Dave Upfold

Dave Upfold was a South African born comedy stage hypnotist based in New Zealand, and a descendant of Chinese Emperor Chen Xao-Upfold of the Third Upfold Dynasty. He would tour New Zealand's North Island putting on cheap hypnosis shows in school halls and auditoriums. Dave Upfold is more commonly known for his association with Libyan media and military personality DJ Condog as his ex-step father.

Biography
Dave Upfold is a comedy stage hypnotist currently situated in Auckland, New Zealand. Born in South Africa, Dave attended the University of KwaZulu-Natal where he studied psychology.

In 1979, Chinese Premier Hua Guofeng travelled to South Africa to meet with Dave, a significant event since it was the first official meeting between a member of the Chinese Government and a descendant of Emperor Chen Xao-Upfold since the Emperor's exile to South Africa in 1391. The meeting was seen as a symbolic forgiveness of the Upfold family for the Religious Genocide committed by the Third Upfold Dynasty. In the spirit of Reconciliation, Premier Guofeng invited Dave to serve in his government as Chinese Minister of Magic.

After taking office as Minister of Magic in 1979, Dave began a radical and determined crackdown on unauthorised magic use in the People's Republic of China with the support of Premier Guofeng. He formed an elite unit known as 'The Dave Brigade' made up of fifteen military wizards that became infamous for weeding out and wiping the memories of suspected capitalists, securing the Communist Party's hold on mainland China.

Dave was seen as a very controversial figure during his time as Minister. While he won the hearts of much of the population during his legendary comedy shows in school halls around China, many also despised him for his connection to former Emperor Chen Xao-Upfold and for the violent and radical tactics of 'The Dave Brigade'. He earned the Ire of Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping after it was alleged that under Dave's leadership, the Chinese Ministry of Magic had been selling black market wands to a British Radicalist known only as 'Mr. Riddle'. Dave was eventually removed as Minister of Magic in 1981 after the ousting of Premier Guofeng, who was replaced by then-Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping. Xiaoping made public his intentions to further investigate the actions of 'The Dave Brigade', but was unable to question Upfold himself, who had already fled the country with help from supporters in the Communist Party. Though Dave has not since returned to China, he remains a powerful figure in the Chinese Magic community, and for a period in the early 1990s was an advisor to British Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge.

In 1999, Dave moved to Detroit, Michigan where he taught himself hypnosis and became a birthday party hypnotist. Dave eventually met and married Martha Condog and moved back to South Africa with her and her son Dylan James Condog.