Bell Dewar & Hall Inc • Reg No 1995/004675/21 • SABS ISO 9001 registered

37 West Street Houghton, Johannesburg  PO Box 1972 Houghton 2041 South Africa  www.belldewar.co.za

Telephone + 27 (11) 710 6039  Facsimile + 27 (11) 710 6139  Docex 71 Johannesburg  e-mail evb@belldewar.co.za

 

By E-Mail

 

To:

Mr GS Gevisser

 

 

E-Mail:

gsg@sellnext.com

 

 

From:

Eric Van Den Berg/139310

 

 

Pages:

1

7 April 2005

 

"Informers wanted" advertisement

 

 

Dear Sir

 

We act for Johnnic Media Investments Limited, the proprietors of the Sunday Times.

 

We have been handed the advertisement you wished to publish in the Sunday Times as well as a number of emails you have directed to employees of the Sunday Times.

 

We are instructed that our client is not obliged to accept your advertisement.  Your advertisement is defamatory of both De Beers and Anglo American Corporation and as such exposes our client to the risk of action being instituted against it.  Our client is unable to verify the truth or reasonableness of the material contained in the advertisement.  Our client in the absence of a defence to a claim for defamation is not prepared to publish the advertisement.

 

Your email messages contain a number threats aimed at our client’s holding company and its Board of Directors.  Their use is not acceptable to our client.  We are instructed accordingly to advise you that our client will not publish your advertisement and by way of this correspondence terminates its correspondence with you.  We require you to acknowledge receipt of this letter and to confirm that you will not issue any further threats against our client or any of its employees.

 

Yours faithfully

 

 

BELL DEWAR & HALL