This account of the impending meltdown is based on numerous interviews over several months with people involved in the events who requested anonymity discussing private matters, as well as on testimony given at South African parliamentary hearings. By early morning on that first Monday in December, Wiese had made the 90-minute trip from Yzerfontein to Steinhoff's plush headquarters in Stellenbosch, a wealthy town nestled among vineyards. There he met Steve Booysen, the head of Steinhoff's audit committee, and representatives of both Deloitte and PwC. While they were waiting for Jooste to arrive, the first shock waves of the impending earthquake begin to ripple outward. The company announced that it would publish annual earnings on Wednesday, as scheduled, but with an important caveat: the results would be unaudited. By lunchtime, Steinhoff shares had plunged by 10%. Minutes after the statement was published, Wiese saw that he had a voice message from Jooste.