Tributes pour in for Gerhard Swart

Tributes are pouring in for local businessman, Mr Gerhard Swart of Shayandima. Swart (49) who headed the NTK at Muledane passed away on 28 January after a short illness, about six months after his wife, Regina had died.

The Swart couple was known for their generosity and humility. They cared for many black children and at one stage took 13 of them under their roof.

A member of staff, Mr Converse Nekhwevha, said that this sudden death has robbed them of a great man who epitomised humility and the spirit of caring. “I met him in 2006 and started working with him as floor assistant. He would take me to management meetings, exposing me to ways of how to run the business. He always encouraged me to work hard and develop until he promoted me to be his assistant.”

Veteran politician and former Limpopo MEC, Dr Tshenuwani Farisani, a family friend, said Swart’s death came as a shock to him. “We met many years ago and it started as a business relationship which ended up being personal. I could see ubuntu in this man. He was one of those precious bricks that we could use to build the future South Africa,” Farisani said.

According to the housekeeper, Ms Sarah Magano, Swart took care of many people and also sponsored local churches and organisations. “We are still in great shock and we do not know how life would go on from now on. We do not know how we will cope without him,” she said.

Swart is to be buried on Friday (today) and the service will take place at the Levubu community hall. He will be buried next to his wife, at the local cemetery.

He was born in Witbank in 1966 and is survived by three brothers and two sisters.

Date:05 February 2016

By: Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019.

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