Emanuel Jacobson

Mannie Jacobson was born in Durban, South Africa in 1904, one of a twin who died when young. He was a lawyer, practicing for a few years before becoming involved in gold prospecting. He was married and divorced from Rita Nussbaum. They had two children:

Pamela Jacobson b. 1938 m. Barry Karp Colin Jacobson b. 1942 m. / div. Elizabeth Page

He was a major in the South African army during WW2.

Mannie Jacobson and his life long friend the late Allan Roberts, neither of them trained geologists became passionately interested in mining. Towards the end of 1932 Mr Jacobson was introduced to Archibald Megson:

"When Megson first saw us he mentioned having discovered a new Rand 200 miles from Johannesburg with Upper Witwatersrand Reefs outcropping. He said that he had done work there in 1904 and had sunk a shaft to a depth of 100 feet, finding good values in the shaft. As he was unable to obtain financial assistance he was compelled to close down the shaft but had filled up the shaft with dynamite so as to preclude others from interfering with the work already carried out. The story interested both Allan Roberts and myself but it was only on March 9, 1933 that we came to an arrangement with Megson for him and Allan Roberts to go down to 'Aandenk'.

This visit came at a time when we were both very short of money and we borrowed 50 pounds to enable Roberts to go down to visit the work done by Megson. On his return, Roberts professed strong interest as there was evidence of conglomerate reefs extending along the surface of the farm 'Aandenk' for many miles. He believed that these reefs belonged to the Upper Witwatersrand Series".

From this visit sprang the formation of a syndicate and the acquisition of option and prospecting contracts over a number of farms which were duly transferred to Witwatersrand (Wit.) Extensions Limited, on formation August 1933. So arose the 'Wit. Extensions Area'. The immediate task was to prove the existence of a payable reed. The site selected for the first borehole was situated on 'Aandenk', 80 yards to the north of Megson's original shaft, and sinking began on October 23 1933. The company was dogged by continual financial difficulties. Drilling was stopped at a depth of 4,046 ft in February 1935.

http://www.historicalpapers.wits.ac.za/docs/HPGuide-12-2-2013.pdf

• Historical Monuments of South Africa - J.J. Oberholster
• South African Mining and Engineering Journal, 12 January 1935
• The Gold Miners - A. P. Cartwright