Former Judge Willem Heath has been commemorated in a memorial ceremony in Durbanville, Cape Town on Thursday where a number of high-profiled guests paid tribute to him.
The ceremony took place at the Stellenberg Dutch Reformed Church.
Heath died on Wednesday, October 9 at the age of 79.
One of the people who paid tribute was Dr Iqbal Survé, chairman of the Sekunjalo Group.
Survé said he was saddened when he got the news of Heath’s passing. He said the loss made him reflect on his interactions with the former judge.
“Thinking of it all, I had a smile on my face. Having had interactions and worked with him, I found him to be a very soft and wise man,” he said.
Survé said Heath’s presence brought a sense of peacefulness.
“Judge Heath, his heart and his mind were aligned. He had a good heart and a very sharp mind. He was someone who was passionate about the country, and the constitution. He was courageous, and in life, many people who are courageous have people who agree and disagree with you. When I thought about Judge Heath, I thought about Julius Caesar. Specifically what Marc Anthony said - ‘friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears. I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones’, In many ways, judge Heath life was very similar to what Marc Anthony said about Julius Caesar,” Survé said.
He further described Heath as someone who loved his community, and his country and was dealt with harshly by the powers that be at times.
“I think history will be very kind to Willem. I hope someone takes the opportunity to write his life story. So that South Africans can learn from a great man with integrity, great intellect, and wisdom. I will always remember him as a great man. An Afrikaner from the community,” Survé said.
Attorney and human rights activist, Igshaan Higgins also took to the podium to pay tribute.
Higgins said he had a fear of the ‘White man’ during his younger years, however, his meeting with the former judge changed his perception.
“After meeting this compassionate man, I lost my fear of the Afrikaner man. I was fortunate to be in a space with a true humanitarian. He was a great lawyer, he did a lot for South Africa,” Higgins said.
He also quoted Dr Martin Luther King: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice”.
“Rest in peace, your legacy, and compassion will live on in the lives that you touched. Thank you for showing me a way to a better tomorrow,” Higgins said.
robin.francke@iol.co.za
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