In the year 1897 some things were exposed which appeared, even to the Uitlanders, absolutely incredible.  What is now known as the ’donkeys and mealies scandal’ was one of them.  For the ostensible purpose of helping burghers who had been ruined by the rinderpest the President arranged for the purchase of large numbers of donkeys to be used instead of oxen for draught purposes, and he also arranged for the importation of quantities of mealies to be distributed among those who were supposed to be starving.  Inquiries instituted by order of the Volksraad revealed the fact that Volksraad members and Government officials were interested in these contracts.  The notorious Mr. Barend Vorster, who had bribed Volksraad members with gold watches, money, and spiders, in order to secure the Selati Railway Concession, and who although denounced as a thief in the Volksraad itself declined to take action to clear himself and was defended by the President, again played a prominent part.  This gentleman and his partners contracted with the Government to supply donkeys at a certain figure apiece, the Government taking all risk of loss from the date of purchase.  The donkeys were purchased in Ireland and in South America at one-sixth of the contract price.  The contractors alleged that they had not sufficient means of their own and received an advance equal to three-quarters of the total amount payable to them; that is to say for every L100 which they had to expend they received L450 as an unsecured advance against their profits.  It is believed that not 10 per cent. of the animals were ever delivered to the farmers for whom they were ostensibly bought.  An attempt was made in the Volksraad to have the matter thoroughly investigated and to have action taken against the contractors, but the affair was hushed up and, as far as it is possible to ascertain, every penny payable under the contract has been paid and lost.

In the matter of the mealies (maize, the ordinary native food), large quantities were bought in South America.  It was alleged in the Volksraad that the amount was far more than was necessary and that the quality was inferior, the result being that the Government were swindled and that the State, being obliged to sell what it did not require, was entering unfairly into competition with the merchants and producers in the country.  But the real character of this mealie swindle can only be appreciated when it is known how the contract originated.  The contractors having bargained to deliver donkeys, approached the President with the explanation that donkeys being live-stock, would have to be accommodated upon an upper deck where there was ample ventilation; the result of which, they said, would be that the ship would be top-heavy and would be obliged to take in ballast.  Surely, it was argued, it would be folly to carry worthless ballast when good mealies, which were in any case badly needed in the country, would serve the purpose of ballasting equally well and would,