Roger Kebble
Roger Kebble | |
|---|---|
| Born | Roger Ainsley Ralph Kebble 9 November 1939 |
| Died | 24 August 2015 (aged 75) |
| Alma mater | St. Andrew's School, Bloemfontein |
| Spouse |
Julie Kebble (div. 2012) |
| Children | 3, including Guy and Brett |
Roger Ainsley Ralph Kebble (9 November 1939 – 24 August 2015) was a South African mining magnate.
Life and career
[edit]Kebble was born on 9 November 1939 in Springs on the East Rand.[1] After matriculating at St. Andrew's School, Bloemfontein, he began his career as an underground miner.[1] He left the mine at the level of general manager and started his own mine contracting company with around R10,000 borrowed from his mother; in the 1980s, he sold the company to Gencor and took early retirement in Cape Town.[1]
In 1991, however, he returned to the mining industry when he spent R40,000 to take over Rand Leases, a gold mine outside Johannesburg. In 1994, backed by Mercury Asset Management, he and his son Brett Kebble won a controlling interest in Randgold & Exploration, which they went on to unbundle into Harmony, DRDGold, and Randgold Resources.[1][2] He became chairman of DRD, although he was subsequently sidelined in a public feud with Mercury's Mark Wellesley-Wood.[1] In 2002 he was suspended from DRD and arrested by South African authorities on several counts of fraud and tax fraud. The fraud charges were struck off the roll in 2005,[3] but the tax fraud dispute continued;[4][5] it was still ongoing at the time of his death in 2015.[1] He stepped away from his remaining executive positions, including his position on the board of Simmer and Jack,[6] in the aftermath of Brett's death in 2005.[7]
Personal life and death
[edit]He was married to Julie Kebble until 2012, when they divorced.[1] They had three children: Brett, Guy, and Alison.[1][8] Suffering from depression,[1] he committed suicide by gunshot on 24 August 2015; his body was found in his Mercedes-Benz in suburban Bishopscourt, Cape Town.[9][10]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i Barron, Chris (30 August 2015). "Roger Kebble, mine magnate ensnared by son's dodgy deals". Sunday Times. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ^ Ryan, Brendan (25 August 2015). "Roger Kebble's death marks the end of an era". Miningmx. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ^ "Roger Kebble appoints new auditors". The Mail & Guardian. 22 June 2006. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ^ "Roger Kebble fined R1,2m for fraud". The Mail & Guardian. 29 September 2006. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ^ "Taxman swoops on Roger Kebble". The Mail & Guardian. 4 February 2006. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ^ "Kebble resigns as Simmers chairperson". The Mail & Guardian. 23 December 2005. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ^ Etheridge, Jenna (26 August 2015). "Roger Kebble – sad end to a big life". News24. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ^ "Kebble won't step into son's shoes". The Mail & Guardian. 29 September 2005. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ^ Wiener, Mandy (25 August 2015). "Roger Kebble: In life and death, inextricably linked to his son Brett". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ^ "Mining Magnate Roger Kebble Dead in Apparent Suicide, EWN Says". Bloomberg.com. 25 August 2015. Retrieved 17 December 2024.