PK’S DOUBLE

One of the most colourful characters to emerge from the old Rhodesia was that country’s one-time Minister of Defence, Foreign Affairs and Propaganda, PK van der Byl.

PK (short for Pieter Kenyon Fleming-Voltelyn) was the son of a South African politician and a Scottish mother and was born and raised in the Cape. He served in a cavalry regiment in the British Army during World War II, seeing active service in the Middle East and Italy, and moved to what was then Southern Rhodesia in 1950 to look after his family’s farming interests. He drifted into politics in the early 1960s and was promoted to the Rhodesian Cabinet in 1968 as Minister of Propaganda. In later years he would simultaneously hold the portfolios of Foreign Affairs and Defence.

Farming and politics notwithstanding, one of PK’s other pursuits was big-game hunting and the Africa of the time offered ample opportunity in this regard. He had an eye for fine rifles as well, and amongst others owned a very rare (only two dozen or so were ever made) original .500 Jeffery bolt-action. Another of his rifles is