Taking Sides

South Africa have refused to recognise the TNC rebels of Libya because they say it would be 'taking sides.'  The Libyans have asked for £3 billion of frozen funds to help rebuild the country.  I guess what amused me about the South African stance is I remember during the height of Apartheid I had to take sides.

A South African fruit company was about to advertise on LBC and we had a meeting amongst the workforce and pretty much unanimously agreed to boycott the ad and not play it.  An easy task as the commercials were recorded onto cartridge and not locked away on a computer.

Of course the first play of the advert was right at the start of one of my hours of driving LBC shows!  I remember one of the management coming down to see me and asking what I was going to do?  I said that I wouldn't be playing the advert. They disappeared and I thought that,  as so often in my life, I would be the one getting into trouble by making a stand.

As it turned out about twenty minutes later word came down that the advert had been pulled and that LBC would not be accepting any more commercials whilst the Apartheid regime was in force.  Looking back I am glad I took sides and as history records; things changed irrevocably in South Africa following the release of Nelson Mandela.