I saw a Gupta at Taboo, and Rupert at a fickle encounter
I’ve been to the Taboo nightclub once. No, wait, it was twice. Or was it three times? I don’t much like nightclubs. I don’t like shouting at the person next to me just to be heard, although that seems to be the way of things these days. Shouting at others has never been easier. Finding reasons to have a hissy fit and to cause pain is painless. Click, read, twist and shout, wait for the mob to follow.
Wait for a “Matthias, son of Deuteronomy of Gath to say: “Look. I’d had a lovely”supper, and all I said to my wife was: ‘That piece of halibut was good enough for Jehovah’.”
Buy some stones, two with points and one big flat one, and wait until the man in charge of the stoning for blasphemy says “Jehovah” again before you put him to death. There are many life lessons in the Life of Brian by Monty Python. So, just say no to shouting at each other, sports fans. It ’ s not nearly as much fun as you make it out to be. Instead of shouting and ranting today, I’m going to go on a ramble of memories. This will be a Seinfeld-esque column, I fear. Much ado about something and nothing at the same time, with a point about to be made but perhaps just out of reach. My few times at Taboo have been for Cricket SA functions. I recall one party there where I saw a young national cricket player who had made his international debut not long before being feted by a group of three or four gentlemen. My memory is a little hazy. There is something of the Zondo commission about it. I asked a colleague who the men where. He told me they were from Sahara computers and were probably going to sponsor the player. I’d never seen a Gupta close up before, but I do recall they had a fair number of hangers on, some of them in cricket administration. I wonder if cricket will be called to discuss its relationship with the Guptas. I was also at Taboo for a welcoming function for the Australian cricket team. Australians and taboo – a match made in heaven. Those were the days when Cricket SA had money to burn. They had sponsors, so many that they could afford to treat them badly, as when simply they then ignored did with CEO requests Standard Gerald Majola for Bank meetings became time with to the discuss bank the when it bank’s sponsorship contract. So, the bank ended the deal and walked away. They are back, which is a good thing. Cricket needs the money these days. Sponsorship money is hard to find. I’ve been in the same room as Johann Rupert, but it was not at Taboo. It was the presidential suite/room at Kings Park after a Bok Test. Rupert was there with his family, Schalk Burger senior, and his wife. We journalists were usually invited to the VIP suite for a few drinks after Test matches. Rupert had also had a few drinks. We discovered this when he turned to us and asked which of us wrote for Rapport. Ah, thought the rest of us who didn’t work for Rapport. This is going to be fun. The inimitable Louis de Villiers said he was, as did his colleague, JJ Harmse, who now works for Saru. Rupert had a dip at them, telling them they should stop their campaign against Jake White, who was coach at the time. Louis never holds back and launched a tirade against Rupert, which was even more fun. Louis told Rupert he cared little for the man’s wealth and who he was, and he would not allow him to tell him how and what to write. The two had a little to-and-fro before Schalk senior and Rupert’s wife, both of whom were giggling along with us, decided it was time to go home. I follow Rupert on Twitter. I also follow our former sport minister, Fickle Embellishment, who backed Rupert, saying he had helped SA get the World Cup. He did not say which World Cup, but you suspect it was 2010. Mbalula got some stick for daring to defend Rupert. He should have known better. You can build and share and help, but, man, you will be remembered for that one night with that goat. The taboo will always stick with you.