SALUTES
SALUTES
The project team salutes a remarkable South African,Bernard Glazer* a truly larger than life individual.
*“Your deviant destiny inspirited us into the present”.*
The “Project Team” gets a Huge ‘Red Rosette’for rising above adversity in this journey of discovery. We never got paid but history honours the courageous!
We began with limited information other than unsubstantiated allegations in 2002 by Michele` Glazer. The name “Blue File” was derived from a file to include correspondence from her brother Sam Glazer which Michele found in her late fathers London Penthouse in 1992. The contents revealed relationships and non disclosure which activated this study.
We salute Michele Glazer for your faith and tenacity against all adversity.
The scope of this draft report was limited to the denials in the Application to the High Court in Pretoria.
The scope is broader, a historical precedent and hopefully the transparency that will rest your soul after a 20 year battle for the truth. The matter ultimately rested with the High Court of Pretoria where the Estate was temporarily suspended from closing for a year after the 5th of July 2004. Your Application for the suspension of the Administrators was subject to an investigation into the affairs of the Trust which surely had the skeletons shaking in every cupboard well beyond our shores.
The Administrators denied mineral and other international financial interests, and we proved otherwise.
We regret you “unilaterally” withdrew your Case (No 9575/2004 in the High Court of Pretoria) and accept that any future solution must have the same character which your father exemplified his life. He brought forth unity. The administration of his affairs has been flawed. Politics as well as distrust have resulted in your daughter, Deandra and you, being unable to receive the benefit of a proper closure. The Law may be addressed as to the rightful administration of this closure, certainly, but the results could destroy the unit of your family. One must assume that Bernard Glazer’s wish would be that the solution brings forth unity. What complicates the task of bringing unity to your family is Benny’s very success. He built an empire upon which many have thrived.
Your effort to memorialise your Dad’s Legacy will surface and the debt for equity entrapments by Regal Treasury and others to cede your rights will pale in history.
PROJECT RESEARCH REFERENCE
In order to establish what Glazer had purchased by the time of his passing in 1984 we had to go back to the beginning. Reconstruction of 100 year history involved following mineral right ownership in various countries from the inception of Rhodes Companies (1888) and management by the Crown Agents for Overseas Governments. Also, to complete the matrix interconnectivity and symbiotic corporate activity over a hundred years, hundreds of local and international Companies were researched, social network charts were constructed manually , dusty archives scoured and interviews with the intelligence community, Academia, Retirees ,& Media. This daunting task received the cooperation of numerous individuals from every sector. There unselfish contribution to establish the truth remains the basis for this salutation. The object was not to audit financials rubber-stamped by the Glazer Will Trustees but also illuminate historical misrepresentation.
We had no idea where this investigation would lead us or what budget to set aside. We initially focused on Botswana mineral rights and the Tati Exploration Company. We began with all government records of correspondence between SA & Botswana since inception and finally retrieved physical copies of title deeds. Mineral right ownership was further validated with recently declassified correspondence from The UK Commonwealth Foreign Office (CFO). Nathan Werksman, Bernard Glazer legal representative, defended a takeover bid 21 January 1960 by the CFO to specifically exclude mineral right ownership and trading rights from any sale. The CFO bid via Syfrets Executor & Trust Co. Ltd was unsuccessful for a transaction value of ten times what Glazer purchased for Tati Company 5 years later( 6 Million Pounds).The defence of mineral rights ‘then’, confirmed the relevance as opposed to the arrogant denials made by Administrators in 2003.
We particularly salute all those ‘extra-ordinary individuals’in Libraries, Universities, and Government Departments locally and abroad who went beyond the call of duty.
- Never challenge a librarian - you will be surprised at that private network!
We initially searched for a macro perspective and grateful for 3 archivists in Foreign Affairs who scoured through 6 miles of records held in bunkers below ground level. Months were spent in those dusty archives to find a golden link. Then there are the girls that assisted with back up fire records from UK Companies House and endless copying of share registers with few SA Rand to dent the UK Pound. Physical records of principal UK controlling entities were burnt by an “employee” in Cardiff, the main repository not accessible to the public. We were fortunate on various occasions to have specific permission and access to share registers. Thank you!
Our investigation revealed a pattern of destruction of company records both from the South African Department of Trade & Industry (DTI), Companies House London and various other depositories to reconstruct the history of Bernard Glazer outside the orbit of the Administrators. The race was on to retrieve records that were disappearing as fast as we could get to them. In many cases, we returned 3 months later to find previously indexed records were now missing.
We also offer a special Rosette to our secretarial company in Pretoria, who went behind the ‘desk’ and physically searched. Thank you.
RESEARCH FINANCE
- a Salute to friends and family.
Research was seriously hampered by the lack of resources to thoroughly investigate the finances of the Panamanian registered holding company, Amarena, and/or the Swiss Bank accounts held by Bernard Glazer before his death. Also, access to the confidential records maintained by the SA Reserve Bank. We could not solicit help from the Botswana Government, regarding royalty arrangements but when the private agreement in 1970 between Sir Seretse Khama and Bernard Glazer surfaced, a month long field trip to Botswana resulted in copies of original title deeds. Thank you T & E who travelled on a wing and a prayer.
A Salute to Zambian Ministry of Mines
The interlocking mineral interests of Glazer Companies acquired in the 1950`s included amongst others vast areas Zambia, Congo (DRC) and Zimbabwe. Glazer Brothers Zimbabwe (Pty) Ltd was head quartered in Bulawayo and ultimately controlled by Panamanian shell Amarena. Due to political instability in Zimbabwe formerly Southern Rhodesia, we retrieved the mirror image of mineral succession records from Northern Rhodesia (Zambia-See CH.6 Rhodesian Anglo Holdings 1962 and Company interrelationships for BSA Chartered Company).
A salute to past “spooks’
Interviews with senior intelligence personnel in 2002 revealed there was no information on Glazer other than the Kidnapping ransom for Sam Glazer jnr. Ownership of mineral interests in Africa was vested with Anglo/ De Beers, Lonhro (formerly London Rhodesia) & Rio Tinto, period. History was silent on the controlling bid by Glazer Brothers for the investment holding company Central Mining –Rand Mines 1956/57 and Lonhro 1958. This acquisition trail may go some way to explaining the equally unusual passing away of Sam Glazer (Bernard Brother) in 1959. However, they spoke frankly of a predetermined plan to destabilize South Africa and bring the ANC into power. Thank you for MF.
A SALUTE TO ‘BIG BROTHER’ LEGAL LOGISTICS
Logistically, we relocated for security reasons and remained confined to premises for 3 years. The volume of data retrieved was so voluminous that history was segregated between
- 1890-1960- the foundation period of Glazer acquisitions,
- 1960-1970 Glazer consolidation,
- 1970-1984-Glazer deceased & establishment of international operations,
- 1985 -1994- the externalization of “SA property”,
- 1995-2004 SA destabilisation, Debt for Equity and Glazer Will Trust liquidation.
I salute our legal representatives who endured endless frustration as they waded through mountains of information and their motivation.