[I mentioned the Muslim boss at my work who fancies himself as a leader. He often tells me of a leadership course he has gone on which he highly recommends and which he sends his other staff on.

It is a leadership course which revolves around the actions of an Afrikaans man who worked on the mines during the days of ANC political violence. The Zulus in a hostel were very angry at something and they were in a killing mood. So this one Afrikaner went, man alone, and faced up to them and spoke to them and calmed them down. He built up a rapport and trust with them.

In the end he managed to avert violence and killings through his own personal bravery and integrity. Here we are in 2006, and business leaders go on this course where the hero is this white Afrikaner who placed his life on the line and dealt with the Zulus in this mine hostel.

It is as I have said many times, a HANDFUL of white men with balls did what black leaders could not do. White men have played this kind of role all across Africa, for centuries. White men conquered Africa because white men are damned fine leaders and they often have integrity which the blacks admire and which black leaders cannot equal. But this aspect of African history is of course politically incorrect and people these days want to pretend these things never happened. But I’m telling you they did… plenty of times… all across Africa. It is one of the least-told stories about Africa. Jan]