In Memory of Danie Botha

From myself, Norman Robinson, and on behalf of the JKS organisation throughout South Africa, I would like to extend my personal thanks to the following karateka who attended the memorial service for our friend and fellow karateka, Danie Botha, in their official JKS blazers: Lourencia Kok, Corlia Heystek, Andre Kritzinger, Ayesha van Rensburg, Nic Chariloau, Louis Druion, Natalie Toweel, Ian Smith, Chris Meintjies, Renzo Regnani, Alan and Ryan King, Ian McLaren, Cyril Rose and myself off course. At the tea gathering after the service, Danie's wife Louise approached me and asked to have a meeting with all JKS people that had attended so she could personally offer her thanks for our support and for being there in our official blazers.

Danie was a man of integrity who would go out of his way to help anyone, whether it was trivial or in desperation. He was a God-fearing man who did a lot to support his church. Through all the years of him training with me, I never ever saw him without a smile on his face. He was the most jovial person you could meet and have as a friend.

He was a big man, strong and beautifully built, but soft at heart. His untimely death is an enormous loss to his fellow karateka of the Rising Sons who get up and train at 5:30 in the morning, and also to everyone who was fortunate to be touched by his life.

Danie was in a unique position of having his wife and children in Cape Town and him working and living in Johannesburg. He was currently building a home in Northcliff and within a year or two, he and his wife would finally decide in which province they would be living.

Danie's house did not have an electric gate and, after arriving home, he got out to close the gates and was attacked. Below is some detail which his wife, Louise, e-mailed to me.

Danie told Louise that if it wasn't for his karate training in Johannesburg and the support of his fellow karateka, he could not have survived living here. He loved and lived for his karate, so much so that his wife dressed him in his favourite karate gi for his cremation.

The photograph of Danie was taken three weeks prior to this incident, on a trip to Angola, Ghana and Sao TomIt gives you an idea of his sunny smile and happy disposition which endeared people to him. What a useless loss of life, and his killers got away with absolutely nothing other than his life. Typical of most strong karateka, who find it very difficult not to stand up for themselves and their family, Danie took them on, and this unfortunately cost him his life.

Danie was unable to attend our National Gasshuku and Dan grading this year (2006), since he just started a new job and could not get time off. The Shihankai subsequently accepted his application for a special grading, which would have been held early in the new year (2007). Danie was training with great zest, eager to build up his standard so he could pass his third Dan grading. I have taken it upon myself, on behalf of the Shihankai, to posthumously grade Danie to third Dan. The certificate will be issued and sent to his wife.

To our friend Danie, a man who could only be admired and respected for his strength of character: we miss you so much. God Bless you and I hope you are in a better place. You will live in our memories for ever.

Oss
Norman Robinson

There are two paragraphs from Corinthians 1: 13 that emulated Danie's way of life:

"Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud; love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs; love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth. Love never gives up; and its faith, hope, and patience never fail.

Love is eternal. There are inspired messages, but they are temporary; there are gifts of speaking in strange tongues, but they will cease; there is knowledge, but it will pass. For our gifts of knowledge and of inspired messages are only partial; but when what is perfect comes, then what is partial will disappear."
 Some details of the incident from Louise, Danie's wife:

 

As requested, some detail on what happened the night of 17 November 2006:

In memory of a wonderful husband and father. Myself, Dijan (son -16) and Danielle (daughter - 11) will miss Danie dearly and will build on all the wonderful memories in the future.

According to police information, it is suspected that the incident was a failed vehicle hijacking. I had to build up my own version of what actually happened on this dreadful Friday evening. Danie pulled his vehicle into the property on arriving home that evening, at approximately 21:00. The evil-doers had to follow him into the property and, as he got out of his car, he was attacked.

Apparently Danie put up a fight in order to protect himself, but unfortunately the criminals were armed and some shots were fired. I firmly believe that, if they were not armed, Danie would have gotten the upper hand and would have driven them away. Danie was shot five times (according to autopsy reports), of which one of the shots was fatal - damaging the main vein in his left leg.

People attending a function across the road from where Danie lived heard the shots and came to Danie's aid. They tried to stop the bleeding, resuscitated him and kept him going until the paramedics and police arrived. Danie was taken to the Milpark Hospital where doctors and a surgeon decided to try and save his life. They struggled for three hours, using 16 pints of blood, trying to stop the bleeding and mend where possible - but the internal damaged was just too much.

Danie died at 2:40 on Saturday morning (18 Nov).

A memorial service was held on Friday 24 Nov 2006 to bid Danie farewell. He was cremated in his favourite karate gi and brought to Stellenbosch where he will be buried with his father, which he lost when he was seventeen years old.

Danie was well loved by all.

Love to all
Louise