Today in Kimberley's History
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Inquiry into allegations of bribery against Cecil Rhodes begins, 1876
The Black Flag Rebellion of 1875, coupled with other matters of social misbehaviour, saw the appointment of Colonel Crossman as a Royal Commissioner with the task of holding an official enquiry into the practices, and then implementing changes to bring Kimberley into the fold of responsible governance. The Court of Enquiry began on 5 January 1876 with one of the charges to be investigated by Crossman being to do with the flooding of the mines and the ineffective machinery utilised. A certain Mr Heuteau who was responsible for the machinery and pumping of water from the De Beers Mine alleged that he had been offered £300 by a speculator if he could stop the machinery by damaging it and thus flooding the mine. He refused to name the speculator but Crossman threatened legal action against him so he compromised by writing the name on a piece of paper. The name he wrote – ‘Mr Cecil Rhodes.’ Crossman immediately called for Rhodes but Charles Rudd came in his place and told Crossman that Rhodes was not a man who bribed anyone and that he himself was prepared to give evidence that Heuteau had committed perjury.
Crossman then summonsed Rhodes and Heuteau to appear before him two days later on Friday 7 January. Rhodes arrived shortly after Crossman had closed proceedings for the day and apologised stating that he had been checking the pumping machinery at Dutoitspan Mine. He claimed that Heuteau was lying. The following day, Thursday 6 January, Rhodes attended a special meeting of the De Beers Mining Board, and appealed to the members for assistance in clearing his name, but they did not help. The Chairman even said that it was only one man’s word against another, and that, quite unbelievably, he had even heard about the bribe some months before! So it was to the enquiry the next day that Rhodes had to explain.
It was a very short hearing as Rhodes had met with his lawyer (and partner) Robert Dundas Graham, and he advised Crossman that he was going to charge Heuteau with perjury and had handed it over to the Public Prosecutor. Crossman allowed no representations in the light of the matter going to court and legal proceedings were allowed to take its course. The editor of the Diamond News, Richard William Murray (Snr), commented: “The Attorney-General will, we hope, not shrink from his duty. The charge has been made; the character of a respectable citizen has been assailed. If Heuteau can prove that his allegation is true, the Attorney-General ought to put the law in force against Rhodes; but if he cannot, then Rhodes ought to have full justice done him, for if a man be robbed of his good name, he has suffered an injury which, in some cases, it takes a lifetime to remedy.” The preliminary hearing was in the Regional Magistrate’s Court on 13 January. Rhodes counsel called witnesses to the stand who told the court that Heuteau had told them before the enquiry that Rhodes was not the man who had offered the bribe. The accused reserved his defence, and despite the fact that no-one other than Crossman had seen Rhodes’ name written on the paper, the court decided that there was indeed a case against Heuteau and he was committed to trial on a perjury charge.
There was great surprise when a few days later the perjury charges against Heuteau were dropped, and nothing further was heard of the case, and, interestingly, nothing further was heard about the bribery charges against Rhodes. It does appear, in reading between the lines, because the newspapers carried no further stories that something had happened behind the scenes. It is pure conjecture but where there is smoke there must be a fire of sorts. Without stating that Rhodes was involved in some skullduggery it is most unusual that both the perjury and bribery charges were dropped. He did have friends in high places, and Brian Roberts, author of “Kimberley Turbulent City”, contends that Heuteau was in danger of losing his job.
(Courtesy Steve Lunderstedt, Kimberley Calls...and Recalls)
The Black Flag Rebellion of 1875, coupled with other matters of social misbehaviour, saw the appointment of Colonel Crossman as a Royal Commissioner with the task of holding an official enquiry into the practices, and then implementing changes to bring Kimberley into the fold of responsible governance. The Court of Enquiry began on 5 January 1876 with one of the charges to be investigated by Crossman being to do with the flooding of the mines and the ineffective machinery utilised. A certain Mr Heuteau who was responsible for the machinery and pumping of water from the De Beers Mine alleged that he had been offered £300 by a speculator if he could stop the machinery by damaging it and thus flooding the mine. He refused to name the speculator but Crossman threatened legal action against him so he compromised by writing the name on a piece of paper. The name he wrote – ‘Mr Cecil Rhodes.’ Crossman immediately called for Rhodes but Charles Rudd came in his place and told Crossman that Rhodes was not a man who bribed anyone and that he himself was prepared to give evidence that Heuteau had committed perjury.
Crossman then summonsed Rhodes and Heuteau to appear before him two days later on Friday 7 January. Rhodes arrived shortly after Crossman had closed proceedings for the day and apologised stating that he had been checking the pumping machinery at Dutoitspan Mine. He claimed that Heuteau was lying. The following day, Thursday 6 January, Rhodes attended a special meeting of the De Beers Mining Board, and appealed to the members for assistance in clearing his name, but they did not help. The Chairman even said that it was only one man’s word against another, and that, quite unbelievably, he had even heard about the bribe some months before! So it was to the enquiry the next day that Rhodes had to explain.
It was a very short hearing as Rhodes had met with his lawyer (and partner) Robert Dundas Graham, and he advised Crossman that he was going to charge Heuteau with perjury and had handed it over to the Public Prosecutor. Crossman allowed no representations in the light of the matter going to court and legal proceedings were allowed to take its course. The editor of the Diamond News, Richard William Murray (Snr), commented: “The Attorney-General will, we hope, not shrink from his duty. The charge has been made; the character of a respectable citizen has been assailed. If Heuteau can prove that his allegation is true, the Attorney-General ought to put the law in force against Rhodes; but if he cannot, then Rhodes ought to have full justice done him, for if a man be robbed of his good name, he has suffered an injury which, in some cases, it takes a lifetime to remedy.” The preliminary hearing was in the Regional Magistrate’s Court on 13 January. Rhodes counsel called witnesses to the stand who told the court that Heuteau had told them before the enquiry that Rhodes was not the man who had offered the bribe. The accused reserved his defence, and despite the fact that no-one other than Crossman had seen Rhodes’ name written on the paper, the court decided that there was indeed a case against Heuteau and he was committed to trial on a perjury charge.
There was great surprise when a few days later the perjury charges against Heuteau were dropped, and nothing further was heard of the case, and, interestingly, nothing further was heard about the bribery charges against Rhodes. It does appear, in reading between the lines, because the newspapers carried no further stories that something had happened behind the scenes. It is pure conjecture but where there is smoke there must be a fire of sorts. Without stating that Rhodes was involved in some skullduggery it is most unusual that both the perjury and bribery charges were dropped. He did have friends in high places, and Brian Roberts, author of “Kimberley Turbulent City”, contends that Heuteau was in danger of losing his job.
(Courtesy Steve Lunderstedt, Kimberley Calls...and Recalls)
82 days since beginning of the Siege of Kimberley, 1900
Extract from "The Diary of a Doctor's Wife – During the Siege of Kimberley October 1899 to February 1900" by Winifred Heberden.
Some of the Mounted Troops under Colonel Peakman with gun made a reconnaissance this afternoon in the direction of and beyond Hull's Farm. Jack remained at the latter place. There was nothing dangerous done by the Boers, who drove off their cattle in a great hurry, and many were seen to be in full flight. Our men, and also the guns at Wesselton, dropped a few shells into the Boer laager, and then the Troops returned.
Extract from "The Diary of a Doctor's Wife – During the Siege of Kimberley October 1899 to February 1900" by Winifred Heberden.
Some of the Mounted Troops under Colonel Peakman with gun made a reconnaissance this afternoon in the direction of and beyond Hull's Farm. Jack remained at the latter place. There was nothing dangerous done by the Boers, who drove off their cattle in a great hurry, and many were seen to be in full flight. Our men, and also the guns at Wesselton, dropped a few shells into the Boer laager, and then the Troops returned.
Mac Maharaj, Laloo Chiba, Raymond Nyanda and Andrew Masondo arrive on Robben Island prison - 1965
Members of the African National Congress (ANC) Mac Maharaj, Laloo Chiba, Raymond Nyanda and Andrew Masondo arrived at Robben Island. They were all taken to B Section where their leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Elias Motsoaledi and Walter Sisulu among others were being kept after the Rivonia Trial. There were suspicions by Maharaj and the leadership of the ANC that Raymond Nyanda was sent to prison as a planted spy.Robben Island was used as a prison to house political prisoners and common law prisoners in the 1960s. Over the course of time, several hundred political prisoners passed though its prison doors while others died before their release. After undergoing scrutiny by political prisoners, Nyanda received news that he had 'won' his case on appeal and that his sentence was shortened. He was removed from Robben Island. Maharaj and Masondo were released in 1976. Chiba was released in December 1982.
Members of the African National Congress (ANC) Mac Maharaj, Laloo Chiba, Raymond Nyanda and Andrew Masondo arrived at Robben Island. They were all taken to B Section where their leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Elias Motsoaledi and Walter Sisulu among others were being kept after the Rivonia Trial. There were suspicions by Maharaj and the leadership of the ANC that Raymond Nyanda was sent to prison as a planted spy.Robben Island was used as a prison to house political prisoners and common law prisoners in the 1960s. Over the course of time, several hundred political prisoners passed though its prison doors while others died before their release. After undergoing scrutiny by political prisoners, Nyanda received news that he had 'won' his case on appeal and that his sentence was shortened. He was removed from Robben Island. Maharaj and Masondo were released in 1976. Chiba was released in December 1982.