AFRICA: Bye-Bye for Tiny Rowland

An industrialist gets burned at Rhodesian liberation politics

He has been described as a modern-day Cecil Rhodes. If anything, comparison with the great 19th century imperialist understates the restless, driving ambition and material success of Roland ("Tiny") Rowland, 60, chief executive of the London-based conglomerate Lonrho, Ltd. Rowland has transformed a small initial stake in Africa into one of the continent's biggest commercial empires. Among his friends are Presidents Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia, Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaïre, Hastings Kamuzu Banda of Malawi and Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya —not to mention...

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