" ▁cor ruption ▁sc andal ▁that ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁Rh odes ▁government . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁James ▁S ive w right ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁F och ab ers , ▁Scotland . ▁Gr adu ating ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Aber de en , ▁he ▁entered ▁the ▁British ▁Post al ▁Service ▁and ▁co - author ed ▁the ▁Text book ▁in ▁Te legraph y , ▁a ▁book ▁that ▁became ▁a ▁standard ▁text ▁book ▁on ▁the ▁topic ▁for ▁a ▁considerable ▁time . ▁ ▁Te legraph y ▁in ▁the ▁Cape ▁He ▁em igr ated ▁to ▁the ▁Cape ▁Col ony ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 7 ▁as ▁a ▁te legraph y ▁expert . ▁The ▁Cape ▁had ▁recently ▁wr ested ▁a ▁degree ▁of ▁independence ▁from ▁Britain ▁under ▁the ▁" Res p ons ible ▁Government " ▁system , ▁and ▁its ▁first ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁John ▁Mol ten o ▁was ▁emb ark ing ▁on ▁a ▁massive ▁expansion ▁in ▁the ▁country ' s ▁infrastr ucture . ▁S ive w right ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁te legraph y ▁exper ts ▁which ▁the ▁Cape ▁government ▁imported ▁to ▁develop ▁a ▁tele communic ations ▁system ▁for ▁the ▁country . ▁From ▁ 1 8 7 7 ▁S ive w right ▁helped ▁to ▁plan ▁and ▁construct ▁the ▁te legraph y ▁networks ▁for ▁the ▁Cape ▁Col ony , ▁and ▁then , ▁up ▁until ▁ 1 8 8 1 ▁like wise ▁for ▁the ▁Trans va al , ▁the ▁Natal ▁Col ony ▁and ▁the ▁Orange ▁Free ▁State . ▁ ▁Polit ics ▁and ▁Cec il ▁John ▁Rh odes ▁In ▁