Open Writing

…The next morning being a Sunday, we all walked up the riverbed so have a look. To our surprise, there in the cage was a strandwolf. It had long brownish hair with white around the throat area and stripes on its legs. It seemed to be about the size of a large dog and weigh about 40 kilograms. The head was massive and we knew that hyenas had strong jaws. It was pretty ugly looking…

Malcolm Bertoni tells of a species of hyena which scavenge along beaches.

To read earlier chapters of Malcolm’s account of diamond mining please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/diamonds_and_dust/

Continue reading "13 - Strandwolf Stories" »

Posted by Malcolm Bertoni at 12:01 PM | Permalink

Malcolm Bertoni tells of the unluckiest crow in the whole of Africa.

To read more of Malcolm’s absorbing account of working at a remote diamond mine in Namibia please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/diamonds_and_dust/

Continue reading "12 - Wildlife" »

Posted by Malcolm Bertoni at 11:01 AM | Permalink

Malcolm Bertoni tells of fun with phones while working at a diamond mine process plant.

To read earlier chapters of Malcolm’s vivid story please click on Diamonds And Dust in the menu on this page.

Continue reading "11 - The Telephone System" »

Posted by Malcolm Bertoni at 12:01 PM | Permalink

…There was plenty of wildlife here if you looked carefully and were patient. There were jackal, strandwolf and caracal as well as their prey, the gemsbok and springbok. There were even cheetah. One morning, in the distance I saw some ostrich bounding across one of the pans…

Malcolm Bertoni tells of the beauty of the coastal area of Namibia where he worked as a diamond miner.

Continue reading "10 – The Mining Area" »

Posted by Malcolm Bertoni at 12:01 PM | Permalink

…No one had ever requested a transfer to Affenrucken as it was so far out of town and so isolated. Everyone tried to get a transfer away from Affenrucken…

Malcolm Bertoni continues his account of mining for diamonds in a remote desert location. To read earlier chapters of his fascinating story please click on Diamond And Dust in the menu on this page.

Continue reading "9 - Moving To Affenrucken" »

Posted by Malcolm Bertoni at 12:12 PM | Permalink

Malcolm Bertoni recalls the day he sent the general manager packing.

To read Malcolm's vivid account of working as a diamond miner in the Namibian desert please click on Diamonds And Dust in the menu on this page.

Continue reading "8 - 66M" »

Posted by Malcolm Bertoni at 12:12 PM | Permalink

...What was great about the building was that there was a platform right at the very top which one could get onto and relax. I would often go up and sit there for a while looking out over the desert and surroundings, relaxing in the sun. The views were superb, with a great perspective of the desert to the north, south and east, with the sea to the west, only 500 meters away...

Malcolm Bertoni starts work in a processing plant at a diamond mine.

To read earlier chapters of Malcolm's vivid autobiography please click on Diamonds And Dust in the menu on this page.

Continue reading "7 - Settling In: The Early Days" »

Posted by Malcolm Bertoni at 12:22 PM | Permalink

…The only access to the town was via the bridge over the river, and when leaving everyone was x-rayed to check for diamonds. So we would all have to go through a security checkpoint and get x-rayed before going on leave or out for a weekend. Due to the health implications of x-rays, employees were only allowed out once a month….

Malcolm Bertoni introduces us to Orangjemund, the diamond town where he once worked.

To read earlier chapters of Malcolm’s unusual and absorbing autobiography please click on Diamonds And Dust in the menu on this page.

Continue reading "6 –Oranjemund" »

Posted by Malcolm Bertoni at 12:22 PM | Permalink

Bushmen called Namibia “The land that God made in anger’’.

Malcolm Bertoni paints a picture of the harsh land in which he went to mine diamonds.

To read earlier chapters of Malcolm’s fascinating story please click on Diamonds And Dust in the menu on this page.

Continue reading "5 – About Namibia" »

Posted by Malcolm Berton at 11:44 AM | Permalink

...I wondered what I was getting myself into as I waited to collect my bag in the dusty pseudo terminal. Rumour had it (supposedly true), that sometime around 1971-72, a new employee arrived from Cape Town, stepped off the plane, looked around at the rather depressing sight and said, “F--- this,” and got back on the plane again.

It was that sort of place....

Malcolm Bertoni is less than impressed when he arrives at the desert outpost where he will be employed in a diamond mine.

For earlier chapters of Malcolm's vivid autobiography please click on Diamonds And Dust in the menu on this page.

Continue reading "4 - Beginnings" »

Posted by Malcolm Bertoni at 12:24 PM | Permalink

Malcolm Bertoni turns his back on surfing, Cape Town and an unpleasant childhood and flies off to mine diamonds.

To read the opening chapters of Malcolm's autobiography please click on Diamonds And Dust in the menu on this page.

Continue reading "3 - Ready To Jump" »

Posted by Malcolm Bertoni at 12:12 PM | Permalink

...Patrick spoke of the wide open spaces of the Namib Desert and the mad bunch of people who worked there as well as the excellent money with all accommodation, meals and medical cover provided free. The company was the Consolidated Diamond Mines or CDM as everyone called it. Located in then southern South West Africa, now Namibia, it was just over the South African border, about 800 kms from Cape Town, so not too far from civilisation for an 18-year-old....

Malcolm Bertoni begins his vivid account of diamond mining in the Namib desert. In this opening chapter he tells of his family background, and of the father whom he hardly new.

Watch out for a new episode of Dust And Diamonds every Thursday in Open Writing.

Continue reading "2 - Surfie At A Loose End" »

Posted by Malcolm Bertoni at 12:24 PM | Permalink

Malcolm Bertoni worked in the world's largest diamond mine, located along the southern Namibian coast in a remote harshness that was stunning in its beauty.

Today Open Writing begins to serialise his vivid account of his experiences in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

"I had no intention of writing this book, especially after so many years had passed,'' says Malcolm. "The reader might ask: why now? Good question. I was recently chatting to a friend from Cape Town and telling him about the things we used to do at this unheard of place called Affenrucken on the coast of the Namib Desert in Namibia. He would crack up laughing when I told him about some of the insane things we did.

“Why don’t you write this stuff down? It sounds like you guys had a ball.”

So here it is.''...

Malcolm's story is told in the vigorous language you would expect of men doing a hard job in severe surroundings.

It's a great read! Watch out for a new episode every Thursday in Open Writing.

Continue reading "1 - Preface" »

Posted by Malcolm Bertoni at 12:28 PM | Permalink