Launch hosted by the Griqua National Council at
Kranshoek (Plettenburg Bay) on 17th October

I went to Kranshoek at about 4pm to finalise arrangements for the launch.

The Griqua National Conference had prepared a lavish evening with the Griqua Choir, the entire council of elders and an expected audience of 200.

Image right: Scott with Alan le Fleur, Mrs le Fleur (their mother) and Adrian le Fleur

I left the large laminated posters of the front cover of the book and the 100 copies of "Children of the Mist" that were to be donated that evening to the library at Kranshoek. Cecil le Fleur explained to me that it had been decided that 50 Griqua elders from Kranshoek would personally receive a copy of the book from me to entrench its significance among the people. After accepting the book they would then hand them back to the Griqua National Conference and that a whole shelf in the community's library had been set aside for the book.

I was delighted to see that 50 elders had individually signed one of the 50 special commemorative labels for books to be sold that evening making each book with the numbered stuck in labels unique.

Armed with the labels I went back to Ocean Watch and stuck them into the books.

At 6pm I arrived back at the Kranshoek Hall to a large crowd and a delicious smelling feast. I took my seat at the head table with Paramount Chief Alan le Fleur and Cecil le Fleur, who is in charge of the exciting Ratelgat project. I was one of the first to learn that the government had just authorised the payment of ZAR 5,000,000 to the project to allow it to be completed.

There were several white guests including tourists who attended the book launch - and the evening was a treat! The white guests included Plettenburg Bay historian Margaret Parks and mediaman Timothy Twidle.

The large Griqua choir sang and speeches were made followed by an introduction to my launch by Cecil le Fleur who said that the book was the first to look at history from a Griqua perspective and was one that had helped him fill in many gaps in the history of his people.

He thanked me for the work that I had done on the book and said that every Griqua should read it to understand the richness of their heritage.

Image right: the Griqua community sing the Griqua National Anthem for me

I then got up and recited the poem on the front page of this website before talking about my motives in writing the book and my affinity with the plight of the people.

After I had finished speaking there were more songs from the Griqua Choir including a very special rendition of the Griqua National Anthem - including the Griqua elders, members of the Griqua National Council and Paramount Chief Alan le Fleur - a special request of mine and one rarely seen. I was fortunate to capture the whole event on DVD.

At the conclusion of the anthem the feasting started and I was inundated with orders for the book - selling nearly 50 and leaving me with just three spare. One English tourist said to me when buying the book that the event had been the highlight of his trip to South Africa.

Return to Scott Balson's 2007 book launch tour