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THE

WOOL BARONS

 

 

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By I H Labuschagne

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Heading                                                                                           Page No.

 

 

The Transvaal                                                                                                                                                      

Labuschagne, - the Surname of “Red Lennard”                                                                                           

Izak Labuschagne I                                                                                                                                             

Wakkerstroom                                                                                                                                                    

Len Labuschagne and George Kolbe                                                                                                               

KWB - Surety during the depression years                                                                                                  

Boer War and politics                                                                                                                                        

Cotton in Swaziland                                                                                                                                            

Herman Labuschagne and Matie Joubert                                                                                                       

World records                                                                                                                                                     

Masonry                                                                                                                                                                

Estate Feud                                                                                                                                                           

Len Joubert                                                                                                                                                          

Summary                                                                                                                                                              

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Transvaal

 

On the Transvaal highveld,  to this day,  those farmers who rise to outstanding achievements in wool farming are  referred  to, sometimes  more  in jest than anything else,  as 'Wool  Barons'. This term was perhaps never so deeply entrenched as in a certain dynasty of wool farmers with the surname Labuschagne who resided on  farms  around  the town of  Wakkerstroom  in the  Transvaal Province of South Africa.

 

Labuschagne, - the Surname of “Red Lennard”

 

When  Leonardus  Johannes Labuschagne alias 'Rooi Lennard'  (Red Lennard) was born on the 17th of May 1826, the country was still wild.  Wild enough for Rooi Lennard to one day find himself up a tree watching a lion devour his favorite horse,  which was aptly named  Bonaparte.  Well one might ask,  why the name  Bonaparte, which obviously refers to the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, was  apt.  The  answer to that question in all probability lies in  Rooi Lennard's surname:-

                                                         

The  surname  Labuschagne,  I  was once told  by  Frenchman  who claimed  to  be an expert in these things,  is derived from  the words  La Buchagne which means 'The Buccaneers' when  translated from French.  However, these were 'Royal' Buccaneers as the word 'La'  in  this  instance  denotes royalty or  a  position  under royalty.  Their  job  was to be the King's  personal  bodyguard, especially  as the Cardinal of France at the time, had designs to overthrow the King.  The Labuschagne crest certainly sports  all the  elements  of  this heritage in that it features  a  knights helmet, crossed swords and the royal Fluer de Lys.

 

The  's'  which  was  eventually  inserted  before  the  'c'  of Buchagne, was apparently added by the Germans in jest because to them  these Buccaneers spent most of their time sidetracked into the  surrounding  forests by the Cardinal's  men,  thus  leaving their king exposed.  In the 1600's when their King was  beheaded these  'La  Buschagne's'  fled to the Cape of  Storms  with  the Huguenots.   It  seems  that  around  that  time  the  'La'  was apparently joined to the rest of the surname making Labuschagne. By the time intermarriage with the Dutch of the Cape resulted in the total neglect of French being spoken in these families,  the surname was being mispronounced (once again,  it seems, in jest) in  the  most bizarre ways.  Today a Labuschagne will answer  to 'Labberskagnie' in the city of Bloemfontein in the predominantly Afrikaans province of the Orange Free State,  'Labushane' in the city  of Durban in the predominantly English Province  of  Natal and  'Laberskaaing'  in certain parts of the Cape  Province.  In France he would have to learn to answer to 'Messeur  Labukanyee' or  simply  'Busha'  or 'Busshanyee' uttered by  some  socialist Frenchman  who still religiously refuses to pronounce the  royal 'La'.

 

Izak Labuschagne I

 

Rooi  Lennard,  originally from Somerset East  had his son  Izak Hermanus Labuschagne (born on the 22nd of June 1856) baptised in the  Potchefstroom 'Voortrekker' Church.  So it was  then,  that Izak  Labuschagne was more Dutch than French,  at least when  he spoke,  for he spoke a mixture of high Dutch and Afrikaans. When Izak  Labuschagne worshipped in the Dutch Reformed Church it  was solely  in  High  Dutch as were his evening devotions  with his family.

 

Izak  came to live in the Wakkerstroom district on a farm called Boschbank  which  when translated from Dutch  to  English  means 'Bush  Bank'.   It  certainly seems that by then the only  thing apart  from  the  surname  which Izak had  in  common  with  the original  La  Buschagne's,  was  the bush - and at  that  a very fertile and beautiful part of it, as Boschbank is well known for having some of the best sheep grazing in those parts.

 

Many years later Izak’s great grand son was quite coincidentally nicknamed ‘Bush’ by a community of coloured people in the far Northern Cape, after a Television personality called Bush who was also, involved in exposing police corruption, but more of that in the sequel to this.

 

Izak Labuschagne then, was a sheep farmer and an extraordinarily talented one  at  that.  He was a man that simply  put,  had  a natural  instinct and acute sense in classing wool and selecting stock for breeding super fine wool sheep.  For many years  bales of  his  wool stood in 'South Africa House' in  London,  in proud  display  of  the utmost excellence and finesse  that  the British  Empire  had aspired to in the production  of  superfine wool.  Izak Labuschagne then, became one of the founding fathers of  an entire  family of 'Wool Barons' which made  up  quite  a dynasty in the area.

 

Wakkerstroom

 

Wakkerstroom,  to  this  day still a small little town,  is  the second oldest town in the Transvaal after Potchefstroom, followed by the Capital Pretoria.  The treks from the great trek arrived there  soon after  their  tempestuous  trek through Natal only to  find  the 'highveld' uninhabited due to the expansionist military exploits of  two famous Zulu Kings,  namely the legendary Kings Chukka and Dingaan.  It is therefore not surprising that at its founding in 1859 it was first called Martinus Wessel Stroom after the famous Voortrekker of the same name.

 

Len Labuschagne and George Kolbe

 

On  the  17th of December 1912 Izak’s  son,  Leonardus  Johannes Labuschagne (Len), born on the 17th of May 1880, thus having the same birthday as his grandfather Rooi Lennard, married Elizabeth (Bessie)  Johanna  Kolbe,  daughter  of  George  Augustus  Kolbe (29/7/1863   -   28/9/1954),  another   wool   baron. George's grandfather  and namesake  came to South Africa as a  missionary in 1820 with the British settlers. His father Frederick Fortunas Kolbe however,  became a  well known and respected sheep farmer,

who  is  remembered for being the winner of a medal at the  1889 International  Wool Show in Paris.  In 1914 George Kolbe became a member of the 'Volksraad' for the Wakkerstroom constituency.  In 1918  he became the first Chairman of the 'Transvaalse Skaap  en Bokboere Vereniging' (TSV) and as such,  the first chairman of a provincial  wool producers organization in  South  Africa.  With that marriage then,  two leading families of wool barons merged. In  1927 George and his son in law Len were both instrumental in setting up the 'Kooperatiewe Wolmaatskappy Beperk'  (Cooperative Wool Mart) (KWB),  which effectively superseded the TSV.  George became their first Chairman with Len on the board of directors.

 

KWB - Surety during the depression years

 

During  the  depression  years  of the  1930's  George  and  Len together with two others (E P Hoogenhout and H P Hancke), staked their  entire  fortunes by standing surety for the KWB in  their personal  capacities.  Despite ridicule by wool brokers and  the like, these men acted selflessly and in the interest of all wool farmers.  Moreover,  they succeeded, as an article in the 'Natal

Advertiser'  of the 22nd of May 1928 bears evidence.  It  states the following:-

 

"The  rapid growth of the co-operative movements among wool farmer  and of the popularity of Durban as  a  centre  of trade  is  exemplified by the decision of the  Co-operative Wool  Mart (Kooperatieve Wolmaatskappy Beperk) to  increase the  capacity  of their existing premises at the corner  of Kitchener  Street  and the Esplanade,  by  construction  of additional capacious warehouses and bond stores,  to  cost Lb  25,000.  The Plans for this building were approved this morning  by  the council committee.  The firm in  question established  its headquarters in Queen Street two years ago (The  Natal  Land and Colonization Co.  Ltd,  ”se  gebou  is gehuur  met  opsie  om te koop”),  but it  was  stated  this morning,  business  increased  so  rapidly that  after  one season  the  firm  acquired the Kitchener Street  site  and built premises to the value of Lb 30,000. Further inflow of business necessitated the extension now contemplated, which will  comprise  a three-storied structure adjacent  to  the existing warehouse and offices."

 

Boer War and politics

 

Len  Labuschagne  was a remarkable man.  After matriculating  at Maritzburg College in 1897,  he left The Victoria College (today Stellenbosch University) where he was studying law,  to fight in the  Second  Boer war (1899 - 1901).  Many years later  he would still  relate  the  details  of  the  'Battle  of  Majuba'  near Newcastle  with  a  sense of wonderment at the  persistence  and ultimate  folly  of that British onslaught.  After  the  war  he worked  as  an article clerk for a while but  then  received  a bursary to continue studying,  in Pretoria. After his studies he taught whilst building up his own sheep stud.

                    

Len was chairman of various local political organizations in the Wakkerstroom area  such  as the 'Het  Volk'  Party,  'Die  Suid Afrikaanse   Party'   and  later the  'United   South   African Nationalist Party' right up to 1947. He was a personal friend of General Jan Smuts. Issues such as those in Smut's book 'A League of Nations' were among the topics of discussion between them.

 

After  becoming  a  legendary sheep farmer and  leader  in  that industry,  he then also became one of the biggest cattle farmers in Natal and Swaziland.

 

Cotton in Swaziland

 

Len and his only son,  Herman Labuschagne,  (named Izak Hermanus Labuschagne after his grandfather),  started the cotton industry in Swaziland. Years later the British Government indicated that they  wanted  to bestow knighthoods on then for  this,  but  the South  African politics at the time was such that the acceptance of such an honour was all but out of the question.

 

At  his  sixtieth  wedding  Anniversary on Friday  the  12th  of December  1972 at Wakkerstroom,  his vow to his wife  at  their marriage was revealed. 'I shall pay for each farm I buy in cash' he  had  said.  He did not believe in borrowing money, neither did he believe in giving it to the bank. At his death at the age of 99, just  two  weeks before his one hundredth birthday,  this man,  who read each and every  night  from  his High-Dutch Bible,  and  prayed  for  his 'kinderen en de kleinen' (the children and the small) after  the evening meal, left them, his daughter Matie and only son Herman, equal shares in an estate comprising some 60 farms, teeming with livestock. Each farm had been paid for in cash...

 

Herman Labuschagne and Matie Joubert

 

The  wool dynasty was now in the hands of Herman and Matie  each of  whom had three sons.  Matie's husband Theo Joubert,  who was also  involved in politics and was on the Executive Committee of ”The National  Wool  Growers Association”,  had died of  a  heart attach  some years previously and the farming was  therefore  in her  hands.  With  the  help of her sons and the advice  of  her brother   she  soldiered  on  in  the  tradition  set   by   her forefathers. Herman  had married Johanna Magdelena Labuschagne,  the daughter of Carl Stephanus  Vermaak,  another  sheep  farmer  from  the Dullstroom  /  Middleburg Region of the Transvaal who  was  also involved  in the Boer war with  Len  Labuschagne.  Interestingly enough,  Johanna's family tree  actually extends  into  the  family  of Napoleon Bonaparte in France, in particular to his second wife, Princess  Louise  through a Cornelia Minaar who at one time  was being   sought  by  French  officialdom  with  regards   to   an

inheritance from the Princess.  In this marriage then, there was a  curious union between the offspring of Kings  and  Emperors, evidence of which could only vaguely be detected in the surnames of people and a horse named 'Bonaparte'.

 

Herman was very bright indeed. He came first in the whole of the Transvaal in his matric year and was an avid sportsman. Like his father,  he  was a big Game hunter and extraordinarily good shot and  frequently  accompanied  his father on  hunting  trips  to Mozambique  which was first called 'Portuguese East Africa'.  He was  also an extraordinarily good,  fast saloon car  driver  and

became  a  member  of  the “Jaguar Drivers Club”  as  well  as a  veteran member of the “Road Safety  Association”.  During  the Second  World  War  he was Captain in the 'Tuis  Commando'  (Home Commando’s) of Wakkerstroom  and toward the end of the war he was to  become  a Colonel, but as the war drew to close so did that prospect.

 

Herman  and  Johanna raised three sons,  Leon (named after  Len) Carl (named  after Johanna's father) and  an  unexpected  'late lamb' youngest, named Izak Hermanus Labuschagne after his great grandfather, in 1959. This one came to the year, a hundred years after  the founding of Wakkerstroom.   In support of this  wool-based  tradition,  Herman's eldest son Leonardus (Leon) Johannes Labuschagne (named after his grandfather) was sent to  Australia (Gouldburn  and  Triangie areas) to complete his studies in  the

wool industry in 1966.  The latest son's name however, created a problem;-  his  father was called 'Herman' and his  parents were not  enamored  with  the name Izak,  fearing that  he  might  be nicknamed 'Izzie or Sakkie'. So they gave him an alias - Harry. However, there is far, far more to be said on the real reason for the adoption of the said alias in the sequels hereto.

 

World records

 

Herman  however,  had in the mean time quietly and  indisputably carved  his own mark on the industry,  right in the record books of the K.W.B.  which his father was instrumental in founding. He went  further  than that,  and carved it into the  world  record books.  This  was  by no means surprising as  he  inherited  his grandfather Izak’s talents. Deft, sensitive classing fingers and

a  razor  sharp  eye  assured  exacting  quality  and  excellent breeding as the cuttings on the next page illustrate.  He was an avid  opposer of the 'pool system' under the then new Wool Board and he predicted that it would contribute to the destruction  of the  industry.  Several  years later the figures told their  own story  as thousands of farmers had switched from wool  to  other products.

 

Herman  was a profuse reader and used to enjoy working till  the early hours of the morning. He was intensely interested in World affairs,  so  much  so  that he always owned the best  of  radio equipment  with which he could pick up almost any radio  station in the world. Accordingly  he was a member of 'The South African Foundation', and various other informative organizations.

 

Masonry

 

It  was  his interest in World affairs  and the Illuminati  that contributed,  to a great extent,  to his entry into Freemasonry. His  'mother'  lodge  was the Mkonto  Lodge  (No.3624)  in  Piet Retief.  It was in this organization that he truly excelled.  He became a Master Mason, entered the Scottish Rite and by the time he  was  District Grand Master he was completely  besotted  with

Freemasonry. He became an Officer of the District Grand Lodge of the Transvaal,  then  he became a member of the Grand Lodge  of England, Scotland, and Teloffs. He became a Knight of the White Pelican,  a  Knight of the Rose Criox,  he attained the 33rd and last  degree in the Scottish Rite and became the Sovereign Grand Inspector General of the Grand Lodge of South Africa. From there it  is  unknown whether he entered the Esoteric degrees  or  the Palladium   via  the  'Triangle  Lodges'  and   through   these, ultimately 'The Illuminati', although he was often away for long periods from home on 'Lodge business to Johannesburg'.

 

One  and  a half years after his son Harry left his  Theological studies  in Grahamstown in favour of military service,  just  5 months after his father,  Len Labuschagne's death in February of 1979,  Herman Labuschagne died of a fast acting brain tumor,  in July of the same year, ironically, some three months after a car crash  at  a mere 70 Kmh.  Herman and Johanna were on their  way home  from the town of Ermelo when one night,  they plowed  into the  back  of a tractor that had no reflectors or  rear  lights, whilst  supposedly trying to avoid an oncoming  car.  From  the diagnosis  given  by  doctors of the Eugene Marais  Hospital  in Pretoria the accident was a result of the tumor interfering with his  concentration.  Harry was given leave from Military Service

to  attend the funeral and together with his two brothers and  a nephew  he carried his father's coffin to its last resting place in the cemetery of his forefathers in Wakkerstroom.

 

Estate Feud

 

The  Dynasty  of the wool barons of Wakkerstroom was now in  the hands of Matie and Johanna and their respective children. Little did  Harry know that day what was brewing up in the  future.  He did  not have to wait long as almost immediately a ten year long feud  brewed up and blazed forth between the three brothers  and Johanna.  This  feud can only be described as a Saga that  could rival any soap opera hands down.  One could be entirely forgiven

for  thinking that the players took their cues from the TV  soap opera 'Dallas', that had just spewed forth on the relatively new South  African Television at the  time.  Attorneys,  intrigues, threats,  manipulation,  underhanded  deals and family drama  of incredible intensity earmarked each and every day ad nauseam. As the  feud  blazed forth so the money poured into the pockets  of

the Masonic lawyers. The Labuschagne family fragmented and split apart viciously.  Contact  between the families  of  Matie  and Johanna  was superficial and had virtually nothing to  do  with sheep farming.

 

 

Today, Leon, who largely concentrated on maize after his studies in Australia, has moved to a farm near Pretoria. Carl turned two adjoining  farms from the estate into a successful game farm  in the Piet-Retief area. Harry who was excelling at his studies for a  Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Natal in Durban, had left the country at the height of the feud and because of it in 1981.  Today  he is embroiled in some of the  most  historic legal  disputes  of the  country  following  the  loss  of  his inheritance. Ironically his opponents are mostly members of 'the brotherhood' in which his father so excelled.  The wealth of the Wool Lords that went to Harry it seems has been poured out  onto the  streets  of Durban,  the very town that attested  to  their success, a success, against all odds, against the predictions of the  brokers of the worlds markets,  some 60 years  before.  But more of this later, much more indeed.

 

Len Joubert

 

On  Matie's  side  of the family,  Desbie,  Matie's  eldest  son continued farming in the Piet Retief area as he had always done. Her youngest son,  Phil Joubert, took to farming cattle in Natal on  some of his famous grandfather's cattle farms.  Len Joubert, Matie's middle son however,  after pursuing a successful  career as  a  diplomat in Europe returned to settle on his  grandfather Len's  headquarters in the Wakkerstroom area as a sheep  farmer. By  1990  he was  vice chairman of the Transvaal branch  of  the

National  Woolworkers  Association  (N.W.K.V.) as  well  as  the Highveld Marino  Club amongst serving on various  other  public bodies  and  further bodies in  organized  agriculture.  In  Len Joubert  who  is named after his grandfather Len,  seems to  lie vested  the  only remnant of these wool barons in a  time  where conditions for farming wool are tough and wool barons few.

 

Summary

 

Today the 'Wool Barons' can be described as a group of embattled farmers, oppressed  by  a relentless drought and  the  economic state  of a country undergoing profound change in a world  where wool  prices are as unpredictable as the climate,  whether  that climate be physical,  economical or political. For more on that, especially the history,  one need only to refer to Len's book on the  Transvaal Wool farmers,  entitled 'Transvaalse Wolboere - n' Historiese Oorsig van die Ontwikkeling van die Wolskaapbedryf in

Transvaal' (ISBN 0-620-15256-7).