[meteorite-list] Thuathe Meteorite in Lesotho

From: M come Meteorite Meteorites <mcomemeteorite2000_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:25:45 2004
Message-ID: <20030528123443.58218.qmail_at_web10304.mail.yahoo.com>

ohohoooo

Matteo

--- Ronnie McKenzie <ronniem_at_wrp.co.za> wrote:
> I recently read an email on this meteorite mailing
> list posted by Mr Farmer
> concerning the low prices that had been paid by
> certain local collectors in
> Lesotho for the highly prized Thuathe meteorite and
> that they had "cheated"
> the locals by paying too little. Since the local
> collectors concerned do
> not have access to the internet and were not aware
> of what was being said
> behind their backs I would like to respond on their
> behalf.
>
> Firstly there were at least two groups buying
> material for many months prior
> to the first visit of Mr Farmer - namely from
> Bloenfontein University and
> Lesotho University. As correctly indicated in the
> article, one of the best
> pieces was purchased from a local for the amount of
> $40 and then resold for
> a much higher amount of $7000. In Mr Farmer's
> article he criticises the
> local buyers for paying way below the real value and
> "cheating" the poor
> villagers. While the figures quoted in the article
> do suggest underpayment,
> they do not tell the whole story and only provide
> half the picture. The
> local collectors (Mr Ashworth and Professor Ambrose)
> had no idea of the
> value of the Thuathe meteorite when they were buying
> it between July 2002
> and February 2003. Without knowing the value,
> they basically paid
> whatever the locals asked for and simply kept and
> catalogued all the pieces
> for scientific interest never intending to sell
> them.
>
> Following the first material being sent to the USA
> and the subsequent visit
> by an American "recovery team", things happened very
> quickly and prices
> immediately increased to more than 10 times the
> previous price. This made
> Prof Ambrose and Mr Ashworth look very bad in the
> eyes of the locals they
> had been working with for many years. Mr Ashworth
> was threatened with
> violence on several occasions shortly after Mr
> Farmer's visit despite the
> fact he had been providing food and clothes to the
> locals for several years
> during his stay in Lesotho.
>
> Contrary to the claims that they cheated the locals,
> they have in fact
> ploughed most of the proceeds from the Thuathe sales
> back into the
> community - this is the main omission from the
> recent criticism which I
> believe should be answered. I know both
> Prof.Ambrose and Mr Ashworth
> personally and know them to be very charitable
> individuals. Prof Ambrose
> has in fact donated Thuathe material to the local
> museum,paid for extensions
> to the local school and set up a trust fund for R98
> 000 to assist scholars
> in paying their tuition fees. In total more than $20
> 000 has been raised and
> returned to the local community from the sale of the
> Thuathe meteorite.
> With regard to the finder of the large piece (later
> sold for $7000), he was
> given an additional payment by Prof Ambrose who was
> never trying to cheat
> anyone.
>
> Hopefully the above facts can help set the record
> straight.
>
>
> Ronnie Mckenzie
>
>
> ______________________________________________
> Meteorite-list mailing list
> Meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com
>
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=====
M come Meteorite - Matteo Chinellato
Via Triestina 126/A - 30030 - TESSERA, VENEZIA, ITALY
Email: mcomemeteorite2000_at_yahoo.it
Sale Site: http://www.mcomemeteorite.com Collection Site: http://www.mcomemeteorite.info
International Meteorite Collectors Association #2140
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Received on Wed 28 May 2003 08:34:43 AM PDT