African Spirit
Legendary figure Kinglsey Holgate and his son celebrate Land Rover’s 70th birthday, African-style
HOW EXCITING it was to see the world celebrating Land Rover Day on April 30, exactly 70 years since the original vehicle was first shown to the world at the 1948 Amsterdam Motor Show. In the French Alps, a 250 metre outline of a Defender was imprinted on the snowy slopes of a mountain, but in Africa we had something different planned. I firmly believe that the heart of Land Rover belongs here in Africa, so my son and fellow adventurer Ross and I celebrated the 70th anniversary in a totally unique way with our friends. This is what happened…
The fun begins at Stonehaven – an old stone-built castle deep in the Shongweni Valley near Durban, where Landies of every shape and size turn up, most of them members of the Land Rover Club of Kwazulu-natal. We start by arranging all these vehicles in the shape of a big 70, which we’d earlier mapped out, using a drone. It looks fantastic, especially on the aerial pictures. Better still, the sun is shining, there’s live music – even some Scottish pipers – a massive 70th birthday cake and, of course, the smell of braai meat on the coals of the barbeque. It’s a fitting celebration for such an important occasion.
The next morning we head off, zigzagging through Zululand, in an expedition convoy with the clear objective of using the next few days to show that Land Rover cares for the people of Africa. We will be working for Mashozi’s Rite to Sight – the provision of spectacles for hundreds of poor-sighted people in remote communities – as well as wheelchairs for the infirm, food parcels for the needy, and water purification units to help provide clean drinking water. We will also do some vital community conservation work dealing with the rhino poaching issue.
A colourful bunch of Landy owners have signed up and we are loaded up with humanitarian supplies, as well as camping gear and food. I’m always amazed at how Land Rover binds people together for a common cause. Ours is a journey with purpose, all right.
Upfront are our two specially kitted-out all-new expedition Discoverys driven by Ross and myself – the same ones we used recently to complete the dangerous 12,000 kilometre journey through eight countries to Ras Xaafun, the most easterly point of Africa in war-torn Somalia, on the Horn of Africa. They showcase all 54 flags of the countries of Africa and are always a great talking point with kids across the continent, who are keen to find the flag of their particular nation.
Behind them is the expedition’s mother-ship – a big 130 Defender driven by red-bearded Bruce Leslie, which also carries all the food supplies. These 130s can take the load and make great expedition vehicles.
Following Bruce is Dave Visagie in his rebuilt Defender; Dave and his wife Yua also run annual self-drive Silk Route expeditions in Discovery 2s from Europe to China.
Ex-rugby player Big Deon Schürmann, who’s built like a baobab, is travelling with his two strapping teenage sons – all three squashed like a rugby scrum into his old green Defender double cab.
Rasta-man Graham Kendrick- Cooke has every Defender model tattooed on his biceps and has put three Landies into the expedition:. Old Blue, his 1954 107-inch Series I pick-up; Sir Tinley Not, a rattly 1956 Series I station wagon; and his pride and joy, Vumbi, an Africa bush green 1995 300Tdi Defender that recently finished an expedition to Lake Tanganyika and beyond.
There are plenty of others and it’s a long line of Landies that winds out of the steep Shongweni Valley to Ablini Mission – the first of many stops on this humanitarian journey. The energy around doing good proves a great way to kick off World Land Rover Day – the appreciation from the poor-sighted elderly Zulus who, after their eye tests, are given appropriate-strength reading glasses, is heartwarming: now they can see again to read, thread a needle and do their basket-work. This Land Rover-supported programme has already helped over 147,000 poor-sighted people throughout Africa.
The whole team also gets involved in the handing over of wheelchairs, Lifestraw family-size water filtration units, and ECD (early childhood development) teaching and educational resources for the local crèche.
We move onto LIV Village, a care centre for HIV/AIDS orphans and after a dramatic welcome by their choir, with the Landies parked in a half-circle on the playing field, it’s more Rite to Sight and ECD work, before climbing up through the sugar cane fields to St Luke’s Home of Healing. This 70-year-old home for severely mentally and physically handicapped people has seen a cut in government funding support, so the food parcels purchased by each Landy team are a godsend. Ricky Sparks, who’s driving an old Lightweight complete with rooftop tent, is overwhelmed by the desperate state of some of the handicapped residents and becomes quite emotional. “Let’s remember how fortunate we all are,” he says to the team.
It’s dark by the time the tents are up and the Landies parked around a hardwood fire. Sparks disappear into the starlit sky as a full moon rises above to the Zinkwazi River.
“We wind through dirt roads rich in Zulu history and folklore to the beautiful Babanango Valley"
Owls hoot in the forest and there’s the soft, churring calls of nightjars. We all love Africa – and what better way to spend Land Rover’s 70th birthday!
Land Rover stories of derring-do abound around the campfire. Peter and Sue George have travelled all the way from Swaziland in their Series I, which is in excellent, original condition, her expedition history outlined on a brass plaque on the dashboard. She also boasts her pedigree on the tailgate: '1955 to 2018. 63 Years – Slowly!' Peter tells us how, in the 1960s, he drove it all the way across Africa from London but was arrested in Tanzania as a supposed spy. In jail, he worked his way up to prison cook, before smuggling out a message to the British Embassy in Dar es Salaam that eventually secured his release.
We’re startled awake by the roar of Ross’ 1998 black V8 Defender pick-up, nicknamed Pepper. She sounds like a WWII bomber as, loaded up with more wheelchairs, he takes off for the Ikhwezi Welfare Organisation at a place called Sundumbile.
Early morning coffee on the campfire sets the stage for an exciting community conservation day in nearby Ncemaneni to raise awareness of the unrelenting and savage poaching of Africa’s iconic rhinos – particularly in Zululand – through Rhino Art education and an energetic conservation-themed soccer match. It’s so important that we instil a passion for wildlife amongst the youth and this turns into an unforgettable day of conservation education.
We now wind along dirt roads and through steep hills and deep valleys rich in Zulu history and folklore to the beautiful Babanango Valley – spectacular scenery for those who like a road less travelled. Then it’s on to Isandlwana – site of one of the greatest battles of the Anglo-zulu War. It’s a sombre place, where white-painted stone cairns mark the burial places of the British dead. Historian Paul Garner, dressed in a pith helmet and red coat, gives us a fascinating account of the massacre of the British invading force by the Zulus, which took place here on January 22, 1879.
We move on across the Buffalo River to Rorke’s Drift, where in an heroic battle to defend the mission hospital, 150 British and colonial troops succeeded in defending the garrison against an intense assault by up to 4000 Zulu warriors. Immortalised in the epic 1964 film Zulu (starring Michael Caine – not a lot of people know that) 11 Victoria Crosses were awarded to the defenders of Rorke’s Drift, seven of them to soldiers of the 2nd/24th Foot – the most ever received for a single action by one regiment.
We camp above the Buffalo River within view of Isandlwana Hill. After five days of adventure and great humanitarian work, we break camp. This symbolic 70th anniversary expedition ends as the convoy winds its way through the spectacular, twisting roads of Qhudeni to the Tugela River and home.
Every team member agrees – it’s been a great way to commemorate Land Rover’s 70th anniversary.