Article by the editor of the SOWETO CHAMBER NEWS in the early 80s is about Lucky Michaels who worked for John Hall, my grandfather, at the Lido hotel in Eikenhoff for a while. I think he ran the Liquor store. John cultivated entrepreneurial enthusiasm in everyone who worked for him and he was an admirer of Dale Carnegie.
He valued hard work above all else and his well known phrase "We'll never die of hunger, will we?" said "Be grateful for what you have and for a rich prosperous and capitalist South Africa."
John was in favour of gradual reform and against revolution and, like many white liberals, above all things he desired the growth of a prosperous, educated black South African middle class to ensure continued peace and prosperity in South Africa. He was irritated and angry at the racist ideology of the Afrikaners which seemed to be preventing the creation of this black South African middle class.
John cultivated people like Lucky Micheals and lucky Micheals was totemic for him. An insurance against revolution and upset. He symbolises the seed corn of the black South African bourgeoisie, on the up long before 1994 and the electoral victory of the ANC - to which quite a few in the ranks of the ANC have now joined - one way or another.
Unlike my parents, unlike myself, my grandfather would have been be pleased with the way the transition is going in South Africa (crime and corruption notwithstanding) and the triumph of the heirs to Lucky Michaels.
Lucky Michaels' pioneer tobacco dealership
[Picture of Lucky Micheals by a big old American convertible.
Sitting in the same room with Lucky Michaels is like having a bomb in your hands. Better still, it is like meeting a girl on your first date. You simply don't know what to do next.
His aura. His persona. His charm reduces one to a mere spectator in a vast chamber of solid personal achievements.
In a crowded store-room of his Pelican Tobacco Wholesaling in Olrando West, Soweto, he sat on a milk tray, leather jacketed and in jeans. Yet, in more ways than one, he made sitting there look more dignified than any office one can think of. Only Lucky Micheals can do that.
Then there is that voice of his. Deep, clean, sophisticated and proud. Add the tall athletic frame, sprinkle some whiteish powder on the Afro hair and voila! You have a portrait of Mr Michaels.
The name itself conjures up memories of fun. It brings back fond memories of the pelican night club.
Remember the annual pilgrimmage to Zeerusts's Ramosa Reikert where thousands of Lucky's disciples used to flock for a carefree, frolikin' weekend of fun? And of course the man founded the National Taverners Association, the first organised black liqor trader's movement responsible for the repeal of most liquor laws.
It's a name that prompted me, many years ago as a cub reporter, to declare: "I have seen the future of fun. Its name is Lucky Michaels."
Many years of creating fun, many years of knocking unapologetically on the door of "the system" , fighting for Black rights and many years of being in the spotlight have mellowed Michaels a bit. But the mind is still sharp. The business acumen is still there. So is "the art of making a deal", as Donald Trump would say.
Mr Lucky Micheals the businessman recently became the first Black to be awarded the "rights" to run a tobacco wholesale company and he is already puffing his way to the bank.
"Not necessarily," he said, "But of course as a tobacco wholesaler, recession wouldn't affect me as it affects other businesses. People smoke, recession or no recession. Don't they?"
He valued hard work above all else and his well known phrase "We'll never die of hunger, will we?" said "Be grateful for what you have and for a rich prosperous and capitalist South Africa."
John was in favour of gradual reform and against revolution and, like many white liberals, above all things he desired the growth of a prosperous, educated black South African middle class to ensure continued peace and prosperity in South Africa. He was irritated and angry at the racist ideology of the Afrikaners which seemed to be preventing the creation of this black South African middle class.
John cultivated people like Lucky Micheals and lucky Micheals was totemic for him. An insurance against revolution and upset. He symbolises the seed corn of the black South African bourgeoisie, on the up long before 1994 and the electoral victory of the ANC - to which quite a few in the ranks of the ANC have now joined - one way or another.
Unlike my parents, unlike myself, my grandfather would have been be pleased with the way the transition is going in South Africa (crime and corruption notwithstanding) and the triumph of the heirs to Lucky Michaels.
Lucky Michaels' pioneer tobacco dealership
[Picture of Lucky Micheals by a big old American convertible.
Sitting in the same room with Lucky Michaels is like having a bomb in your hands. Better still, it is like meeting a girl on your first date. You simply don't know what to do next.
His aura. His persona. His charm reduces one to a mere spectator in a vast chamber of solid personal achievements.
In a crowded store-room of his Pelican Tobacco Wholesaling in Olrando West, Soweto, he sat on a milk tray, leather jacketed and in jeans. Yet, in more ways than one, he made sitting there look more dignified than any office one can think of. Only Lucky Micheals can do that.
Then there is that voice of his. Deep, clean, sophisticated and proud. Add the tall athletic frame, sprinkle some whiteish powder on the Afro hair and voila! You have a portrait of Mr Michaels.
The name itself conjures up memories of fun. It brings back fond memories of the pelican night club.
Remember the annual pilgrimmage to Zeerusts's Ramosa Reikert where thousands of Lucky's disciples used to flock for a carefree, frolikin' weekend of fun? And of course the man founded the National Taverners Association, the first organised black liqor trader's movement responsible for the repeal of most liquor laws.
It's a name that prompted me, many years ago as a cub reporter, to declare: "I have seen the future of fun. Its name is Lucky Michaels."
Many years of creating fun, many years of knocking unapologetically on the door of "the system" , fighting for Black rights and many years of being in the spotlight have mellowed Michaels a bit. But the mind is still sharp. The business acumen is still there. So is "the art of making a deal", as Donald Trump would say.
Mr Lucky Micheals the businessman recently became the first Black to be awarded the "rights" to run a tobacco wholesale company and he is already puffing his way to the bank.
"Not necessarily," he said, "But of course as a tobacco wholesaler, recession wouldn't affect me as it affects other businesses. People smoke, recession or no recession. Don't they?"
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