Every now and again, you have weeks with little cheer. Last week, in my joyful oblivion, while visiting farms with friends in the Alentejo, I had little knowledge of sad events taking place elsewhere in the world. These were not global events but rather the deaths of three people who had impacted my life in one way or another.
I received the news of the passing of Nick Rouse first, through my old associates at AgDevCo. I first met Nick at an AgDevCo board meeting in London back in 2012 when the then-chairman, Keith Palmer, introduced him to us. Nick had been asked and accepted to join our credit committee and would bring a vast amount of knowledge on lending to our emerging business as he had a lifetime of experience in international banking and lending. He had recently become a member of the CDC investment committee. Still, more importantly, he had a lot of experience in lending and banking in Africa, where AgDevCo operated, having worked in Kenya and also been the risk manager for Barclays Bank in Africa.
My first meeting was memorable with Nick, a true banker by nature, he was meticulous in reviewing the proposals presented to him prior to any meeting. All of us presenting a proposal would be in trepidation mainly because he always found something we had not seen or which, if enacted, we were unaware of the possible consequences. From his past experience, he had seen it all. He always highlighted the risks and would suggest a conservative approach, while our chief executive was a strong supporter of our ethos, high-risk early-stage investment in African agriculture. At one stage, to make a point in the first meeting, taking us all by surprise, Nick threw down a copy of his recently published book, Bankers' Lending Techniques, to emphasise his points. Needless to say, common ground was found, and he joined us as a valuable member of the team. I found Nick a fantastic sounding board and an honest critic of the investment proposals in front of him. Contrary to many bankers, he always had a smile on his face and a willingness to accept opposing views. At every credit committee meeting, he would have thoroughly read the proposal and picked out all the problems in a balance sheet and the flaws in the cash flow. He was an expert in reading between the lines in a cash flow or balance sheet. I learned to listen to him and, if not addressed and removed completely, at least try to mitigate against those risks he so easily identified from experience in a set of accounts or cash flow.
Nick was diagnosed with prostate cancer at the same time as me, although his cancer was further advanced. Up to last year, when I last met him at a function in London, he was still the same smiling Nick and said while feeling well, his doctors had told him his cancer was now advancing. Even so, his death came as a shock. A fine man with a wealth of experience in lending, especially in emerging markets, now gone. Goodbye, Nick. You have my admiration and respect.
The next death I heard about last week was Nick Swanepoel. Nick became my vice president when I was president of the Commercial Farmers Union (CFU). Nick had previously stood against me as vice president. Through tenacity, when Selby Chance, another contender for the job and who had the support of the commodities, dropped out of the race, Nick, as a branch chairman, was elected unopposed as my vice. We became great friends, but we were different in our approach to our modus operandi. I did not mind being innovative but also wanted a more formal approach. Although grey in some areas of my private life, I preferred total transparency and adherence to the law with those we dealt with in regard to the issues within our role in the CFU. Nick was a fixer and used his connections of which he had many. One of these was through Wessels Rautenbach, a mutual friend of both of us, to connect to the present state president, someone at that time feared by friend and foe alike. Our director, the late David Hasluck, thought Nick could well resolve the land issue and said so to me when Nick stood against me. This was not to be with Nick dedicating a large part of his life over the past twenty five years trying.
I have no doubt that Nick thought he was doing his best for farmers and the person to fix it. This became especially apparent when he and John Bredenkamp, another of Nick’s conduits to government, helped topple Bob Swift, not Tim Henwood, as stated in Munanagwa’s condolences, from his role as president of the CFU. The reason given, or so it was said, was that he was seen as a hardhead by the Government. A compliment, I would have said. How can you be a hardhead when you are fighting in the courts for the legal rights of those you represent? Nick thought dialogue, and at worst appeasement, would be best in resolving the land issue, not principle. Still, unfortunately, one way or another, he seemed to want to be the accepted face to the Government in representing the farmers in their fight, first to retain their land and then in their fight for compensation for the land and assets they lost, despite growing opposition. When I left the CFU, finishing my term as President, I never sought to hold any further office in the CFU and only from time to time would visit the offices to exchange views with some of the sitting presidents until I was told by one of them they no longer represented me as I had lost my farms. Nicks's approach was different from mine, and we drew apart long before the enactment of the legally defunct GCD. In their condolence message, the state president deemed that it is, the GCD, is still in place and, therefore, the dispute has been resolved in his eyes. I wonder who wrote the condolences and who told him the dispute was resolved.
Nick and I always talked to each other with mutual respect, although we were poles apart in mindset regarding the land. I always thought any compromise would be taken advantage of, but to be truthful, no matter what we did, compromise or hardline, we would have lost the fight. I admit that if the Government had honoured the terms of the original GCD, it would have been a huge achievement by Nick and his team. Unfortunately, this is not the case, and it is not a question of Nick’s honour but rather the Government’s and if it ever planned to abide by the agreement. Perhaps Nick got too close to the state president and his consorts, a difficult place and somewhere hard to extradite oneself from without suffering some negative consequence, or perhaps he thought he could salvage something from the ensuing debacle.
“It is good to gain the respect of one's adversary, but it is important to understand how that respect was won.” - Peter McSporran.
Nick leaves behind his lovely wife Margaret, who happens to be the daughter of my first boss in Zimbabwe, Hamish Smith. Both Nick and Margaret lost their first loves prematurely. I am so sorry for your loss Maragret. I have no doubt Nick, who worked tirelessly with great sacrifice over many years seeking a deal for the farmers, did so thinking what he was doing was best for those who had lost their land. Even during his recent health problems he did not stand aside. Nick was a man of Africa, a survivor, he and his family survived the longest homestead attack during The Rhodesian War when he still farmed in Mayo before moving to Chinhoyi, a farmer and family man. Latterly, we did not share the same perspective of events concerning land, but I respected him for his dedication and tenacity.
The third death this past week was Gavin Rose. Gavin was a genuine, ‘Hail fellow well met.’ He was a tobacco man, a buyer, part of the fraternity known traditionally as the enemy of all tobacco farmers, often even when the prices on offer were fair. This is at least the perception both sides of the tobacco trade liked to give, although we farmers had many friends who stood on the opposite side of the buying floor. Gavin was an exception, as everyone was his friend; he was always willing to listen and help if he could and was respected as being both humble and hard-working. He also could play hard, much harder than most, but this did not detract from his professional role or the love of his family. Jackie, his wife, and he stood together in some pretty hard times after their move to Zambia. Still, unlike many non-producers in the trade, they decided to make that country their home and brought up two delightful children, Dani and Bryan. Like his father before him, a very popular character at the Harare racecourse, he died before his time.
“Gavin was a procurer and distributor of happiness. His infectious smile ensured those around him always had a smile on their face.” - Peter McSporran
Disclaimer: Copyright Peter McSporran. The content in this blog represents my personal views and does not reflect corporate entities.
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