20 August 2026 Mission Improbable – The South African Pre-1994 negotiations
Our speaker for the evening is Richard Rosenthal, a long-standing Cape Town-based legal practitioner, author, and former University of Cape Town (UCT) Council member. He has decades of experience handling diverse legal matters, including high-profile legal representations and civic involvement in the city.
He has served as a dedicated member of the University of Cape Town Council since July 1993, contributing over 15 years to institutional governance and receiving the Vice-Chancellor’s Medal in 2008.
He has authored publications documenting unique historical and personal accounts tied to South African contexts; his book Mission Improbable is the fascinating story of his secret negotiations in the late 1980s. His goal was to mediate between the South African government under State President PW Botha and the exiled African National Congress (ANC). His efforts involved two years of “secret diplomacy,” attempting to bridge the gap between the two parties during a tumultuous time in South Africa’s history. The book provides a unique perspective on the behind-the-scenes efforts to bring about change and peace in the country.
We are looking forward to hearing his story.
Richard Rosenthal
16th July 2026 Speaker: Rear Admiral (rtd) Theo Honiball – Submarines and the Angolan War
We had the pleasure of hosting Rear Admiral (rtd) Theo Honiball. Some of his career highlights included the Argentinian Navy’s around‑the‑world training course and serving at sea aboard 19 different naval ships and submarines of five navies over a 30‑year period. Theo was chosen to undergo submarine training at the Mediterranean Submarine Squadron, and this entailed going to Paris to learn French as one of the conditions.
It was the French Navy, so all the training was in French. He attended the French Naval War College in Paris for two years and was then selected as naval attaché in France for three years.
He was submarine commander of two submarines for five years and the commanding officer of the SA submarine Flotilla. Admiral Honiball was awarded the Southern Cross Medal and the Military Merit Medal while serving in France. Chosen as honorary aide‑de‑camp to the state president, he embarked on a new career by being seconded to the national intelligence service for three years. Theo shared his experiences as a submarine commander during the Border War. He was involved in the secret operations along the Angolan coast. Read our latest newsletter for a summary of Theo’s talk.
You can still see Theo’s sub today as it’s preserved on land at the Submarine Museum in Simonstown. SAS Assegaai (S99, formerly SAS Johanna van der Merwe), the third of three Daphne Class submarines built in France for the SA Navy, was commissioned in 1971. She served her country well, and with the acquisition of three new Type 209 submarines, she was decommissioned in November 2003. Unlike her two sisters, which were cut up for scrap, she was retained for preservation as an exhibit at the SA Naval Museum.
Upcoming Meetings
16 August 2026
Richard Rosenthal
Mission Improbable – The South African Pre-1994 negotiations
17 September 2026
Walter Volker
The secret world of military intelligence.
15 October 2026
Gerrie van der Merwe
A pilot involved in the Border War from both sides.
19 November 2026
Michael Schaaf
Following up with the H Bomb.
Upcoming Military Parades
Delville Wood
19 July 2026
Cape Town Gardens
Black Tot function
25 July 2026
Battledress MOTH Shellhole
El Alamein
8 October 2026
Cape Town Gardens Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day
1 November 2026
Battledress MOTH Shellhole
Remembrance Day
6 November 2026
Red Cross Children’s Hospital Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day
8 November 2026
Cape Town Cenotaph
Remembrance Day
11 November 2026
Royal Cape Yacht Club
This year, the WCMHS will once again attend the second Military History Symposium hosted by the Chief of Logistics of the Defence Force. The Armed Forces Heritage Association, of which WCMHS is a proud member, will be submitting an abstract for presentation. Scan the QR Code on the Poster for more details of this event.
81st Commemoration of VE Day – 31 May 2026
Memorial Service held at the Castle of Good Hope
Photograph courtesy of Gavin Withers