The recent death of Mike Smuts has jogged my memory. He was a town councillor for many years and represented the United Party.

Krugersdorp was a National Party stronghold and the parliamentary seat was unopposed for many years. It took enormous courage to stand up against the nationalists, and when he predicted that the blacks would be in power in our lifetime he was considered insane. In retrospect, what sweet irony.

The late alderman Gert Visser once confided to me that they appointed Mike mayor of the town in an attempt to keep him quiet.

Mike and I fought tirelessly against the practice of savagely whipping seven-year-old children for stealing coke. To the everlasting credit of the ANC, they repealed that iniquitous law immediately they assumed power.
“Hamba kahle, Mike”.