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Max du Preez is a veteran journalist and television personality with a strong reputation for his independent thinking, understanding of the political and social dynamics of South Africa and abilities to communicate complex issues simply and clearly. He was born in the Free State in 1951 and educated at Stellenbosch University.
His career in journalism includes serving as the political correspondent of the Financial Mail, Sunday Times and Business Day.
In 1988 he was the founder and editor of the first anti-apartheid Afrikaans newspaper Vrye Weekblad which became famous for its fearless reporting and exposés of the apartheid government’s death squads.
He joined the SABC in 1994 and pioneered and presented such programmes as the Special Report on the Truth Commission and Special Assignment.
He was dismissed by the SABC in 1999 “for disrespecting SABC management”, a charge he could not deny.
Max now works as a syndicated columnist, a documentary film maker, a political analyst and popular public speaker.
He has written nine highly acclaimed books on South African history and politics. The updated and revised edition of his memoir, Pale Native – Memories of a Renegade Reporter, as well as its Afrikaans equivalent, Dwars – Mymeringe van ‘n Gebleikte Afrikaan, have just been published.
Among his other published books are Of Warriors, Lovers and Prophets, Of Tricksters, Tyrants and Turncoats, Oranje Blanje Blues, Essence of a Land, The World According to Julius Malema (with Mandy Rossouw) and Oor Krygers, Korrelkoppe en Konkelaars.
He has just been commissioned by Penguin Books (UK) to write The Rough Guide to Nelson Mandela
Max du Preez is a Fellow in Applied Leadership Values at the University of Fort Hare and an honorary research associate at the Centre for Film and Media Studies at the University of Cape Town.
Among his many awards are the Pringle Award from the South African Society of Journalists, the Louis M Lyons Award from the Nieman Fellows at Harvard University, the Excellence in Journalism Award from the Southern African Foreign Correspondents Association and an honorary degree from the University of Cape Town.
Max du Preez was the 2006 Yale Globalist International Journalist of the Year and the 2008 recipient of the prestigious Nat Nakasa Award for integrity and courage in journalism from the SA National Editors Forum.
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Christo Brand is a South African former prison guard who was one of several that were responsible for guarding Nelson Mandela. He came to Robben Island, where Mandela was being held, in 1978 when he was 19 years old.
In 1982 he was transferred along with Mandela to Pollsmoor Prison. Christo and Mandela developed a close friendship over the course of many years. He is the co-author of his book, Doing Life with Mandela: My Prisoner, My Friend (2014). Christo retired from Robben Island on 31st July 2018 to pursue his storytelling on a full-time basis.
How was it possible for these two men from such seemingly different backgrounds to develop a relationship which was to become so much more – a lasting friendship based on a mutual trust and respect for each other?
Surely, they should have hated each other. One was a white, 18-year-old Afrikaans speaking prison guard representing the oppressive, apartheid regime of the time; the other – a black, 60-year-old Xhosa speaking terrorist serving a life sentence.
Rather than join the army for National Service as was compulsory for every South African white male, Christo Brand decided to join the prison service. After training for a year in Kroonstad, he applied for a post on Robben Island because he wanted to be close to home.
His application was successful and at the age of 19 he was sent to work on Robben Island in 1978. That was when Christo first came across Nelson Mandela who at that time was 60 years old. This was where they formed a relationship which was to become so much more. A close friendship built on trust and mutual respect for each other.
In 1982, Mandela was transferred to Pollsmoor Prison. On 13th March that year, Christo married Estelle. Soon afterwards, Christo was transferred to Pollsmoor and was responsible for guarding Mandela for the next 6 years.
Encouraged and supported by Nelson Mandela, in 2014 Christo wrote his book “Doing Life with Mandela – My Prisoner, My Friend”, with co-author Barbara Jones.
In the Foreword, Ahmed Kathrada writes: “My lasting impression of Christo Brand is that he’s a very good human being. He’s not a politician; he’s just a very caring man who took chances for other people, which could have brought him trouble.
I sincerely hope that Christo’s book will receive the respect and attention it deserves. It is a valuable addition to the writings about imprisonment in the apartheid era, and it is written by a fine man.
It is also unique in that it is the most honest account I have read by a warden relating their interaction with Nelson Mandela, and for that alone it deserves credit. I wish Christo Brand all the success in the world.”
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David Kau grew up in Kroonstad – a small and conservative town in the Free State. His mother was a prison warder. His grandmother wanted him to be a priest.
He doesn’t know where his father is. He was always trying to make people laugh – in between dodging tear gas and going to a local catholic school.
In standard two he wanted to be a doctor. In standard nine a civil engineer. Book through Speakers Inc
After Matric he studied at Pretoria Tech towards a career in electrical engineering, but got bored and went to UCT to be an actor instead.
He was discovered by accident while doing a corporate gig, and less than a year later took his own solo stand up show – The Rainbow Nation Tour – to the Grahamstown Arts Festival, and nicknamed himself Previous Lee Disadvantaged.
In the year 2000, he took on a second personality, that of the people’s poet, in “Introducing the People’s Poet”, which ran for two weeks at the Baxter Theatre in 2000.
David Kau was picked for the 2001 ‘Just for Laughs’ comedy fest in Montreal and made the Gala Evening “best of the fest” line-up after storming at his regular venues. Follow Speakers Inc on Twitter
Tech requirements: A good PA system with a good quality mic; good lighting and a stage (if necessary) required …
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