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

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

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

No.OpponentsResults
(SA 1st)		PositionTriesDatesVenue
1.British Lions3–0Scrumhalf21 July 1962Kings Park, Durban
2.British Lions8–3Scrumhalf4 Aug 1962Newlands, Cape Town
3.Ireland6–9Scrumhalf10 April 1965Lansdowne Road, Dublin
4.New Zealand3–6Scrumhalf (c)31 July 1965Athletic Park, Wellington
5.New Zealand19–16Scrumhalf (c)4 September 1965Lancaster Park, Christchurch
6.New Zealand3–20Scrumhalf (c)18 September 1965Eden Park, Auckland
7.France26–3Scrumhalf (c)15 July 1967Kings Park, Durban
8.France16–3Scrumhalf (c)22 July 1967Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
9.France14–19Scrumhalf (c)29 July 1967Ellis Park, Johannesburg
10.France6–6Scrumhalf (c)12 August 1967Newlands, Cape Town
11.British Lions25–20Scrumhalf (c)18 June 1968Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
12.British Lions6–6Scrumhalf (c)22 June 1968Boet Erasmus, Port Elizabeth
13.British Lions11–6Scrumhalf (c)13 July 1968Newlands, Cape Town
14.British Lions19–6Scrumhalf (c)27 July 1968Ellis Park, Johannesburg
15.France12–9Scrumhalf (c)9 November 1968Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux
16.France16–11Scrumhalf (c)116 November 1968Stade Olympique, Colombes
17.Australia30–11Scrumhalf (c)2 August 1969Ellis Park, Johannesburg
18.Australia19–8Scrumhalf (c)20 September 1969Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
19.England8–11Scrumhalf (c)20 December 1969Twickenham, London
20.Ireland8–8Scrumhalf (c)10 January 1970Lansdowne Road, Dublin
21.Wales6–6Scrumhalf (c)24 January 1970National Stadium, Cardiff
22.New Zealand17–6Scrumhalf (c)125 July 1970Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
23.New Zealand8–9Scrumhalf (c)8 August 1970Newlands, Cape Town
24.New Zealand14–3Scrumhalf (c)29 August 1970Boet Erasmus Stadium, Port Elizabeth
25.New Zealand20–17Scrumhalf (c)12 September 1970Ellis Park, Johannesburg

Politics

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

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

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "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. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 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.

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