My name is Neil Burrows ex. Bulawayo left during late 1983. I went to Milton Junior and senior, worked at Dunlop for many years, raced and was Chairman of the Bulawayo Stock Car Association, most will remember we ran our meetings at the Trade Fair Arena. I was also in P.A.T.U. during the war.

I have a very interesting story for your Radio and TV promotion that you kind guys are running.

During 1984 and 1992 I lived in Gaborone Botswana. During this time I met many ex.Rhodies who, the same as me left the old country for reasons best known to us all.

At one of the party braai’s I met an icon of Rhodesia television in Bulawayo, Sonia Hatton. I think that everyone was in love with this “real Lady” a wonderful personality whose eyes filled with tears when she read the news, particularly when she broadcast the death of Rhodesian troops fighting for the cause.

Sonia, still a lovely as ever, spoke in a gruff low voice, sadly due to a throat disease some years before. She never mentioned the cause, and I never asked,  She always wore a scarf around her neck, I guess to hide the scares caused by an operation.

Her Husband owned a foam rubber manufacturing plant in Lobastse in Botswana, a little hole of a town just outside Gaborone.  They both ran the plant making foam rubber mattresses for the masses and seemed very happy in their new lives.

I visited them on a regular basis, as I was involved in Small and Medium Business development with the Botswana Development Corporation. But unfortunately I could not assist them financially or otherwise as my portfolio only covered Citizen owned businesses.

On one of my many visits, I asked Sonia where they lived, and she promptly replied ‘in front of urination hill” she said that in front of their house there was a huge ant hill, and everyone passing by peed against the hill in full view of Sonia and her Husband sitting on the stoop have a sundowner drink.

Not to long after that amusing story, I received a phone call from a friend sadly informing me that the foam rubber factory had burnt down. My further investigations proved that, Sonia’s Husband had entered the flaming factory thinking that Sonia was still inside, unbeknown to him Sonia was down town shopping at the time. He finally exited the flames sustaining 90 degree burns all over his body, I am told still screaming for his beloved Sonia.

I never saw them both again, only the burnt ruins of their factory remained. Sonia’s Husband died in a South African hospital some months later, which hospital I never found out. I am now told that Sonia is living somewhere in South Africa, some think it is in the Cape.

These memories will remain with me for ever, we all loved you Sonia, you brought a sparkle to everyone’s life and I was privileged to have met you in person, and to have known you and your wonderful Husband, even for such a very short time.   

Our memories live on.

Neil & Desiree (ne de.Kock) Burrows.