Dawie de Villiers

Dawid Jacobus de Villiers (10 July 1940 – 23 April 2022) was an ordained minister in the Dutch Reformed Church; a South African Government minister and a Springbok 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. They had three daughters and a son. 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. Opponents Results(SA 1st) Position Tries Dates Venue 1. British Lions 3–0 Scrumhalf 21 July 1962 Kings Park, Durban 2. British Lions 8–3 Scrumhalf 4 Aug 1962 Newlands, Cape Town 3. Ireland 6–9 Scrumhalf 10 April 1965 Lansdowne Road, Dublin 4. New Zealand 3–6 Scrumhalf (c) 31 July 1965 Athletic Park, Wellington 5. New Zealand 19–16 Scrumhalf (c) 4 September 1965 Lancaster Park, Christchurch 6. New Zealand 3–20 Scrumhalf (c) 18 September 1965 Eden Park, Auckland 7. France 26–3 Scrumhalf (c) 15 July 1967 Kings Park, Durban 8. France 16–3 Scrumhalf (c) 22 July 1967 Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein 9. France 14–19 Scrumhalf (c) 29 July 1967 Ellis Park, Johannesburg 10. France 6–6 Scrumhalf (c) 12 August 1967 Newlands, Cape Town 11. British Lions 25–20 Scrumhalf (c) 1 8 June 1968 Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria 12. British Lions 6–6 Scrumhalf (c) 22 June 1968 Boet Erasmus, Port Elizabeth 13. British Lions 11–6 Scrumhalf (c) 13 July 1968 Newlands, Cape Town 14. British Lions 19–6 Scrumhalf (c) 27 July 1968 Ellis Park, Johannesburg 15. France 12–9 Scrumhalf (c) 9 November 1968 Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux 16. France 16–11 Scrumhalf (c) 1 16 November 1968Stade Olympique, Colombes 17. Australia 30–11 Scrumhalf (c) 2 August 1969 Ellis Park, Johannesburg 18. Australia 19–8 Scrumhalf (c) 20 September 1969 Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein 19. England 8–11 Scrumhalf (c) 20 December 1969 Twickenham, London 20. Ireland 8–8 Scrumhalf (c) 10 January 1970 Lansdowne Road, Dublin 21. Wales 6–6 Scrumhalf (c) 24 January 1970 National Stadium, Cardiff 22. New Zealand 17–6 Scrumhalf (c) 1 25 July 1970 Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria 23. New Zealand 8–9 Scrumhalf (c) 8 August 1970 Newlands, Cape Town 24. New Zealand 14–3 Scrumhalf (c) 29 August 1970 Boet Erasmus Stadium, Port Elizabeth 25. New Zealand 20–17 Scrumhalf (c) 12 September 1970 Ellis 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.