Robin Roy Snyman

The Reverend Canon Robin Roy Snyman was a priest in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, who served as Dean of Kimberley and rector of St Cyprian’s Cathedral, and afterwards was Vice-Provost at the Cathedral Church of St Mary the Virgin, Port Elizabeth. He was born at Waterval Boven, in what is now Mpumalanga in 1934. He died in Port Elizabeth on 15 September 2020.

Early career

Snyman was educated at Pretoria Boys' High School, going on to obtain a Licentiate in Theology through the Church of the Province of Southern Africa.

His first posting, in 1957, was as an assistant curate at St Saviour's Anglican Church in East London, South Africa, going on to serve in a similar capacity at Grahamstown Cathedral in 1960. He then served at St Leonard's, Heston, in London from 1964.

Returning to South Africa, Snyman was instituted in 1966 as rector of the Good Shepherd Parish in East London. He was appointed as chaplain at Rhodes University, Grahamstown, in 1968.

Germiston

Snyman was appointed to the post of rector and regional dean at St Boniface Church Germiston, in the then Transvaal Province, in 1971. He served as Mayor’s Chaplain there in 1976.

In February 1978 Snyman made controversial remarks concerning Bishop Tutu just prior to his taking up his position as General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches. It has been said that Snyman’s "description of the kind of person the Church needs" in fact described Bishop Tutu "through and through."

Dean of Kimberley

In 1978 Snyman was invited to be Dean of Kimberley as successor to Thomas Stanage and was installed as Dean and Rector of the Cathedral on 9 June 1978. He was to serve St Cyprian’s Cathedral until the early 1990s. During this time he was appointed Vicar General (1979 and other occasions when the Bishop was out of the Diocese). He served under Bishops Graham Chadwick and George Alfred Swartz.

He was also Priest in Charge to the small parish of St Hubert's Hartswater, and served as a chaplain to the South African Defence Force,

He retired end of January 2001.

Third Order of the Society of St Francis

Fr Roy Snyman has for long been a member of the Third Order of the Society of St Francis and served as guardian to its Africa South Region from 1995. He is also an associate chaplain of the Venerable Order of St John.

Other Appointments and Honours

Snyman is an Honorary Life Member of the Pretoria Boys' High School Old Boys Association. He has been a member of Rotary from his days in Germiston, was president of a branch of the organization in Kimberley, and has been involved in the organization in Port Elizabeth. In 1999 he was made a Paul Harris Fellow.