Jump to content

Dawie de Villiers

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dawie de Villiers
Birth nameDawid Jacobus de Villiers
Date of birth(1940-07-10)10 July 1940
Place of birthBurgersdorp, Cape Province, South Africa
Date of death23 April 2022(2022-04-23) (aged 81)
Place of deathStellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa
Height1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight73 kg (161 lb)
SchoolHoërskool Bellville, Bellville, Western Cape
UniversityStellenbosch University
Rugby union career
Position(s) Scrumhalf
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
1961–1966 Western Province ()
1967–1970 Boland ()
1970 Transvaal ()
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1962–1970 South Africa 25 (9)
Member of Parliament
In office
1972–1977
ConstituencyJohannesburg West
South African Ambassador to the United Kingdom
In office
1979–1980
Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism
In office
1980–1986
Preceded byAndries Treurnicht
Succeeded byKent Durr
ConstituencyPiketberg
Minister of Mineral and Energy Affairs
In office
1989–1991
Preceded byDaniel Steyn
Succeeded byGeorge Bartlett
ConstituencyPiketberg
Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
In office
1992–1996
Succeeded byPallo Jordan

David Jacobus de Villiers (10 July 1940 – 23 April 2022)[1][2] was an ordained minister in the Dutch Reformed Church; a South African Government minister and a Springbok rugby captain.

Biography

[edit]

His father Coenie was a railway clerk and organizer of the National Party and Member of Parliament for the Vasco constituency from 1953 to 1961. The family moved to Caledon where he began his schooling. However, they moved again a year later to Bellville, where he matriculated in 1959 at the Hoërskool Bellville.[1]

In 1960 he studied at the University of Stellenbosch where he obtained a degree in Theology and gained honours in Philosophy. During 1962 to 1963, he was President of the Student Council.

In 1963–1964, he was a part-time lecturer in philosophy at the University of the Western Cape and was awarded the Abe Bailey and Markotter scholarships.[3]: 72  He was the Pastor of the Wellington congregation of the Dutch Reformed Church from 1967 to 1969. After that, he became a lecturer at the Rand Afrikaans University (RAU). In 1972 he completed his MA in philosophy and received a scholarship to study abroad.

He was married to Suzaan Mangold.[3] They had three daughters and a son.[1]: 73 

Springbok rugby

[edit]

De Villiers also excelled in rugby (scrumhalf position) and became involved in all levels of the sport, including representing South Africa in 25 test matches,[4] His first international test match was in 1962 against the British Lions, aged 22. In 1970 he captained the Springboks against New Zealand.[5]

Test history

[edit]
No. Opponents Results
(SA 1st)
Position Tries Dates Venue
1. British Lions 3–0 Scrumhalf 21 July 1962 Kings Park, Durban
2. British Lions 8–3 Scrumhalf 4 Aug 1962 Newlands, Cape Town
3. Ireland 6–9 Scrumhalf 10 April 1965 Lansdowne Road, Dublin
4. New Zealand 3–6 Scrumhalf (c) 31 July 1965 Athletic Park, Wellington
5. New Zealand 19–16 Scrumhalf (c) 4 September 1965 Lancaster Park, Christchurch
6. New Zealand 3–20 Scrumhalf (c) 18 September 1965 Eden Park, Auckland
7. France 26–3 Scrumhalf (c) 15 July 1967 Kings Park, Durban
8. France 16–3 Scrumhalf (c) 22 July 1967 Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
9. France 14–19 Scrumhalf (c) 29 July 1967 Ellis Park, Johannesburg
10. France 6–6 Scrumhalf (c) 12 August 1967 Newlands, Cape Town
11. British Lions 25–20 Scrumhalf (c) 1 8 June 1968 Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
12. British Lions 6–6 Scrumhalf (c) 22 June 1968 Boet Erasmus, Port Elizabeth
13. British Lions 11–6 Scrumhalf (c) 13 July 1968 Newlands, Cape Town
14. British Lions 19–6 Scrumhalf (c) 27 July 1968 Ellis Park, Johannesburg
15. France 12–9 Scrumhalf (c) 9 November 1968 Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux
16. France 16–11 Scrumhalf (c) 1 16 November 1968 Stade Olympique, Colombes
17. Australia 30–11 Scrumhalf (c) 2 August 1969 Ellis Park, Johannesburg
18. Australia 19–8 Scrumhalf (c) 20 September 1969 Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
19. England 8–11 Scrumhalf (c) 20 December 1969 Twickenham, London
20. Ireland 8–8 Scrumhalf (c) 10 January 1970 Lansdowne Road, Dublin
21. Wales 6–6 Scrumhalf (c) 24 January 1970 National Stadium, Cardiff
22. New Zealand 17–6 Scrumhalf (c) 1 25 July 1970 Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
23. New Zealand 8–9 Scrumhalf (c) 8 August 1970 Newlands, Cape Town
24. New Zealand 14–3 Scrumhalf (c) 29 August 1970 Boet Erasmus Stadium, Port Elizabeth
25. New Zealand 20–17 Scrumhalf (c) 12 September 1970 Ellis Park, Johannesburg

Politics

[edit]

While he was lecturing at RAU, the then rector, Gerrit Viljoen, persuaded him at this time to become active in politics. Against his father's wishes, De Villiers entered politics and stood for election. He was elected to the House of Assembly as MP for Johannesburg West and was re-elected in the elections of 1974 and 1977.[3]: 72 

In April 1979, De Villiers was appointed South African Ambassador in London.[3]: 72  On his return in October 1980 he became Minister of Trade and Industry.[3]: 73  The following year he contested the Gardens constituency in Cape Town, but lost to Ken Andrew of the Progressive Federal Party.[3]: 73  He was subsequently elected MP for Piketberg, Cape Province.[3]: 73 

While he was the Minister of Trade and Industry, the Liquor Act was passed which desegregated South African bars at the owners’ discretion and the South African Tourist Board was established. In 1983, he called a commission to investigate monopolies, and he stimulated small business in rural and ‘homeland’ areas. In 1989 he became Minister of Mineral and Energy Affairs, and of Public Enterprises as well as Cape NP leader.

Death

[edit]

He died from cancer in Stellenbosch, Western Cape on 23 April 2022.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "Dawie de Villiers - SA History". Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  2. ^ Mostert, Herman. "Former Springbok captain Dawie de Villiers dies". Sport. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Gastrow, Shelagh (1985). Who's who in South African politics. Internet Archive. Johannesburg : Ravan Press. ISBN 978-0-86975-280-7.
  4. ^ "ESPN Scrum". ESPNscrum. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  5. ^ Jooste, Graham K. (1995). South African rugby test players 1949-1995. Johannesburg: Penguin. pp. 40–78. ISBN 0140250174. OCLC 36916860.

Attribution

Sporting positions
Preceded by Springbok Captain
1965-1970
Succeeded by
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
South African Ambassador to the United Kingdom
1979-1980
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by
Andries Treurnicht
as Minister of Tourism
Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism
1980-1986
Succeeded by
Kent Durr
as Minister of Tourism
Preceded by Minister of Mineral and Energy Affairs
1989-1991
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
1992-1996
Succeeded by