When I was last in the mountains I spoke to Simon Madlala who tends to the thatched holiday house.
He told me that he had seen a leopard near the forest and that his plan was to trap the Leopard and sell the pelt to the local chief for a large sum of Rands.
On a day when he needed supplies I lifted Simon to the trade store. When we passed the place where he had spotted the leopard I tried to impress the logic of conservation onto Simon. I said that if he killed the rare leopard his son would never get to see such a beautiful animal. Simon stared forward through the windscreen and laughed a bit.
He dismounted from the Jeep at the trade store and soon afterwards I saw my father and told him the story.
'Dad, Simon has seen a leopard at the farm. He is keen to kill it and sell it to his Induna.'
My father smiled and said,
'Maybe the leopard will kill Simon'
My dad wears the tux and Simon carries a fire-fighting tool.
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