Legendary guide Willie Komani passes away
The Oyster Catcher Trail’s Willie Komani passed away 11 July, 2015
Media Release 13 July 2015:
Mossel Bay’s Oystercatcher Trail regrets to announce the death of its friend and guide, Willie Komani. Mr. Komani passed away on the night of 11 July at Peace Care Hospice in Tarka, Mossel Bay. He was born in Mossel Bay on the 2nd of July, 1951.
“Willie was a natural storyteller with an enormous empathy for and interest in the vulnerable and the defenceless, and especially for the natural world,” said the owner of the Oystercatcher Trail, Fred Orban.
“I met him some 20 years ago when I was chairperson of Coast Care in this region, and he was working for the organisation. I was also at that time doing radio stories on the environment on South Cape Radio, and I interviewed him for one of my programmes about his absolute passion for a clean and healthy natural environment.
“He later trained as a guide, and joined the Oystercatcher Trail in 2003.
“In my opinion he was one of the main role players who helped showcase the plight of what was then one of South Africa’s most endangered coastal birds – the African black oystercatcher.
“As a result of the banning of vehicles on all beaches, the banning of dogs from sensitive beaches, and the massive, country-wide information campaign that Willie supported so strongly, this species will soon be removed from the highly endangered list – because its numbers have increased so significantly,” said Mr. Orban.
Mr. Orban said that Mr. Komani’s dedication to his work helped to position the Oystercatcher Trail (a 5-day luxury hiking trail between Cape St. Blaize and the Gouritz River Mouth) as one of the finest in the world. “He featured in documentaries about the Trail made by Julia Bradbury for the BBC (see YouTube), and by Pasella, Jan Braai, and others.”
ACCIDENT
Mr. Orban said that Mr. Komani suffered a freak accident at his home in KwaNonqaba in Mossel Bay in December, 2014, when he fell
Willie Komani on the Oystercatcher Trail, Mossel Bay
and broke his neck.
“He was transferred to Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town because of the seriousness of his injury.
“After his operation, he spent three months in rehab at Groote Schuur before being transferred again to Khayelitsha for further rehab – and it needs to be said that he received the utmost care and wonderful treatment at both of these hospitals.
“He came home to KwaNonqaba about two weeks before he died, although he was still completely paralysed and could only move around in a wheel chair that was supplied to him by the hospital, and he needed full-time care from his 86-year-old mother, Sanna, and his brother, France.
“When I visited him at Sanna’s house, he said he was keen to walk again one day because walking was his life and what he lived for.
“Sadly, though, he deteriorated very quickly and the last time I saw him he was unable to recognise anyone or to communicate at all.
“Willie was very special to me, but also to thousands of others who were privileged to be enthralled by his love for and knowledge of nature, for people, and for the land where he was born.
“He was fluent in Xhosa, Zulu, English and Afrikaans, and he loved to recite Afrikaans poetry – Die Ossewa by Jan Cilliers was one of his favourites (“Die Osse stap aan deur die stowwe…” See below).
“I’ve lost one of the greatest friends I’ve ever known,” said Mr. Orban.
Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.
ENDS
Notes to editors
Die Ossewa – Jan F.E. Cilliers
Die osse stap aan deur die stowwe,
geduldig, gedienstig, gedwee;
die jukke, al drukkend hun skowwe –
hul dra dit getroos en tevree.
–
En stille, al stuiwend en stampend,
kom stadig die wa agterna –
die dowwe rooi stowwe, al dampend,
tersy op die windjie gedra.
–
Die middagson brand op die koppe,
gebuk in hul beurende krag;
hul swaai heen en weer in die stroppe –
en ver is die tog van die dag.
–
Dit kraak deur die brekende brokke:
die opdraans is ver en is swaar;
die knars in die knakkende knokke,
maar hul beur, en die vrag bring hul daar.
–
So, stom tot die stond van hul sterwe,
blyf ieder ‘n held van die daad…
Hul bene, na swoeë en swerwe,
lê ver op die velde verlaat.
Media release by ThisTourismWeek.co.za.
More information from Martin Hatchuel martinhatchuel@gmail.com 084 951 0574
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