Customer Tales Vol 1
We at TheQuarterMasters has
some interesting customers,
Some a lot more interesting than others though.
I usually give another Man/Women (Insert gender appropriate
noun, verb or adjective) their due when they tell a tall tale. Perhaps this is
a weakness of mine which may be defined as naivety, however I have heard some
real interesting stories, and, I love good stories; who doesn’t?
Below are some stories that I recall from customers,
obviously for OPSEC* reasons I will not identify the customer or betray their
confidence. So, if I am vague on details it’s either to protect the privacy of
my valued customer, the fact that my memory is not what it should be or maybe I
had to embellish it like a fisherman.
The customer (A white bloke/European/Settler/Colonialist…..you
know what to do here) had bought a tract of land in an African Country. It’s a
rough place where one has to build up and construct everything oneself and, much
like living on a wild frontier, the law is pretty much in the hands of those
who are prepared to use violence. It requires time, money and fortitude that
only living in Africa can bring. He had discovered our shop paging through
Popular Mechanics Magazine and popped in to get Water Filtration supplies.
We got on to the usual stories of how “Africa is not for
sissies” and he told me when he was introduced to the local Police Captain in
the area he had bought the land, the captain was introduced by name followed by
the statement that he (the captain) had 5 kills! On further investigation he
found out that the local law enforcement, (I am sure the term was being used loosely)
would more often than not settle matter permanently when dealing with
criminals. If a gang of thieves was suspected in crime, anyone associated with
them better have good running shoes.
When I enquired of the customer about firearms in his local
African country he mentioned that he was actually in their version of the
military reserve and had been issued and Kalashnikov a couple of mags and rank
too boot!
In discussion with another customer about travels through
Africa the discussion turned to the Chinese and how they seem to be everywhere,
from road constructions in Lesotho, to wanting to build a prison for Chinese
convicts in Namibia. (Apparently the Namibians rejected this).
He told me that in his travels through the Congo he found
himself on a road in the middle of deepest darkest remote Congo and the only
other soul that he saw after a day or so of travelling was a Chinese national who
had a rudimentary tent set up as accommodation and even more antiquated smelter
that looked like it was pre-industrial revolution in technology.
This man would be seated at his tent and the local Congolese
would bring him lumps of copper ore to smelt down. He would pay or barter for
the lumps and apparently once every now and then other Chinese would then
collect the smelted ore for which was then shipped off to who only knows where.
I personally have heard of stories where individuals who
have fallen afoul of the authorities (of that particular country) are sent to
other destinations. The condition is that they will work and stay there until
they die and their family derive some form of income from it in the process.
How true this is I can only speculate. Either way it is a grim.
This customer: A member of a community police responds to an
armed robbery on a farm. Arriving on scene he assists the female victims untie
themselves and starts to post BOLO for the attackers.
His sixth sense tells him that all is not well on
the scene. He takes his binoculars and scans the surrounding veld and kopjes.
His blood runs cold: someone is observing them from a distance on the side of a
kopje. He leaves via a circuitous route and approaches from behind.
He manages to startle 11 individuals who are lying prone
watching the farmhouse.
They all now run off. After a few moments he encourages them
to stop and restrains them all. No mean feat when you are on your own. Amongst
them is the usual assortment of knives, panga’s clubs.
It turns out that they were not linked with the armed
robbery but, were kids that had been either kidnapped or coerced into attending
an initiation school. For some reason the initiation school was atop the kopje
These (Illegal) initiation schools (Yes there are legal
initiation schools) are notorious for the manner in which they operate.
Performing circumsion’s with rusty blades and generally not looking out for the
welfare of abafana (boys) who attend them. Mostly they are cold, hungry and
sick at the end of it.
Some of these kids were clearly in pain and in one or two
infection had set in. (Reason #1 why to pack protective gloves) the ambulance
and the police were summoned, and after many hours eventually arrived and took
the boys into custody. Turns out that 4 of the boys had been reported missing
to the local police.
Apparently boys are coerced through peer pressure to attend,
often running away from home, or, the parent are threatened that a hex or curse
will be placed on them should they not allow their sons to attend, or, a
combination where the kids are taken and the parent have to pay a ransom, if not
face the fact that either they or their children will be bewitched.
At this point you can imagine that the parents will not be
approaching the police reluctantly or not at all.
And so endeth the stories, pop onto TheQuarterMaster if you
need gear to survive and thrive in Africa, and share a tale if you have. How
true or accurate the above stories are I, like you can only speculate, but at
least we know to have a pinch of salt close at hand
Cheers
Camo
*OPSEC: Operational Security because personal privacy does
not sound nearly as cool or tactical.