two editors dominated the period. the first was herbert penderel longlands, who as the editor of a kimberley paper had known the flamboyant aylward. in contrast to the latter, longlands seems to have been an intensely private man about whom not a great deal is known despite his long association with "the witness", which continued even after he had relinquished control of the paper to the much younger ernest thompson. thompson, who had been born in pietermaritzburg, was the first editor to have been born in south africa.