News from former students
Course 28
Second year Course 28 with First year Course 29 in 1978.
AMM, Andrew Warner of Salisbury.
BAGNALL, Alan Hedley of Headlands.
BARKER, Christopher Richard of Salisbury.
BEAUMONT, Stephen John Rigden of Umtali.
BRISTOW, Paul Anthony of Salisbury.
CAMERON-MACINTOSH, Ian Andrew of Salisbury.
CLOETE, Gert Christiaan Johannes of Selous.
CRESSWELL, Colin John of Kitwe, Zambia.
de SMIDT, Barry Michael of Salisbury.
DEALL, Craig Malcolm of Salisbury.
FARQUHAR, Keith Edward of Bulawayo.
HACKING, Michael Cecil James of Odzi.
HENNING, Phillip Mark Fearne of Salisbury.
HEWITT, Stephen Jeremy of Bulawayo.
HOPE, Christopher Radford of Umtali.
JAMIESON, Norman Archibald of Bulawayo.
KEITH, Douglas Alistair of Marandellas.
KOK, Etienne le Roux of Odzi.
KROEGER, Howard Robert of Salisbury.
MARFFY, Denes of Umvukwes.
MARSDEN, Timothy George of Salisbury.
NILSON, John Francis of Marandellas.
John was at Prince Edward from 1969 to 1974 where he represented his school in cricket, hockey and athletics. After Gwebi he farmed for 3 years in Marandellas.
John settled in Australia after travelling abroad for 12 months. He has been married for 14 years to Caroline nee Arkwright and they have three children - Karis, Dolan and Zana. The brothers operate an Irrigation Company in Mandurah, Western Australia.
Old Prunitians
NILSON, Peter Nels of Marandellas.
Pete had attended Prince Edward from 1969 to 1974 where he represented the school in rugby, cricket and athletics.
After Gwebi he farmed at Inyazura and the Middle Sabi.
He married Sharon nee Annandale and after emigrating to Australia they have two children Brendan and Ashleigh. He has worked for 17 years for Zeneca (formerly ICI).
Old Prunitians
ODENDAAL, Phillipus Lodewikes of Headlands.
OLDS, Martin Geoffrey of Nyamandhlovu.
A scorched and bullet-scarred farmhouse showed the struggle mounted by Martin during a two-hour siege before he was killed by 70 armed attackers.
Gunmen launched a dawn raid on his home at Compensation Farm in Matabeleland, 400 miles south-west of the capital, Harare. He was repeatedly wounded during a gun battle that left his right leg shattered. However, he continued to fight his assailants and wounded two before succumbing.
Mr Olds' death came barely a day after President Robert Mugabe assured the Commercial Farmers' Union that the crisis, which has seen squatters occupy more than 1,000 farms, would soon be over. The tragedy also followed the murder on Saturday of David Stevens, another white farmer.
Martin Olds had previously received death threats from self styled ‘war veterans’ who were brought by bus to the area. With rising concern, on the 17th April he took Kathy and their two teenage children through to Bulawayo whereupon he returned to the farm.
The next morning he told a neighbouring farmer during a desperate radio conversation at about 6 a.m.: "I've been shot and I need an ambulance". His attackers had arrived about 30 minutes earlier with automatic weapons. They burst through his security fence to surround the house.
Mr Olds defended himself with a shotgun and a hunting rifle. His right leg was broken but he made his own splints and continued to fight back. He fled through the back door after petrol bombs were thrown through the windows, and was shot in his other leg. He was caught, beaten and then shot in the head.
As the alarm was raised, nearby farmers tried to stabilise the situation. Guy Parkin, 20, approached the farmhouse at 6.45 a.m. He said: "When I got there, there were lots of cars outside his gate. When I asked one of the war veterans what was going on, a shot was fired over me."
Mr Parkin, fearing for his life, hastily retreated. He said most of the attackers were drunk and waving empty beer bottles. About 45 minutes later, Mr Olds was dead. Craig Wood, a local farmer, saw his body and said he had been "severely beaten". Police did not appear until 9.30 a.m., when the attackers did flee.
David Coltart, legal secretary for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change and a prominent lawyer in Matabeleland, said the attack was organised by Comrade Jesus, a notorious leader of farm invasions who had been brought into the area. Most of the assailants were from the majority Shona tribe.
The local people are Ndebele speakers with a deep loathing for Mr Mugabe's government. Local farmers suspect that shock troops of the ruling Zanu-PF party are being brought into the area to cause renewed unrest. Mr Olds was alone in the farmhouse when he was attacked as he had evacuated his family to Bulawayo after being warned that he was a likely target for the mob of between 100 and 300 supposed war veterans who had been bused into Matabeleland.
An ambulance treated two of his assailants for shotgun wounds to the legs and the medical crew confirmed that their patients were from the Shona tribe.
PENTZ, Peter of Salisbury.
PIENAAR, Charles Frank of Bulawayo.
SLOWE, Clive Charles of Salisbury.
von MEMERTY, David Alexander of Salisbury.
WARREN, Peter Alan of Umtali.
WARTH, Gary Thomas of Chiredzi.
WHITE, Shaun O’Brien of Salisbury.
YOUNG, Peter Clyde of Salisbury.
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