# Gavin Relly

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{{Short description|South African businessman}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
'''Gavin Relly''' (Born 1926 in [Cape Town](/source/Cape_Town), [Cape Province](/source/Cape_Province), [Union of South Africa](/source/Union_of_South_Africa) – died 10 January 1999 in [Hermanus](/source/Hermanus), [Western Cape](/source/Western_Cape), [South Africa](/source/South_Africa)) was a South African businessman and former chairman of [Anglo American](/source/Anglo_American_(mining)).

==Early life==

His grandfather was [Sir Walter Stanford](/source/Sir_Walter_Stanford), who argued strongly but unsuccessfully for enfranchisement for native peoples regardless of their race or colour at the [National Convention of 1909](/source/National_Convention_of_1909), which led to the creation of the [Union of South Africa](/source/Union_of_South_Africa) under the terms of the [South Africa Act 1909](/source/South_Africa_Act_1909).<ref>The Inner History of the National Convention of South Africa, p118-145, 1912, Edgar Harris; Miller, Cape Town</ref> Relly was educated at [Diocesan College](/source/Diocesan_College) and [Trinity College](/source/Trinity_College%2C_Oxford), [Oxford](/source/University_of_Oxford) before serving in Italy during the [Second World War](/source/Second_World_War).<ref name="NYT01">{{Cite news|last=McNeil|first=Donald G. Jr|date=13 January 1999|title=Gavin Relly, 72, Dies; Helped End Apartheid|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/13/world/gavin-relly-72-dies-helped-end-apartheid.html|access-date=13 August 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> He then worked for Sir [de Villiers Graaff](/source/de_Villiers_Graaff), leader of the [United Party](/source/United_Party_(South_Africa)).<ref name=NYT01/> He joined Anglo American in 1949 and became the private secretary of [Harry Oppenheimer](/source/Harry_Oppenheimer) and later of [Ernest Oppenheimer](/source/Ernest_Oppenheimer).<ref name=NYT01/> He would later develop the company's gold mines in the [Free State](/source/Free_State_(province)) and oversaw the creation of [Highveld Steel and Vanadium](/source/Highveld_Steel_and_Vanadium).<ref name=NYT01/> He became chairman of Anglo American in 1983.<ref name=NYT01/>

He led a group of South African businessmen who met with the banned [African National Congress](/source/African_National_Congress)'s representative [Oliver Tambo](/source/Oliver_Tambo) in [Lusaka](/source/Lusaka), [Zambia](/source/Zambia) in 1985, resisting the pressures from the then South African government under [State President of South Africa](/source/State_President_of_South_Africa) [P.W. Botha](/source/P.W._Botha).<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cowell |first1=Alan |title=SOUTH AFRICANS AND TOP REBELS MEET IN ZAMBIA |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/09/14/world/south-africans-and-top-rebels-meet-in-zambia.html |access-date=27 November 2020 |agency=New York Times |issue=1985–09–14}}</ref> He was succeeded by [Julian Ogilvie Thompson](/source/Julian_Ogilvie_Thompson) in 1990.<ref name=NYT01/>

==Death==

Relly died of complications from cardiac surgery and was survived by his wife Jane, and children Janis, Georgina and Giles.<ref name=NYT01/>

==References==

{{Reflist}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20061224204625/http://www.miningmx.com/profiles/320962.htm Profiles of Anglo American chief executives]
*[http://www.dispatch.co.za/1999/01/12/southafrica/DIES.HTM Ex-Anglo chairman Gavin Relly dies]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Relly, Gavin}}
Category:1926 births
Category:1999 deaths
Category:Alumni of Diocesan College, Cape Town
Category:20th-century South African businesspeople
Category:Alumni of Trinity College, Oxford
Category:South African people of British descent

{{SouthAfrica-business-bio-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Gavin Relly](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavin_Relly) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavin_Relly?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.