Warmbad
Hundreds of people attended the burial last Saturday of the late Joseph Christiaan who was the acting chief of the Bondelswart.
People from all walks of life, including ministers, traditional leaders, church leaders, government dignitaries and residents of Karasburg paid their respects to Christiaan at his home in Karasburg before proceeding to Warmbad for the burial.
Christiaan, 53, died on June 19 after being hit by a vehicle while crossing the road in Karasburg.
Speaker after speaker expressed their sadness at the untimely passing of their leader, saying the Bondelswart Traditional Authority has lost a man of wisdom and a great contributor to the development of the Bondelswart people.
In a speech by the Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Sophia Shaningwa, delivered on her behalf by her special advisor Philip Tjerije, she extended her condolences to his widow Magriet Christiaan, the family and the entire Bondelswart clan.
“We are deeply touched by his untimely departure and share the deep pain, anguish and intense grief caused by his unexpected departure,” she stated.
She encouraged mourners to remember the late acting chief for his legacy of dedicated service to the community, as he served as a senior councillor and acting chief from 2008 until his untimely death last month.
She noted that Christiaan was an ardent and constructive contributor to deliberations in the council of traditional leaders’ annual meetings and his voice of wisdom and insight would be missed by his peers.
Shaningwa reminded the traditional councillors that the late chief had done his part and it was now up to them to make sure of maintaining peace and unity among themselves and the community at large.
She urged the Bondelswart community to remain united to ensure social stability prevails, adding that disunity and endless infighting over leadership should be avoided as these will destabilise the community and stifle development.
//Kharas Regional Police commander Commissioner Armas Shivute shared his short message of condolence in a speech read on his behalf by Deputy Chief Inspector Herman Hartzerberg in which he described the chief’s passing as shocking and saddening.
He added that Christiaan’s great attribute was communication – “in this regard I mean honest to goodness, telling it how it is in a way that can’t be misunderstood,” he said.
His wife, Magriet two daughters and four sons survive the late chief.