlie". "an immediate", "a minute" and lots of others. Contrary to what you may think, the bag did not refer to a particular person; it was the diplomatic mail bag in really fancy language, the pouch we sent to Embassies abroad. A cable, a note and a minute had very little to do with ropes, money or time but everything with our peculiar way of writing letters to others or to each other. The "immediate" was a short letter that was already late, sent to an Ambassador abroad like a telegramme but on the "one time pad", or OTP, in secret code using a page of figures etc. only once.

I mentioned a few magic names. First names were normally used in whispered tones to imply a warm personal relationship with the Secretary, the Deputies or our own Under-Secretary. Not to mention the head of personnel and administration section. A most interesting practice still common and I fear that I am now also part of the crowd whispered about. Before I forget, I should mention the Cadet Action Committee (please avoid abbreviations, especially the Afrikaans one).

Cadets had a constant need to socialise and the Committee had a heavy responsibility to organize affordable and sufficiently exciting meetings and outings. Needless to say we frequently had "liquidity" problems linked to excessive consumer patterns! Long before the fashionable "bosberaad" was invented, we had them in Magoebaskloof, Fountains and elsewhere. Some people called our outings cadet training and, with hindsight, training it was!

Well Fred, this is warning number two. You may skip to the last page.  I shall never know.... if you are bored or confused. I am about to tell you about my first and other postings abroad. Stoney called me one day to tell me I had five weeks to get to Lima in Peru to open a new Consulate General. Now I had a pretty good idea where it was, but absolutely no idea why I was to go there. I was working with international organisations, money people like the IMF and atomic energy, so I had hopes of Paris, Geneva or Vienna. I even studied French. But I was soon warned not to expect such logic. After all, I was a bachelor and would probably understand the need to leam Spanish much sooner than married colleagues!

So I went. My first stop was Rio de Janeiro where, with some luck, I landed around Carnival time. I was as poor as only a cadet on first posting could be. My first colleague to introduce me to the wonder world of the Latinos, was the Consul, Rusty. Massive steaks were consumed with much "cerveza" (Castle in disguise) at 10pm Rio time which meant 4 am the next day for my system the first of many 20 hour days. I was most impressed with the ability of the taxi drivers to take a Beetle around a comer on two wheels while watching the local samba schools performing on the pavements in 35 degree weather with suitably absent clothing! Really confusing was the absence of colour-coded beaches or pubs.

The start of my real education: My arrival in Lima was something. After a most bumpy ride across the Andes in an old 707, I arrived in Lima at about 2 am. The drive to town convinced me that I was on the wrong side of the Sahara. Tourist brochures had not warned me about the desert on the Pacific coast, only promises about the Amazon and the lost city of the Incas. In due time I found both and I absorbed the long history of the nation of Incas and Spaniards. The offspring of the conquered and the conquerors. They had built impressive churches and museums and even preserved pre-Inca sites. I spent hours analysing values new to me.

I understood the industrial revolution but was confused by the Latin American revolution  ill-defined but a passionate subject at every get-together. Sometimes the enemy was a brother or the large Embassy around the corner or some other vague "big brother". But in between, I became absorbed by other passions such as "futbol", bullfights and the search for accommodation! Two experiences from those days are still rather fresh in my mind. Some three months after my arrival, I saw a picture in the newspapers of a ship sinking dramatically outside the port of Matarani after mild storm damage aggravated by paper pulp absorbing water rapidly and expanding. While staring at the picture, a restlessness grabbed hold of me until I realised why; that ship was carrying my few worldly possessions to Lima! Needless to say, I was even poorer than before - ever heard of an insurance company blaming you for "under-insurance"?

The other experience was far more entertaining. Due to a case of Lima bronchitis I was to receive a few injections. I soon found out that local practice called for the patient to buy the medicine and then to find a nurse or chemist willing to do the punishing. At the recommendation of the hotel I called home, I visited a nurse nearby.

While waiting for the process of sterilization of needles to be completed on an ancient primus stove, I got the impression that the "waiting room" of the "consulting rooms" was rather homely and that the other waiting "patients" knew each other rather well. A few minutes later I was required to expose my appropriate parts for some needle target practice. All efforts to have the experience on my arm failed, it had to be on the softer extremities of the lower body.

 I also failed to convince the "corporal" to have the exercise in a next room as it turned out to be the only room in the apartment. The other "patients" present turned out to be family and friends there for an afternoon snort. They got more than they bargained for and this was evident from the heated conversation that took place. The company I had included a number of sisters, aunts and nieces and to this day I wonder what exactly caused the heated debate. Maybe a small fortune exchanged hands as the town was known to have a fondness for gambling!

Fred, I have some more interesting stories to tell you about those days. For the moment family duty calls and I shall have to end here until I hear from you. As it is, you probably have an attack of irritation about my severe case of tunnel vision, something that eventually afflicts the FSOs  After all we all believe there is more to life than Loftus and braai. Let me hear about your few decades. My wife and three daughters are fine but I must hurry to start preparing our afternoon anti-malaria medicine, as it is, the Boeing has just passed over our abode!

Cheers

Pierre Dietrichsen

Moïse Tshombe and his Merry Mercenaries

By Gideon Volschenk

 I recently read in one of your older blogs that as the junior diplomat at the South African Embassy in Madrid, in the early 1960’s, Johan von Gernet had been given the task of interviewing Moïse Tshombe and his sidekick Jerry Puren (one of Tshombe’s mercenaries) about the former’s obsession about returning to Katanga. This reminded me that shortly after my arrival in the mid-60’s, as the most junior member of staff at the Embassy in Madrid, I was given a similar job, as we had again been approached by Messrs Tshombe and Puren. I was not informed that there had been some contact between the two gentlemen and the Embassy before.

I met them for the first time at the Ritz hotel in Madrid and was told during this meeting that they would like South Africa to assist Tshombe to return to Katanga. It was a very amiable meeting and we discussed their request over a few glasses of Johnny Walker Black Label and Coke (Tshombe’s choice, and a drink which I later dubbed - a Tshombe Libre). Of course, I could not give them any replies to their query at that time and could only promise to refer the matter to Pretoria for a decision. Which I did when I got back to the office.

Pretoria was not to too keen on accommodating the said request, but it did eventually authorise us to inform Tshombe that while South Africa was not prepared to assist him to physically return to Katanga, we could provide him with humanitarian aid in the form of medical supplies, after he had re-established himself in Katanga, should he need such aid.  I passed this message on to Messrs Tshombe and Puren at the Ritz - over a Tshombe Libre or two. My message was gladly accepted.

A few weeks later, in June 1967, I again received a call to meet Messrs Tshombe and Puren at the Ritz.  All that they wanted was confirmation of Pretoria’s undertaking to provide medical supplies, should they be required. I could confirm this. Before we parted company for what was to be the last time, Mr Tshombe gave me the Belgian Congo bank-note, pictured above. He did not intimate that he would soon be leaving Madrid to return to Katanga, but with hindsight I interpret the bank-note as being both a goodbye and a keepsake. Mr Tshombe was kidnapped in North Africa on his way South at the end of June.

A few weeks after Moïse Tshombe’s kidnapping, I received a telephone call from Robbie, an American acquaintance of mine in Madrid, who informed me that he had broken both his legs in an accident and asked if I could come and see him. I went, and was told that when he heard about Tshombe’s kidnapping and subsequent incarceration in Algeria, being a retired American air force pilot, he had hatched a plan to get hold of an aircraft, fly it to Algeria and then liberate Tshombe. I did not ask him for any details on how he will would accomplish this seemingly impossible task. 

Robbie explained that he thought that as Tshombe had “liberated” the Katangese treasury when he left the country for the first time, Mrs Tshombe would be prepared to pay a considerable ransom to get her husband freed. But, as it turned out he was wrong. He said that he found out where Mrs Tshombe was living in Madrid and went to her apartment to put his proposition to her. 

As it happened, Tshombe’s brother was also in the apartment at the time, and when Robbie told them what he could do for them, Mrs Tshombe replied in no uncertain terms that her husband had squandered a good proportion of their fortune and that she was consequently not too keen on his being liberated. To emphasise this point of view the brother brandished an automatic pistol and believing that he was about to use it, Robbie jumped out of the window, which happened to be on the second floor! Thus a failed rescue attempt with two broken legs to boot. I do not know whether any more attempts were made to free Tshombe, or whether Robbie's  story was true.

I might at this stage mention, as an aside, that at more or less the same time as the above was happening, Abbé Fulbert Youlu, the former President of the Congo Brazzaville, who was living in exile in Madrid, also tried to make contact with someone at the Embassy. But he was a lot more controversial than Tshombe and I had to tell him that his approach would not solicit any interest in South Africa. 

Tshombe’s kidnapping was not the last contact that the Embassy would have with his mercenaries. At the time that Tshombe was planning to return to Katanga a number of his mercenaries (including Puren) preceded him to that Province. But when things went awry with his capture in Algeria, there was not much that the mercenaries could do against the Congo government forces and many of them eventually ended up as refugees in Rwanda. They were eventually freed, and sometime during 1968 the Embassy received a communication from Pretoria saying that a small number of these mercenary refugees would approach the Embassy and that when they did, we should put them on the first SAA flight to Jan Smuts. They did report and, as instructed, they were sent back to South Africa.

This might have been the last contact that the Embassy would have with the Tshombe mercenaries, but it was not with me. During November 1981, a group of ex-mercenaries (including Jerry Puren), under the leadership of “Mad Mike” Hoare, calling themselves the “Ye Ancient Order of Froth Blowers” flew to Mahe island in the Seychelles group in a coup attempt against President René. As is well known the coup attempt failed dramatically and Jerry Puren and three others, who were left behind when Hoare hijacked an Air India flight to South Africa, ended up in a Seychellois jail charged with treason - a capital offence. 

During my tenure as Consul-General in Scotland I got to know the eccentric Scottish Solicitor-General, Sir Nicholas Fairbairn QC, MP, quite well and was at the time interested to hear that he would be travelling to the Seychelles in order to defend the mercenaries. Despite a spirited defence by Fairbairn, the mercenaries were found guilty and sentenced to death. However, luck was on their side and after a short while in jail, their death sentences were commuted and they were deported to South Africa. Thus ended another mercenary adventure, with Nicholas Fairbairn being the only unhappy person involved – he was not paid for his court appearances.

I was transferred back home at the beginning of 1985, and later on in that year Fairbairn and his wife visited to South Africa as official guests, which I had arranged while I was still en post in Glasgow. He and his wife had to spend some time in Pretoria, during which time I had arranged for them to come and have some supper at home with Carola and myself.  I went to fetch them where they were staying at the Union Hotel, but when I arrived I found that "Lady Sam", Fairbairn’s wife, was a long way from being ready. Fairbairn invited me to go down with him to the hotel lounge to meet with a group of men who were waiting to speak with him. 

 Zut alhors! Imagine my surprise when I suddenly came face-to-face with a group of Tshombe’s old mercenaries, who had apparently come to speak with Fairbairn about their outstanding Seychelles debt to him.  That was the last time that I saw Jerry Puren, and I do not know whether Fairbairn ever received any payment from the very tough, but now ageing group of froth blowing ex-mercenaries.

Letter from my Mum in Mexixco

By Pieter Brink

Meintjeskop Ditaba No 1/1998

AII is well In MexIco City. No complaints; no-one listens anyway. Very quiet, even Popocatepetl (the volcano situated some 60km from here) has been quiet since sending smoke and ash some I3km Into the air In June .....

On our return from the States we were greeted by the home being burgled two days previously. South Africa IS not unique with its high crime rate. Mexico is worse: However, it must be said that the thieves here have a certain amount of class. 

Not only are they very careful not to damage your property in any way (they managed to get in without a trace of entry), they are very selective In what they steal. A leather Jacket for him and one for the wife, jewellery, watches, perfume and aftershave to look good for the party they were to host. Also for the party - they took two Hi-fi sets and 2 CD players so they could have music all around. T

heir taste In music was not the same as ours so they left the CDs (about 150 of them). Their party was also a non-booze affair which meant they did not need any of ours, of which of course there was plenty - even good '{YVV wines, whisky etc. A deeply religious bunch of thieves here In Mexico, and thoughtful too. Mom got the 120 piece silver cutlery set. 

They certainly were not computer literate so left the computer and printer, but had a passion for communication so the fax machine was on the list. No doubt all their friends In ''HIgh'' places would receive notification of the new list of assets. The cellphone also went, maybe some of their friends cannot read, who knows. All in all, a decent bunch! 

They took the motor car to transport the goods home and then left the car (practically undamaged) on the side of the road for the police to find!

It must be said that if we are to be burgled again, it would be appreciated if the organiser of crime here would use these guys!! "

The handing over ceremony of the "El Quixote"

Mfudisi Mthimunye, two museum assistants, William Bowie, Ambassador Marais. Ms 
Martinez, Marian Marais and Rosemary Bowie.

Mfundisi Mthimuye, Madrid, Spain

Meintjeskop Ditaba No 1/1998

The Cervantes Library in EI Toboso (a small town in Castilla-La Mancha, Spain) has a wide collection of copies of the book "Don Quixote de la Mancha" by Miguel de Cervantes, written in different languages and donated, signed and dedicated by Heads of State from different countries.

It is imperative to indicate that a number of Presidents, Ambassadors, groups of people, etc, signed and donated this world famous book to the library for exhibition. We (at the Embassy), saw a need to obtain a copy of this book, preferably in one of South Africa's indigenous languages, with President Nelson Mandela's signature in it so that Ambassador Awie Marais could present it to the library. 

After months of searching (search conducted by the cultural section, OA90 and the Embassy through phone calls), it came to our attention that the "EL QUIXOTE" had not been translated into any of SA indigenous languages other than Afrikaans.

 For this reason, we succeeded in securing an Afrikaans version of the last edition of the translation which was donated to us by Professor Andre Brink (who had translated this book into Afrikaans).

On Tuesday, 1997 11 18, Ambassador Awie Marais and Mrs Marais, Colonel Bill Bowie (defense attache) and Mrs Bowie and I, visited the Cervantes library at EL TOBOSO to hand over the Afrikaans version of the afore-mentioned book to Ms Natividad Martinez, the Mayoress of El Toboso.

She informed us that the Cervantes library had found a copy, which was misplaced, of "EI Quixote" in Afrikaans, signed by the previous South African,President, Mr PW. Botha. The two copies are currently placed together at a special place.

Ambassador Marais presented our copy to Ms Martinez and signed the book which registers all donation to the museum. The presentation ceremony was followed by a luncheon organized by the Mayoress of EL TOBOSO in our honour.

NB : It should be remembered that all the donated copies of "EL QUIXOTE" are translations into different languages. Currently, the library has copies of this book in 40 different languages including Afrikaans. South Africans are encouraged to translate it into other African languages.

Or himself a star ...

GDT Ranamane, Beverly Hills, USA

Meintjeskop Ditaba 1/1998

My first meeting with Eric Forrester was on November 15, 1995 at Paramount Studios. I had just arrived in Los Angeles and had hardly settled in when the American Jewish Committee (AJC) invited me to Paramount Studios to make some remarks on Alan Paton's classic novel "Cry The Beloved Country". Before the premiere, Miramax Films gave a private reception in the VIP suite, leading to my direct meeting with Eric. We shook hands when he introduced himself as John and then went on to tell about the good works of Paton. An ardent, fanatic admirer of Paton, he also delved a little into the original version of the movie. I enjoyed it tremendously. He is without question a sterling actor with good oratory talents and articulates clearly. He is very modest about his person

As we continued speaking we attracted a lot of attention and suddenly we had a good audience around us. Expectedly, I had prepared for questions on xenophobia and anti-Semitism in South Africa. These are obvious questions with the Jewish community and cause them sleepless nights. With that in mind, and having acceded to their invitation, I had no option but to face the beast (questions). As a result the movie was right on the money and m perfect timing. We addressed a few questions and amazingly they treated me with the utmost respect, perhaps saving me as their beacon of certitude- during question time.

"Cry The Beloved Country" is produced and co-directed by Anant Singh- a South African national. Unlike him, AJC's main concern was reconciliation In South Africa. For a change profiting from the movie was not a factor, but the message the movie carries. That the people of South Africa, after the political miracle performed, would really let bygones be bygones, hold hands and send that message to the world. Or whether it was just a momentary respite and hell would break loose once real power is attained? It was for me some kind of a Joke and unnecessary paranoia. Certainly they hadn't expected me to confirm their fears when even the mainstream media know what the position is in South Africa. Nevertheless I was goa-oriented and accepted the invitation graciously.

As I continued talking to Eric, in between I met with more celebrities like Alfre Woodard, Charles Darden, Tina Allen, Ted Danson, Louis Gasset Jr and the lot. It was all exciting. The thing is that Hollywood is such a complex scenario that what we see on the surface mirrors only a fraction of what happens in Hollywood. Meaning there is much more than meets the eye. Therefore as a tip off Eric warned me against wasting time with the actors when the people I want are studio owners, directors and In some cases also producers. These are the people with the money and the cheque books. He introduced me to Bill Bernstein, the vice-president of Paramount. Danny Schecter, at the time working on Mandela's documentary, and many others, He clarified that these were the Messrs Hollywood who Wield enormous power In every economic sector In the US, Certainly my kind of quarry.

I had arranged my commentary to kick off with the relation between the African diaspora and the Jewish diaspora - also touching a little on the holocaust. From the arguments so far, I sensed it would not be a good idea. Accordingly I changed. Fact is, to the Jewish people the holocaust is unequalled and cannot be matched by any tragedy in human existence. Please don't get me wrong: the holocaust was one of the most dreadful occurrences to human species and I say this with the utmost respect. However, there were other human sufferings in existence and I don't believe it is prudent to play them down as though the lives claimed during those sufferings were not counting for anything, I am talking about lives lost In places like Africa and elsewhere In the world. The wars and famine in places like Somalia, Sudan, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Angola, Mozambique, et al, were no Joke, They were a real disaster and so was the holocaust.

With Eric again, I was astounded by the respect he commands In the Hollywood circles, Everybody came to say hi! while I kept scavenging from the Introductions, He is a great guy, he definitely is. He IS one of my Idols Just like Blake Carrington In Dynasty, One thing though: I was not going to sacrifice my pose. No, not this time, I was enjoying something Eric was not - being a diplomat. Perhaps as an actor there is an amount of Indirect diplomacy he conducts for his country but notwithstanding that, I was still the shining star. It was my show, The only speaker of the day. So, you Just can't beat that, particularly since we didn't have to show our bank statements,

In time we spoke about his role In "The Bold and The Beautiful", how much time he spent on the sets, the locations , his frustration, the impact on his family life, kissing all those beautiful women and the lot. Unexpectedly he was very candid and liked talking about his experience, which was thoroughly enjoyable. The sordid thing though is that the last episode was done nine years ago and we are paying dearly for an old re-run, Well, this is the American way. A country with so much, yet always needing shrinks. To me it is Just a hole In the soul that more and more cannot fill.

Eric also mentioned that his son lives In Vanderbijl Park and he himself contemplated retiring in South Africa save for one problem. That the incumbent government wants to nationalise the economy and the women. He didn't care so much about the money but his wife was way too precious to be nationalised.

GOT Ranemane and his son and daughter meet Eric Forrester while shopping at "Ralph's Store".! 

After my remarks I noticed and greeted a few South Afncans, notably Prof. Willie Kgos itsiIe , National Deputy Speaker Baleka Kgositsile's former husband, An astute scholar who covered most of the arts and African History, In fact he is the reason the ANC has an Arts and Culture department. I have known Bra Willie, as he is popularly known, for a while now and he has Introduced me to some powerful people at UCLA and also In some social circles, Through him I have also had the honour to meet the Dean of the faculty of Film and TV at UCLA, Prof. Robert Rosen, a keen helper and a democrat.

My association with Eric marked a prelude to better contacts and a better understanding of Hollywood, reminding me of the words of the famous general, 'We've got them", In fact it turned out to be a domino effect.

Next The Hollywood Reporter invited me as a guest speaker on the theme "Filming in South Africa". I also accepted without question knowing that you can only miss a hundred per cent of the shots you don't take. I needed another home run to stay afloat In this tough industry. I went for it and when I did I had only three things In mind: encouraging filming in South Africa, encouraging filming in South Africa and encouraging filming in South Africa.

My contacts started Increasing and meanwhile AJC availed itself to the Consulate in the event of any need. I continued to meet with the stars, Danny Glover, Derby Allen, and many more. I conducted Interviews at several cable stations, frequently visited studios, and networked at a much higher level than normal. My career high was when I met Ms Maggie Christie from the Association of Film Commissioners (AFC). It was an important tum of events for me.

For the first time as the new South Africa we participated in the Locations Expo- a world event attracting more than 300 000 film makers from around the world. Its purpose is to afford film makers a chance to scout locations better suited for their film needs. We participated full steam and successfully promoted our country as the film making destination. It was a phenomenal experience.

Then came the invitations from the Santa Monica Film Market- a counterpart of our Southern African Film and Video Market and also the Cannes Film Festival in France. All these helped me consolidate my efforts and enable me to approach every project with great enthusiasm.

Before I knew it, it was already approaching midnight: the stars were still around helping themselves to the remnants of the after event, each giving his point of view on the movie and perhaps even only remarks. Everything was swell. I have since seen Eric and have spoken to him on the phone regarding my progress.

He is a gentleman and we can use all help from people like him.