FARANG – generic Thai word for a Westerner
FINISH AND KLAAR – South African expression meaning ‘that’s an end to it’
FLOSSIE – Hercules C130 military transport plane
FOKOL – none; nothing; often translated as fuck-all by English-speaking South Africans
GIRLTJIE – derog. diminutive
IMPI – usually refers to an armed band of Zulu warriors involved in urban or rural conflict
IMPIMPI – rat, informer, traitor
JIRRE – exclamation of astonishment/horror/dismay. Derived from the Afrikaans word Here, which means God
JISSUS – exclamation of astonishment/horror/dismay/irritation. Derived from Jesus
KAK – shit, rubbish
KAPLYN – the cut-line: the narrow strip of no-man’s-land cleared of bush that served as a buffer between Angola and Namibia
KLOMP DRONKGATTE – a bunch of drunkards
KOPPIES – hills
LEKKER – South African word widely used by various language-speakers to mean very nice/good or pleasant
MOERED – vulg. beat up
MOERSE – vulg. tremendous/big/massive
MOS – just
MUTI – traditional medicine
OKES – guys
OUENS – guys
PLAT – literally flat; down to earth
POLISIEKOFFIE – literally police coffee. Refers to a popular drink mix of Coca-Cola and brandy
ROOI GEVAAR – the red peril or communist threat
SLAPGAT – slapdash
STOEP – veranda
TERRS – terrorists
TJOEKIE – jail
TROMMELS – metal trunk
TROEPIE – a diminutive reference to a foot soldier. From the word ‘troop’
WOEP-WAP – onomatopoeiac word for the sound a knife makes
WINDGAT (ADJ.) – vulg. windbag, braggart
Abbreviations and Acronyms
ANC African National Congress
ANCYL ANC Youth League
ATF Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
BBC British Broadcasting Corporation
BCCI Bank of Credit and Commerce International
BUAV British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection
CBCU Customs Border Control Unit
CI confidential informant
CI Crime Intelligence (of the South African Police Service)
CIO Central Intelligence Organisation (Zimbabwe)
CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
CODIS Combined DNA Index System
CSI Chief of Staff Intelligence (South African Defence Force)
DA Democratic Alliance
EIA Environmental Investigation Agency
ENV Education for Nature–Vietnam
ESPU Endangered Species Protection Unit
EWT Endangered Wildlife Trust
FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation
FNLA Front National de Libération de l’Angola (National Liberation Front of Angola)
IFAW International Fund for Animal Welfare
ISCOR Iron and Steel Corporation
IUEF International University Exchange Fund
KWS Kenya Wildlife Service
LPRP Lao People’s Revolutionary Party
MDC Movement for Democratic Change
MI Military Intelligence
MOU Memorandum of Understanding
MPLA Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola (People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola)
NPA National Prosecuting Authority
NPB Natal Parks Board
NRG National Research Group
NUSAS National Union of South African Students
PAIIC Pan African Industrial Investment Corporation
PH professional hunter
PHASA Professional Hunters’ Association of South Africa
PIDE Policia Internacional e de Defesa do Estado (Portuguese International and State Defence Police)
RAR Rhodesian African Rifles
RENAMO Resistência Nacional Moçambicana (Mozambican National Resistance Movement)
REF Rhino and Elephant Foundation
RhoDIS Rhino DNA Index System
Rhodesian SAS Rhodesian Special Air Service
SADF South African Defence Force (post-1994 it has been known as the SANDF – South African National Defence Force)
SAHA South African History Archive
SANF South African Nature Foundation
SANParks South African National Parks
SAPS South African Police Service
SARS South African Revenue Service
SAS Special Air Service (British)
SCI Safari Club International
SSA State Security Agency
SWAPO South West Africa People’s Organisation
SWAPOL Namibian Police (originally South West African Police)
TCM traditional Chinese medicine
TOPS Threatened or Protected Species regulations
TRT Tactical Response Team
UNITA União Nacional para a Independência Total de Angola (National Union for the Total Independence of Angola)
USFWS US Fish and Wildlife Service
WHO World Health Organization
WTO World Trade Organization
WWF World Wide Fund for Nature (prior to 1986 it was known as the World Wildlife Fund)
ZANU-PF Zimbabwe African National Union–Patriotic Front
Zimparks Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority
ZRP Zimbabwe Republic Police
Acknowledgements
This book is the result of a more than two-year-long investigation into the criminal underworld of rhino horn trafficking. It is a book that could not have been written without the selflessness and sacrifice of those closest to me, the unforgettable kindness of strangers, and the invaluable contributions of many people who have encouraged and helped me along the way.
I am incredibly fortunate to have the close circle of friends that I have, some of whom played a more direct role in this book than others, but I am grateful to all of them for their support in the long months that it took to produce.
Two of the finest investigative journalists I know, Jacques Pauw and Sam Rogers, were unstinting in their support. Jacques, my former editor and colleague at Media24, believed in this story from the very beginning and encouraged me to pursue it. His advice, guidance and insights into the often rocky road of writing a book were indispensable. As were his lunches.
Geoffrey York and Erin Conway-Smith were voices of sanity amidst the chaos. This book would have been much poorer without Geoffrey’s keen eye, his astute reading of the manuscript, and his numerous suggestions, comments and edits. I am indebted.
No journalist should be without a lawyer like Willem de Klerk. One of the finest media lawyers working in South Africa today, he is someone whose judgement, candour and guts I have come to respect.
Thanks also to Robb Northey, Julia de Bruyn and Tim Hopwood. And I should not forget Bea, my constant writing companion and ‘co-author’, who sat on the windowsill, watched me write and sometimes dozed off as I droned on about the book.
Killing for Profit took me on a journey across southern Africa and Southeast Asia. In Zimbabwe, I am particularly thankful to Blondie Leathem, Natasha Anderson and Norman English. In Vietnam, to Scott Roberton. There are a number of other people who aided me in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Laos and Thailand – sometimes at great risk to themselves – whose identities have to be protected. They know who they are.
Stephen Ellis, a scholar and journalist of the old school, completed my collection of Operation Lock documents and graciously shared his unparalleled knowledge and insights of the operation and the SADF’s involvement in the smuggling of ivory and rhino horn.
My gratitude to Judge Mark Kumleben, whose work shed so much light on a dark chapter in our history, for allowing someone he’d never met to borrow the only copy he has of his invaluable
1996 report.
Karl Ammann and Steve Galster – two inspirational wildlife investigators – added immeasurably to my knowledge of the trade and the operations of Southeast Asian syndicates.
I was privileged to share the road with several journalists and filmmakers. Special thanks to my most frequent travelling companions, friends and fellow troublemakers: Phillip Hattingh, Pierre van Heerden and Kyle Hattingh. Your generosity and kindness can never fully be repaid.
My appreciation to Peter Gwin, who travelled a path similar to mine and readily shared insights and ideas. He also memorably introduced me to the Dead Guy at one of Washington D.C.’s best-kept secrets.
I’m particularly grateful to Kelly Buzby. Also to Karen Schoonbee – an incredible researcher and journalist – whose contribution to this book was invaluable. Thanks, too, to Russell MacLaughlin for introducing me to the ‘invisible highway’ and the people on it.
Many thanks to Clifford Bestall, Jonah Hull, Chris Everson and Sebastian Dunn, Charles Moore, Braam Malherbe, Godknows Nare and Melusi Ngwenya.
I am proud to have worked with several Media24 colleagues who have done exceptional reporting on rhino crimes and whose work and support have aided this book: Wolfram Zwecker, Buks Viljoen, Elise Tempelhoff, Marietie Louw-Carstens and Hanti Otto. Thanks also to my former editor in the Media24 investigations unit, Andrew Trench, who suggested that there might be a book in my rhino investigations. Also Ingrid Pepler and the editors who published the stories, Tim du Plessis, Peet Kruger, Ferial Haffajee and Yvonne Beyers.
Many people went out of their way and gave of their time to answer persistent questions and aid my broader understanding of an extremely complex issue. In particular – though not in any particular order – I would like to thank Ian Player, Jan Breytenbach, Des Burman, Johan Jooste, Joanie Spies, Ansie Venter, Marilé van Heerden, Tom Milliken, Jo Shaw, Rynette Coetzee, Gareth Morgan, Rhishja Cota-Larson, Ken Maggs, Mario Scholtz, Bud Cockroft, Hendrik and Elise Daffue, Charmaine Swart, Charles van Niekerk, Adrian Lackay, Kirsty Brebner, Sonja Meintjes, Magdel Boshoff, Olga Kumalo, Albi Modise, Johnny Olivier, Michael ’t Sas-Rolfes, John Hume, Dawie and Sariette Groenewald, Hennie Erwee, Chris van Wyk, Adri Kitshoff, David Newton, Piet Lategan, Selomie Maritz, Ed and Lorinda Hern, Ruben de Kock and the Lemmer and Zitha families.
Pulling together a book is a collaborative effort. Many thanks to Kirsten van Jaarsveld, who painstakingly transcribed the recordings of a large number of my interviews. I am also indebted to the team at Zebra Press: publisher Marlene Fryer, who took a chance on a little-known writer; my editor, Ronel Richter-Herbert, who patiently coaxed this book into being amidst a flurry of missed deadlines; and Jane Housdon for her diligent proofreading, advice and insights.
The costs of research and travel for this book were partly covered by a grant from the Taco Kuiper Fund for Investigative Journalism, administered by the Valley Trust and the Wits Journalism Programme. My thanks to Margaret Renn, Anton Harber and Brigitte Read.
Writing a book is a selfish exercise. You cut yourself off, and hole yourself up in a room with your laptop, files and thoughts. The walls are soon plastered with torn-out notes, press cuttings, snippets of ‘vital’ information, ideas, stats and increasingly complex spider diagrams mapping out chapters. For months, everything but the book is ignored. You grow a scraggly beard. Simple daily chores go undone. You become increasingly obsessive and irritable when anything other than the book intrudes. Your friends start to make jokes about Boo Radley and Howard Hughes. As weeks turn to months, the process takes a toll, particularly on those you love.
This book could not have been written without the immense selflessness and support of my partner, Trish. More than anyone, she deserves praise. She didn’t baulk when I decided to resign from my job to write it – she allowed me to live a dream, even at times when the deadline pressures made it seem more like a nightmare. She gave far more than I deserved and I am eternally grateful.
My father Robert and my mother Anita gave me a love of history, storytelling and writing, and encouraged my single-minded pursuit of a career in journalism, even though it sometimes worried them. Sadly my mother is not here to see this.
Nor is Marléne Burger – an indomitable journalist who took me under her wing all those years ago. I miss you both.
JULIAN RADEMEYER
JOHANNESBURG
SEPTEMBER 2012
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