Only here for De Beers - and the children

05 June 2005 - 02:00 By unknown
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YOU know you're at a fundraiser of note when guests (or the hosts who invited them) have paid a massive R1500 each to be part of the 60th birthday of the African Children's Feeding Scheme.

YOU know you're at a fundraiser of note when guests (or the hosts who invited them) have paid a massive R1500 each to be part of the 60th birthday of the African Children's Feeding Scheme.

Of course, having the Oppenheimer name attached to the charity helped - Bridget Oppenheimer worked closely with the 1945 founders, the late Father Trevor Huddleston and Judge Robin Stratford.

Granny O had a touch of the snuffles that night, so she was under doctor's orders to "stay home", and the family was represented by Bridget's grandson, De Beers chief executive Jonathan Oppenheimer and his camera-shy wife, Jennifer, chairman of the De Beers (charity) Fund.

Other big-deal guests included Transnet financial director Chris Wells (standing in for boss Maria Ramos), Massmart's Mark Lamberti and wife Annette, Vasi Naidoo, chairman of the fund and CEO of Deloitte, Benjamin and Abbie Mophatlane of Business Connexion and Zimbabwean telecommunications mogul Strive Masiyiwa of Econet. A special welcome was reserved for Sister Rejoice Nkutha, the CEO of the scheme.

So what do 370 R1500-a-head (total R555000) guests expect for their money?

Mostly what they got, I guess - for starters, reasonable 7/10 food (chicken tandoori, salmon and lemon soup and unbelievably huge portions of lamb shank off the bone) half of which - ironically, considering the charity involved - went back to the kitchen.

Then came an auction conducted successfully by MC Paul Guthrie (who reminded me of one of those plastic guys looking for a wife on M-Net on Sunday evenings). Under the hammer were a gorgeous one-carat diamond from my hosts for the evening, Shimansky, and a pretty lacy gold necklace from Anglo American (total takings R51500).

Guests at the Sandton Sun ballroom were able to buy (for R1000) the attractive table décor - cute black wooden figures, small African pots for candles and beaded table mats and napkin rings - and the pleasant Brian Rae of Diamdel, which sells diamonds to the little man, bought ours.

For the most part, though, I was at a table of smokers who made continuous trips out for a puff, so the evening was a tad lonely - surely at R1500 a ticket guests should be prepared to spend their time at the table making an effort.

The business end of the evening successfully done and dusted, diners were treated to some cheesy songs from a group of singers who included the wonderful Sibongile Mngoma. But as the audience was from the "I get so emotional whenever Vicky Sampson sings African Dream" school of musical appreciation, I guess it went down rather well.

The clothes were extremely dull, with almost everyone in black - sometimes both guest and partner wore his and hers black suits, would you believe? Traditional gear is less popular than it used to be, with virtually no one bothering apart from friendly feeding-scheme volunteer Philip Britz.

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