153:, Belgium. It is believed that the Casalee operation was involved in the sale of Rhodesian tobacco on world markets, through evasion of UN sanctions. Casalee was primarily a leaf tobacco merchanting company but was also engaged in general trading and an active initiator of counter trade and barter deals. The Casalee Group grew over 16 years to become the fifth largest tobacco merchant in the world and the biggest non-US leaf tobacco company. The Group employed 2,500 people and had offices in all the major tobacco growing countries in the world including the USA (Winston-Salem), Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Greece, India, Indonesia, Italy, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Thailand, Turkey and
212:, former Security Minister and Speaker of Parliament. This displeased rival factions in ZANU-PF, and government investigations were started into the affairs of Bredenkamp's Breco trading company concerning tax evasion and exchange control violations. The matters under investigation were transactions between Breco in Zimbabwe and offshore companies controlled by Bredenkamp.
185:. In this capacity, he brokered export sales of Rhodesian products (mainly tobacco) and used the proceeds to fund the purchase of munitions and military equipment. His "sanctions busting" deals (often involving complex barter transactions) sustained the UDI regime for far longer than would otherwise have been possible. These deals were entirely legal under Rhodesian law.
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In
September 2006 Bredenkamp was tried in Zimbabwe on charges that he used a South African passport on international journeys. Zimbabwean citizenship law does not permit dual nationality. Although acquitted, he had to fight a second court case to obtain an order to return his Zimbabwe passport which
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government in its war with rebels backed by Uganda and Rwanda. There appears to have been some linkage between the intervention and generous mining concessions granted by the DRC to figures in the
Zimbabwe political and business elite. When Zimbabwe was subject to EU sanctions from 1999 onwards, the
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After independence in 1980, Bredenkamp left
Zimbabwe and moved his base of operations to Belgium. However, he remained involved in commodity trading and defence procurement. He made himself useful in certain quarters. In 1984 he made his peace with the rulers of the new Zimbabwe and was able to
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while he was still a child. He was orphaned in his mid-teens on his birthday when while he was riding his bike, on return he found his father had shot his mother and sister and then shot himself. His sister survived the shooting. He was educated in
Southern Rhodesia at
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The
Casalee Group of companies was sold in 1993 to Universal Leaf Tobacco, the largest leaf tobacco company in the world. Since then, Bredenkamp has expanded his business interests into many other different areas, mainly through the Zimbabwe registered Breco company.
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return home. Zimbabwe provided a hospitable base for
Bredenkamp's dealings with customers in Africa and the Middle East. These dealings made Bredenkamp and his associates very wealthy men. They also helped sustain the Zimbabwean economy in a time of some turbulence.
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After his graduation, Bredenkamp joined
Gallaher Limited, an international tobacco company in Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia), as a leaf buyer. In 1968 he was transferred to Niemeyer in the Netherlands, where he rose to the position of leaf director.
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the clerk of the court had retained. He was ordered to produce documentary evidence of his renunciation of South
African citizenship to have his nationality restored permanently. But his passport was returned.
131:. Of Dutch ancestry, Bredenkamp registered as a Rhodesian citizen in 1958. He was reported to have lost Zimbabwean citizenship "by default" in 1984, but this was restored to him shortly thereafter.
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Bredenkamp gained considerable clout in the political and economic affairs of
Zimbabwe. It is known that he played a significant role in the events surrounding Zimbabwe's intervention in the
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Bredenkamp was reported to hold
Zimbabwean, South African and Dutch passports. The matter of his nationality was a matter of dispute with some Zimbabwean officials towards the end of 2006.
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Bredenkamp became something of a power behind the scenes in the ruling ZANU-PF party. It is claimed that he sought to facilitate the early retirement of
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Bredenkamp was linked to claims to facilitate the retirement of Mugabe in 2000, by the Guardian's investigation into the leaked US embassy cables.
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From 2008 until his death, Bredenkamp was the subject of US sanctions aimed at people of significant influence within the Zimbabwean government.
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reported that Bredenkamp had an "estimated £700m fortune from tobacco trading, grey-market arms dealing, sports marketing and diamond mining."
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Bredenkamp's career took off in earnest during the late 1970s when he became deeply involved in the commercial affairs of the embargoed
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Mugabe regime was able to call on sanctions busting expertise from the UDI era to keep its armed forces supplied.
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John Bredenkamp's personal website – "The real facts about me... and the activities of my associated businesses."
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between 1998 and 2003. This intervention involved using the Zimbabwean army and air force to support the
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157:. The company owned tobacco-processing factories in the Netherlands, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Brazil.
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After leaving Gallaher in 1976, Bredenkamp founded the Casalee Group of companies registered in
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According to news reports, Bredenkamp died on 18 June 2020 due to kidney failure.
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373:"WikiLeaks cables: UN offered Robert Mugabe a lucrative retirement overseas"
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As a Rugby Union international, he captained Rhodesia from 1965 to 1968.
411:"Alleged Mugabe cronies kept offshore firms years after UN alert raised"
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177:. It has been claimed that he effectively ran the finances of the
106:(11 August 1940 – 18 June 2020) was a Zimbabwean businessman and
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Zimbabwean businessman and rugby union footballer (1940–2020)
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Garside, Juliette; Pegg, David; Watt, Holly (6 April 2016).
484:"Arms dealer, tobacco trader John Bredenkamp dies aged 79"
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Born in South Africa, Bredenkamp moved with his family to
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footballer. He was the founder of the Casalee Group.
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286:Dutch Public Prosecutor to investigate Bredenkamp
322:financial and political dealings of Bredenkamp
462:"ZANU PF alleged funder John Bredenkamp dies"
281:Bredenkamp holds Dutch passport (free access)
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486:. ZimLive.com. 18 June 2020. Archived from
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358:House of Commons, 18 November 2002 :
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590:21st-century Zimbabwean businesspeople
585:20th-century Zimbabwean businesspeople
341:– Zimbabwe involvement in DRC minerals
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540:People from Kimberley, Northern Cape
310:Tycoon flees Zimbabwe in private jet
565:South African emigrants to Rhodesia
398:court returns Bredenkamp’s passport
79:Zimbabwean, South African and Dutch
595:Zimbabwean people of Dutch descent
371:Doward, Jamie (18 December 2010).
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396:The Herald, September 2006 :
575:White Zimbabwean businesspeople
460:Ndlovu, Mandla (18 June 2020).
276:Bredenkamp holds Dutch passport
208:in 2004 and his replacement by
181:during the later stages of the
600:Alumni of Prince Edward School
440:sanctionssearch.ofac.treas.gov
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580:White Zimbabwean sportspeople
560:Rhodesian rugby union players
308:The Guardian, 9 June 2006:
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550:Rhodesian businesspeople
346:15 December 2007 at the
436:"Sanctions List Search"
327:6 February 2012 at the
570:White Rhodesian people
320:newzimbabwe.com :
179:Rhodesian armed forces
104:John Arnold Bredenkamp
97:founder, Casalee Group
35:John Arnold Bredenkamp
555:Rhodesian politicians
125:Prince Edward School
88:Prince Edward School
464:. Bulawayo 24 News
360:debate on Zimbabwe
254:Whites in Zimbabwe
210:Emmerson Mnangagwa
510:"Bredenkamp dies"
120:Southern Rhodesia
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94:Known for
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64:(aged 79)
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62:(2020-06-18)
60:18 June 2020
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535:2020 deaths
530:1940 births
108:rugby union
76:Nationality
524:Categories
296:References
173:regime in
155:Yugoslavia
114:Early life
70:, Zimbabwe
41:1940-08-11
445:3 October
129:Salisbury
84:Education
49:Kimberley
344:Archived
325:Archived
243:See also
183:Bush War
175:Rhodesia
494:18 June
468:18 June
420:25 June
382:25 June
249:Tremalt
151:Antwerp
198:Kabila
68:Harare
235:Death
496:2020
470:2020
447:2017
422:2018
384:2018
57:Died
31:Born
194:DRC
171:UDI
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