Willem Oltmans - Oltmans in South Africa

Oltmans in South Africa

Due to the ban imposed on him by Luns Oltmans was forced to help support himself through his family's inheritance. With the death of his parents (1966 and 1974) and after some bad financial investments he was to seek additional means of livelihood. In the late eighties he intended to use his large global network as a consultant to introduce entrepreneurs to Eastern European business opportunities. Through a string of quarrels with his stakeholders this initiative failed completely and Oltmans left for South Africa.

Both his brothers had settled in South Africa in 1948. He had visited the country regularly and in 1990 decided to settle there permanently. In South Africa he continued his tendency of actively intervening in local politics. His investigative reporting was not appreciated by the shaky South African regime of the time and in August 1992 he was deported on charges of espionage. Oltmans always insisted the Dutch Security Service was involved in his deportation.