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DUYZINGS, Martin W. (and Numerous others) (EDITED BY) : To the Point. World News in Depth. COMPLETE SET VOL.1 No.1 To VOL.9 No.52

African International Publishing Company, Sandton Johannesburg 1972-1980

A complete set of the 416 issues, in fine state, bound retaining the original wrappers in 25 volumes, dark red cloth lettered in gilt. A HEAVY SET WHICH WILL REQUIRE SPECIAL FREIGHT ARRANGEMENTS. A complete run of this important document of the Information Scandal. At the beginning of 1971, Eschel Rhoodie, then Press Officer of the South African embassy at The Hague, clandestinely negotiated an agreement with a Dutch publisher by the name of Hubert Jussen whereby Jussen agreed to help with the establishment of a new magazine - To the Point. To the Point was to be secretly financed by the South African government and was intended to counter some of the unfavourable press coverage South Africa was receiving oversees. This secret scheme had the approval the Prime Minister, B.J. Vorster; the chief of the Intelligence Services, General Hendrik van den Bergh; the Minister of Information, Dr Connie Mulder; and Mr Gerald Barrie, the then head of the Department of Information. To the Point was launched before the end of the year. Shortly after his appointment to what would be called the 'Dirty Tricks' Department, Rhoodie recruited as his deputies Les de Villiers and his own brother, Deneys. Initially, To the Point was the only secret project in operation, but the Bureau of State Security had plans for a number of other schemes and long list of 'spooks' (secret agents) willing to see them through. It wasn't long before a second project was instituted. This time it was the creation of an organisation designed to counter South Africa's sporting isolation. The result was the Committee for Fairness in Sport. Then came a scheme involving a group of influential businessmen abroad. The 'Club of Ten', as the group was known, had the difficult task of tackling the media, the United Nations, other institutions, individuals and countries for their double-dealing and hypocrisy where South Africa was concerned. Not an easy task! A number of influential individuals operated more covertly to improve South Africa's image abroad. The process culminated in the establishment of The Citizen newspaper. To The Point remains a quintessential document of the Apartheid state's propaganda campaign.

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