Dawie de Villiers


Dawid Jacobus de Villiers was an ordained minister in the Dutch Reformed Church; a South African Government minister and a [Springbok captains|Springbok rugby union|rugby captain].

Biography

His father Coenie was a railway clerk and organizer of the National Party and Member of Parliament for the Vasco constituency from 1953 to 1961. The family moved to Caledon where he began his schooling. However, they moved again a year later to Bellville, where he matriculated in 1959 at the Hoërskool Bellville.
In 1960 he studied at the University of Stellenbosch where he obtained a degree in Theology and gained honours in Philosophy. During 1962 to 1963, he was President of the Student Council.
In 1963–1964, he was a part-time lecturer in philosophy at the University of the Western Cape and was awarded the Abe Bailey and Markotter scholarships. He was the Pastor of the Wellington congregation of the Dutch Reformed Church from 1967 to 1969. After that, he became a lecturer at the Rand Afrikaans University. In 1972 he completed his MA in philosophy and received a scholarship to study abroad.
He was married to Suzaan Mangold. They had three daughters and a son.

Springbok rugby

De Villiers also excelled in rugby and became involved in all levels of the sport, including representing South Africa in 25 test matches, His first international test match was in 1962 against the British Lions, aged 22. In 1970 he captained the Springboks against New Zealand.

Test history

No.OpponentsResults
PositionTriesDatesVenue
1.British Lions3–0Scrumhalf21 July 1962Kings Park, Durban
2.British Lions8–3Scrumhalf 4 Aug 1962Newlands, Cape Town
3.Ireland6–9Scrumhalf10 April 1965Lansdowne Road, Dublin
4.New Zealand3–6Scrumhalf 31 July 1965Athletic Park, Wellington
5.New Zealand19–16Scrumhalf 4 September 1965Lancaster Park, Christchurch
6.New Zealand3–20Scrumhalf 18 September 1965Eden Park, Auckland
7.France26–3Scrumhalf 15 July 1967Kings Park, Durban
8.France16–3Scrumhalf 22 July 1967Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
9.France14–19Scrumhalf 29 July 1967Ellis Park, Johannesburg
10.France6–6Scrumhalf 12 August 1967Newlands, Cape Town
11.British Lions 25–20Scrumhalf 18 June 1968Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
12.British Lions 6–6Scrumhalf 22 June 1968Boet Erasmus, Port Elizabeth
13.British Lions11–6Scrumhalf 13 July 1968Newlands, Cape Town
14.British Lions 19–6Scrumhalf 27 July 1968Ellis Park, Johannesburg
15.France12–9Scrumhalf 9 November 1968Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux
16.France16–11Scrumhalf 116 November 1968Stade Olympique, Colombes
17.Australia 30–11Scrumhalf 2 August 1969Ellis Park, Johannesburg
18.Australia19–8Scrumhalf 20 September 1969Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
19.England8–11Scrumhalf 20 December 1969Twickenham, London
20.Ireland8–8Scrumhalf 10 January 1970Lansdowne Road, Dublin
21.Wales6–6Scrumhalf 24 January 1970National Stadium, Cardiff
22.New Zealand 17–6Scrumhalf 125 July 1970Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
23.New Zealand 8–9Scrumhalf 8 August 1970Newlands, Cape Town
24.New Zealand 14–3Scrumhalf 29 August 1970Boet Erasmus Stadium, Port Elizabeth
25.New Zealand20–17Scrumhalf 12 September 1970Ellis Park, Johannesburg

Politics

While he was lecturing at RAU, the then rector, Gerrit Viljoen, persuaded him at this time to become active in politics. Against his father's wishes, De Villiers entered politics and stood for election. He was elected to the House of Assembly as MP for Johannesburg West and was re-elected in the elections of 1974 and 1977.
In April 1979, De Villiers was appointed South African Ambassador in London. On his return in October 1980 he became Minister of Trade and Industry. The following year he contested the Cape Town Gardens constituency, but lost to Ken Andrew of the Progressive Federal Party. He was subsequently elected MP for Piketberg, Cape Province.
While he was the Minister of Trade and Industry, the Liquor Act was passed which desegregated South African bars at the owners’ discretion and the South African Tourist Board was established. In 1983, he called a commission to investigate monopolies, and he stimulated small business in rural and ‘homeland’ areas. In 1989 he became Minister of Mineral and Energy Affairs, and of Public Enterprises as well as Cape NP leader.

Death

He died from cancer in Stellenbosch, Western Cape on 23 April 2022.