''The Leader, His Driver and the Driver's Wife'' is a 1991 British feature-length documentary film set during the final days of the

apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

in South Africa, particularly centring on

Nick Broomfield Nicholas Broomfield (born 1948) is an English documentary film director. His self-reflective style has been regarded as influential to many later filmmakers. In the early 21st century, he began to use non-actors in scripted works, which he cal ...

and first shown in 1991. It received an average of 2.3 million viewers during its screening on

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...

. A year later it was the subject of legal action brought by the journalist, Jani Allan, in what was described as "the libel case of the summer". In 2006, Broomfield released a follow-up, ''

His Big White Self ''His Big White Self'' is a 2006 documentary film made by Nick Broomfield. It is a sequel to his earlier documentary ''The Leader, His Driver and the Driver's Wife'' (1991). It was first shown as part of More4's Nick Broomfield week which began ...

''.

Background

Throughout the film, Broomfield attempts to set up an interview with Terre'Blanche, who stubbornly breaks all of the plans he makes with him. For the majority of the film, in which Broomfield is unable to get an interview with the leader himself, his attention is drawn to the driver and his wife (JP and Anita Meyer), hence the title (which alludes to the title of Peter Greenaway's 1989 film '' The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover''). Broomfield also spent time with a town councillor and diamond mine owner named Johann, and his friend Anton. Broomfield had planned to interview Boervolk leader Piet Rudolph but when on the outskirts of

Pretoria Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the Executive (government), executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa. Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends ...

, a news broadcast informed them that he had been arrested, and Rudolph was a fugitive wanted in connection with the theft of some arms from an

SA Defence Force The South African Defence Force (SADF) (Afrikaans: ''Suid-Afrikaanse Weermag'') comprised the armed forces of South Africa from 1957 until 1994. Shortly before the state reconstituted itself as a republic in 1961, the former Union Defence ...

base located in Pretoria. After his arrest in Pretoria, Rudolph was dubbed the "South African

Bobby Sands Robert Gerard Sands ( ga, Roibeárd Gearóid Ó Seachnasaigh; 9 March 1954 – 5 May 1981) was a member (and leader in the Maze prison) of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) who died on hunger strike while imprisoned at HM Prison Maze ...

" in reference to his proclamation that he would go on a hunger strike to promote his (and the AWB's) cause for a white homeland. The film also makes light of the ongoing saga of trying to get an interview with the leader, something which Broomfield eventually manages to do, although he is only able to ask one question after Terre'Blanche takes particular offence when Broomfield and his crew turn up five minutes late for the interview. The film ends with Broomfield and his crew at an AWB rally where a crowd of 5,000 were expected, but in reality not even half that number are present. The credits roll soon after Terre'Blanche again breaks into fits of rage, citing supposed security violations committed by Broomfield's camera crew. The documentary was released in the UK as a DVD boxset, together with ''

'', in April 2006.

Main characters

Eugène Terre'Blanche Eugène Ney Terre'Blanche (, 31 January 1941Terre'Blanche's year of birth is alternately given as 1941 or 1944. The majority of sources indicates 1941; sources that claim 1944 as his year of birth includ''The Star''Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist who served as the President of South Africa, first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1 ...

when he was incarcerated on

Robben Island Robben Island ( af, Robbeneiland) is an island in Table Bay, 6.9 kilometres (4.3 mi) west of the coast of Bloubergstrand, north of Cape Town, South Africa. It takes its name from the Dutch word for seals (''robben''), hence the Dutch/Afrik ...

, he simply replies that he doesn't feel sorry "for that bloody kaffir" (a racist term for a black person). He even proclaims himself to be a racist during the conversation. In spite of this, the film also follows JP's growing disillusionment with the AWB and their struggle for a white homeland, particularly after Piet Rudolph ends his hunger strike and calls on people to give up their weapons. Towards the end of the film, JP leaves his post as driver to the leader and it is later revealed at the film's conclusion that he left the AWB entirely, opening up a small electrical business. *Anita Meyer. Anita is JP's long-suffering wife. Unlike most of the film's other characters, she clearly has a dislike for the leader. During a conversation with Broomfield, she sees Terre'Blanche as a domineering figure and tends not to speak of him in high regard. Anita works as a nurse and her chief concerns, according to Nick, are the distribution of condoms and the sterilisation of women. Like JP, she tends not to be very liberal in her views on black people and can be seen at an AWB rally smiling when a child proclaims that he'll hit any black child who attends his white school. She is also filmed with her pet cat, which is named Kaffir cat. The reason being, in her own words, is that the cat is black, and as "blacks are called kaffirs", it has seemingly been 'appropriately named'. Broomfield would later to go on to dub Anita of "kaffir cat fame" in his follow up film, in reference to the episode. *Johann and Anton. Johann is a town councillor in Ventersdorp who also owns a diamond mine and tractor business. He is often seen throughout the film with his friend Anton. Both express prejudiced views on black people, including the belief that blacks should be forbidden from having sexual relations with whites, concluding that it will lead to the spread of

AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...

, causing the depletion of the white population in South Africa. Johann is also seen at the town's local swimming pool, claiming it to be for whites only.

Libel suit

In 1992, the former columnist Jani Allan sued

, the British broadcaster, for libel, claiming that in the documentary ''The Leader, His Driver and the Driver's Wife'' she was presented as a "woman of easy virtue". Amidst a montage of photographs from Allan's earlier days as a photographic model, and quotes from her articles in the South African ''

Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...

'', Broomfield claimed that Jani Allan had had an affair with Terre'Blanche. The significance of the case led to its inclusion in the 1992 annual edition of '' Whitaker's Almanack''. During the libel case, Channel 4 denied the claim that the film had suggested Allan had had an affair with Terre'Blanche. Prior to the case, Allan had been awarded £40,000 in out-of-court settlements from the ''

Evening Standard The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format. In October 2009, after be ...

'' and ''Options'' magazine over suggestive remarks made about the nature of Allan's association with Terre'Blanche. Allan was represented by

Peter Carter-Ruck Peter Frederick Carter-Ruck (26 February 1914 – 19 December 2003) was an English solicitor, specialising in libel cases. The firm he founded, Carter-Ruck, is still practising. Biography Personal life Carter-Ruck was educated at St Edward's ...

in the case, and Channel 4 was represented by

George Carman George Alfred Carman, QC (6 October 1929 – 2 January 2001) was an English leading barrister during the 1980s and 1990s. In 1979, he successfully defended the former Liberal leader Jeremy Thorpe after he was charged with conspiracy to murder. ...

. Carman described the case as rare in that it had "international, social, political and cultural implications." The case sparked intense media interest in both Britain and South Africa, with several court transcripts appearing in the press; Allan told Carman, "Whatever award is given for libel, being cross-examined by you would not make it enough money." Several character witnesses were flown in from South Africa. Terre'Blanche also submitted a sworn statement to the London court denying that he had had an affair with Allan. Allan's case was dealt a heavy blow by the statements of her former flatmate, Linda Shaw, the ''Sunday Times'' astrologer. Shaw admitted that she peeped through a keyhole and witnessed Allan in a compromising position with a man. Allan's QC, Charles Gray dismissed Shaw's "wildly unlikely" testimony and stressed the physical impossibility of her claim. He continued to express that her field of vision through the keyhole would not be sufficient to support her claim. On day two of the court hearings, Allan's 1984 notebook was mysteriously delivered to Carman's counsel and used against her. This was investigated by the police, according to reports a "one-time friend" had taken the notebook from the home where Allan stayed with an English couple in 1989.Four dirty tricks they played during the Jani Allan case: Nick Cohen and David Connett in London and Chris McGreal in Johannesburg peer into the murky background surrounding last week's Jani Allan libel case
''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

''. 9 August 1992 Allan's former husband

Gordon Schachat Gordon Schachat (born 25 January 1952) is a South African businessman and art collector. Personal life In 1973 Schachat met his first wife at university, the former ''Sunday Times'' columnist Jani Allan and married her in Mauritius in 1982.

provided evidence supporting claims Allan had made about sex, and insisted she was neither an extreme right-winger or anti-Semitic.Witness had sex 'to help libel action by friend'
The Independent. 28 July 1992 On day 11 of the case, Anthony Travers, a former British representative of the AWB, and spectator of the court, was stabbed. A court usher received a call saying Peter Carter-Ruck, Allan's lawyer, had been stabbed. This stemmed from a message by Travers, who was lying in an alleyway: he said to a passer-by, "tell Carter-Ruck I've been stabbed". It quickly spread that Carter-Ruck had been stabbed, followed by speculation that he was the intended victim. During the court case, Allan's London flat was burgled. She said that she received a death threat on a telephone call in the court ushers' offices. The hotel room of a Channel 4 producer, Stevie Godson, was also ransacked. Allan lost the case on 5 August 1992. The judge found that Channel 4's allegations had not defamed Allan; he did not rule on whether or not there had been an affair. Reports emerged that Allan was considering an appeal and Terre'Blanche also expressed the possibility that he might sue the broadcaster for libel. Following the verdict, Allan reiterated her stance "I am not, nor have I ever been, involved with Terre'Blanche". Soon after, several publications speculated about political forces at play during the case. ''

'' published details of what it called "dirty tricks" used during the libel case. Allan suggested that pro-government forces in South Africa wanted her to lose the case so that Terre'Blanche would be "irreparably damaged" in the eyes of his "God fearing

Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...

followers". Another interpretation is that the AWB wanted to steal a manuscript of a book she was writing about the organisation. The AWB countered these claims, although Travers described the book as "dynamite." The South African business newspaper '' Financial Mail'' published a lead story on 6 August detailing the "theory" that

F.W. de Klerk Frederik Willem de Klerk (, , 18 March 1936 – 11 November 2021) was a South African politician who served as state president of South Africa from 1989 to 1994 and as deputy president from 1994 to 1996 in the democratic government. As South A ...

had orchestrated the libel case to discredit Terre'Blanche and the far right movement in South Africa. In 1995, during an interview with SABC, Allan accused witnesses in the case of being paid to lie. In a 2002

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

film, ''Get Carman: the trials of George Carman QC'', Allan's case was dramatised together with other high-profile Carman cases. The libel suit is mentioned amid a montage of photos and camera footage of Jani Allan and reporters outside the London court in 1992 in the 2006 Nick Broomfield film ''

'', a sequel to ''The Leader, His Driver and the Driver's Wife'', the documentary that spawned the libel suit.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Leader, His Driver And The Driver's Wife, The 1991 films Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging Films directed by Nick Broomfield 1990s English-language films Documentary films about apartheid Documentary films about politicians South African documentary films British documentary films 1991 documentary films 1990s British films