President Cyril Ramaphosa has honoured the late rugby hero, Chester Mornay Williams, with a declaration of a Special Provincial Official Funeral Category 2.
The 49-year-old veteran of the 1995 Rugby World Cup and the first player of colour to represent the Springboks since the 1980s – passed away on Friday, 6 September 2019.
At the time of his passing, Williams coached the University of the Western Cape rugby team.
Williams’ funeral will be held at the Newlands Rugby Stadium in Cape Town at 12h00 on Saturday 14 September 2019.
In terms of the declaration by the President, the funeral will contain ceremonial elements that will be provided by the South African Police Service.
President Ramaphosa has also instructed that the National Flag fly at half-mast in the Western Cape Province on the day of the funeral.
When the National Flag is half-masted, it should first be hoisted to the top of the flagstaff and then slowly lowered one third of the length of the flagpost from the top of the flagstaff.
Before the flag is lowered at sunset, or at the appointed time, it should first be hoisted to the top of the flagstaff.
Regulations require that no other flags should be displayed when the National Flag is flown at half-mast.
Meanwhile, the President has also paid tribute to anti-apartheid activist Adelaine Hain who passed away at age 92.
Hain was the mother of global human rights activist and senior British politician Lord Hain.
Born in Port Alfred, Adelaine Hain made her mark in defying apartheid and assisting oppressed communities – a commitment to which the apartheid State responded by banning her and later her husband, Walter, before forcing them into exile in the United Kingdom.
“Banning orders and arrests failed to extinguish Adelaine Hain’s patriotic struggle against an unjust system. She deserves our respect and gratitude for mobilising her own family as much as she mobilised communities to dismantle apartheid,” said President Ramaphosa.
The President has offered his sincerest condolences to Lord Hain and his family. Walter Hain passed away in 2016. – SAnews.gov.za
