The Gold Conspiracy

By Dr Magasvaran R. Pather

The Gold Conspiracy is a gripping historical novel that delves into the complex and tumultuous world of apartheid South Africa. The story centers around the small, diverse community of Vrededorp, also known as Fietas, and the struggles its inhabitants faced under the oppressive laws of the Zuid Afrikaanse Republiek. Through the eyes of the community's residents, readers will witness the resilience and determination of those who fought against injustice, including a teacher who produced prodigious minds despite limited resources and a community leader who fought for economic survival. The novel also explores the cultural diversity of Fietas, including the influence of Muslim and Malay cultures and the establishment of mosques, a girls’ school, a football league, and more. This novel offers a powerful and nuanced portrayal of a community’s struggle for freedom and justice in the face of oppression.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Mar 31, 2023
• ISBN: 9781398453777

Dr Magasvaran R. Pather

Dr Magasvaran R. Pather is a senior lecturer in English skills and Business Communication at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. This book, The Gold Conspiracy, explores how greed and avarice through amassing large sums of money from the proceeds of gold buying and selling can alter sensibilities. It falls into the genre, historical fiction, and is set in the Apartheid Era in South African History, it recalls the oppressive nature of apartheid not only at state level but also within a family.

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About the Author

Dr Magasvaran R. Pather is a senior lecturer in English skills and Business Communication at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. This book, The Gold Conspiracy, explores how greed and avarice through amassing large sums of money from the proceeds of gold buying and selling can alter sensibilities. It falls into the genre, historical fiction, and is set in the Apartheid Era in South African History, it recalls the oppressive nature of apartheid not only at state level but also within a family.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my parents and family.

Copyright Information ©

Dr Magasvaran R. Pather 2023

The right of Dr Magasvaran R. Pather to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781398453760 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781398453777 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2023

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

1 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

Acknowledgement

Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.

The CJPME Foundation, Analysis 2014-001-v1

Films: Robin Hood

Batman

Sir John Milton: On His Blindness

T. Hardy

Bouillabaisse Recipe by Barney Desmazery

Eman Jafar Sadiq(a s)

A.G. Visser

Introduction

Gold (Au). Gold earned the Latin name Aurum and that is why on the periodic table of chemical elements, it has the chemical abbreviation (Au). Gold’s attractive  colour and brightness give it a mesmerizing allure, what adds to its almost perfect qualities in that it is durable to the point of virtual indestructibility. When discovered in nature, it is in a comparatively pure form, unlike most other precious metals. History records the dictator Hitler, sending a submarine laden with plundered Gold bars to South America where he hoped to seek refuge, realising that the German army was defeated. More recently, Pablo Escobar, the drug lord is believed to have hidden billions in Gold bullion, in secret locations in South America. There is an abundance of conspiracy theories surrounding gold.

Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.

Many will hold an opposing view and scoff at the notion that gold can be conspiratorial, it borders on the existential. In the case of the protagonist, it was used to manufacture a conspiracy theory to render him inept. A conspiracy theory hinges on speculating on an issue and then achieving a consensus view. The popular fable about the Emperor with no clothes has many inferences to the conspiracy theory against Robert. Most people ‘stoned’ Robert because the theory was well implanted and it became believable, partially due to Robert’s failure to defend himself and his dogged allegiance. To be most effective and plausible, the conspiracy theory must enjoy wide acceptance and buy in. Individuals who had a stake in propagating this conspiracy theory punted it with vim and vigour; it seemed so factually loaded that many were inclined to fall victim to it. This happened prior to the advent of social media, which is a super spreader of conspiracy theories today. The architects of this conspiracy theory relied on ‘ambassadors’ to verbally campaign for it, as a truism. It was not mere mischief-making, but rather character assassination, which ensured its benefactors maintained their grip on ill-begotten gains. It was also fuelled, by envy and jealousy because even without any financial means Robert displayed a profound intellect, which he used to outwit his detractors. The very few who chose to have differences in views was his loyal sister Thilamba and her son Tony who were also cast off and regarded with deep suspicion. Although alienated they developed a paranoid fear of this conspiracy, thus making them resistant to the lobbyists’ charismatic lobbying; they remained practical, rational humans who became the bulwark against it. We cannot choose our fate, as a teacher, or even if he expanded his business, the theory might not have tarnished Robert’s image. It did to an extent, fortunately, he shouted at the devil and in the end, he rose as the champion. With hindsight, I am persuaded that his nonchalant attitude to gold and money were his redeeming features. He invested most of his energy in his children, who all made him proud and he died having fulfilled his life. His gravestone bears the following inscription: To the world, he was our father, to us he was the world.

Man was attracted to gold since ancient times. Most global historical records reveal gold as the most revered metal by pharaohs, kings and the rich and famous. In the ancient civilizations of Greece, Egypt, Nubia and Rome, gold played a pivotal role in trade and commerce. Gold’s unusual yellow lustrous sheen and malleability make it the finest metal, for jewellery, adorning crowns and to embellish, sarcophagus. From Caesar to Paul Kruger, gold coins bearing their faces immortalised them. Even the Bible depicts many cases where gold was used, as beautifications or for trade. For aeons kings and even the Mafia used it to flaunt their power, gold is the standard for global currencies. In competitions, it is the ultimate symbol of victory and in the twentieth century, it was a key component in a wide range of electronic devices and medical applications. Tombs, temples and even culinary experts used gold leaf to accentuate their creations. Gold is so attractive because it is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. It is important to consider that gold is scarce since it is difficult to find and extract in large quantities, even with our modern digital industrial technology. Gold can be stored for centuries since it is not affected by the elements because of its principal characteristic of being highly corrosion-resistant. Craftsmen and jewellers love working with gold, since it can be easily shaped, this has only made it more desirable. Cities need it to generate electricity since as electrical connectors it does not require replacing and can last for long periods cutting down on labour costs. After the discovery of gold in 1886 in South Africa, the gold mines of the Witwatersrand brought riches beyond one’s imagination. Jan van Riebeeck, the first white man to set foot on the Cape of Good Hope, encountered the Khoisan as the indigenous inhabitants of South Africa. If anyone needs to lay claim to the mineral riches S.A. possessed, it should be the Khoisan. Unfortunately, nation states never admit to the logic of this argument. It is quite obvious