By Alec Hogg
Selective memory is an unfortunate part of the human condition. I’ve been reminded of this while reading Harold Clyde Bruce’s book Once in my beloved Transkei, lent by my Butterworth-born father-in-law. It’s a delightful read by an author who possesses the same writing skills as son Peter, until recently editor of Business Day newspaper.
Harold Bruce has had a full life – including a front row seat of extraordinary waste generated by the Apartheid Government’s policy of Separate Development. The way he tells it, when the “state” of Ciskei was created, residents of King William’s Town refused to cede control of their municipality. So Central Government built a new capital, Bisho, in open veld 5km outside KWT’s municipal boundary. Ciskei’s President Lennox Sebe also demanded his own “international” airport at Bisho – even though East London’s was just 40km away.
SA taxpayer money was used to acquire two 150-seater jets flown from Israel to Bisho and, Bruce writes, “handed over to President Sebe with much pomp and ceremony.” But as Ciskei had no flight crews, the aircraft never flew again, eventually sold as scrap. That’s a mere fraction of much, much more money wasted in pursuit of a delusional dream. We sure have come a long way.
From David Melvill
Good to hear you have read yet another good book.
I bumped into Harold last month in Montagu, where he now lives. I know his nephew, Steve Bruce, a CA in East London.
In fact it was at the local inter denominational church that I met him one Sunday morning. The minister announced that he was on his way that week to EL to launch his book.
We had a good chat over tea – a most delightful fellow. He was delighted that I knew his nephew, as it was he that he was staying with and had organised the three venues for him to promote his book.
Yesterday’s top stories:
The reclusive SA entrepreneur who made R5bn from Nando’s
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British Airways premium economy class proves its pedigree 15 years on
Anchor Capital: Essential market review, 19 March
IRR: Eskom still faces massive shortfall – here’s how to fix it
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