KNYSNA NEWS - His family and the community was everything to him, and since the '90s he served the community through his business and countless selfless acts without holding back or looking down on anyone.
He was Collin Witbooi, owner of Witbooi Transport and Lamco Garage in Industria Road, Knysna, and he recently passed away at the age of 55.
According to his wife Gail, Collin was an honest, trustworthy and humble person who embodied the phrase of being “a person’s person”. “He never looked down on, or turned his nose up at anyone. He made friends with the richest of the rich and the poorest of the poor,” she said.
On 24 June, after a short illness of about two weeks, Collin died with Gail and two of his children, Jade (25) and Callyn (21) by his side. He also leaves behind 11-year-old Layla.
Knysna born and bred
Collin was raised in Knysna where he went to both Fraaisig Primary and Knysna Secondary. Afterwards he went to Genadendal and Wynberg high schools. “He came back to Knysna to help his father Lambert with the business,” said Gail. Collin was about 19 or 20 years then, she added.
The Witbooi father-and-son team ran busses locally and out of town. According to family member Cedric Witbooi, the two of them built Witbooi Transport from scratch to become an empire that many people in Knysna and all over the country respected.
“At one point they had about 30 busses that not only ran locally, but on longer routes to Uniondale and Harlem as well,” said Gail.
Not only was Collin an avid businessman, he was deeply involved in community projects throughout the years. “But he never wanted to take the spotlight for his involvement and remained humble all the way,” added Gail.
Family remembers him fondly
When asked to share an anecdote of her husband, Gail couldn't decide which one would be the best. She remembers that he always used to say that he was scared of snakes and spiders, but never afraid of death. “He was also the kind of man who would give you his last bit of money if you asked for help,” she said.
Collin’s sister Lu-Ann Witbooi added that giving someone in need his last bit of money was something their father taught them. “I also remember him loving to tease people,” Lu-Ann recalled.
Collin’s sister Lucille Bruiners remembers her brother as a giver and carer. “When our parents both passed away, Collin was the one to step up and take leadership of the family. He almost became like a father to us and some in the community. Sometimes we hear of a child he helped send to university or college, and that would be the first time we ever heard about it,” she said.
Well-loved in the community
Other well-known members of the community, such as current deputy mayor Ricky van Aswegen and Percy Mdala High School principal Nicholas Njozela, also have fond memories of Collin.
According to Van Aswegen he went to school with Collin. “He was more than just a well-known member of the community to me, and I remember from when Collin was about 16 years old that he put the needs of others before his own,” said Van Aswegen.
He added that Collin went out of his way to help those in need. “For example, he would sponsor a bus for the family of someone who recently passed away, but could not afford the transport for attendees of the burial. That was Collin,” said Van Aswegen, adding that you could always rely on his old friend.
'We could always rely on him'
“We also never spoke about politics. When I took my morning walks past his house and garage, he would joke and say that he should actually join me instead of sitting there. He was also the first person to phone and congratulate me when I was elected deputy mayor. I will miss him very much, and the fact that the family suggested you ask me about him, is a great honour,” Van Aswegen said.
“Both he and his father Lambert gave excellent service to the community and our school, and always ploughed back into the community. We could always rely on him. His passing came as a great shock to me,” said Njozela.
The school principal remembers Collin as a man with a good heart who at one point helped many learners with school uniforms, and once even offered the services of one of his trucks, free of charge, to assist with transporting furniture to the school.
“When someone went to him for help, they never came back empty-handed,” Njozela said.
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