We Change the Police

1977.

The Company made a minority investment in a brewery in Sa da Bandeira a medium sized town in Southern Angola. We provided technical and management assistance. At about that time a ‘proxy war’ was being conducted in Angola with South African forces, backed by the Americans fighting the Cubans, who were backed by the Russians,

One of my staff was despatched to Sa da Bandeira to install a budgeting and accounting system. I flew in from Windhoek in what is now Namibia to see how Nick was getting on.

When I arrived Nick said to me, “I need more than the time we’ve allowed for the project, and my visa is about to expire…”

“Ok, I’ll speak to Antonio.” Antonio was the boss, in fact he was Mr Southern Angola, with extensive investments in the territory.

So I mentioned the problem to Antonio. “Don’t worry,” he said. “I speak to the police.”

“What happens if the police don’t…”

Antonio glanced at me with a surprised look on his face.

“Then we change the police…” he said.

Henry Kissinger, the then US Secretary of State eventually did a deal with the Russians. Antonio and his friends withdrew with the South African forces. I have no idea whether the brewery still exists or not. Antonio became a minister in the Portuguese Government.