He was the white politician of my righteous teenage years. He was my hero when he left parliament to form IDASA. I think I was in love with him as he was then, tall, piecing-eyed, fit. He laughed a lot.His brain was too good for politics.
Stil, broers,
daar gaan 'n man verby
hy groet,
en dis verlaas.
Daar's nog maar één soos hy;
Bekyk hom goed.
Excerpt from Gen. de Wet, Jan FE Celliers
He was a great South African.
We need more.
Sad to hear he has passed.I met him several times professionally (in my other life in politics) and he really was a righteous man.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post.
Hamba kakhle.
I loved him too.
ReplyDeleteI was about to tell you about him.
ReplyDeleteA bad week for people dying. Lanice Snyman died too. It is really sad about Van Zyl Slabbert - he was a remarkable man who stood tall above the rest and who could still have contributed. Sense, reason, justice, and an enviable brain.
It was due to people like Slabbert that two illiberal nationalisms agreed to a distinctly liberal constitution that entrenched the rule of law. History will do him due justice.
ReplyDelete