GIB pays tribute to Tertius Meyer – a leader of vision and integrity
The Gamtoos Irrigation Board and members of the extended Gamtoos Valley community are saddened by the loss of one of their own, after an illness bravely fought.
Born on 6 December 1965, Tertius represented the fourth generation of Meyers in the Kleinsrivier farming district near Hankey. He completed his schooling at Nico Malan High School in Humansdorp and then pursued a BSc in Agriculture at the University of Pretoria.
Two years of national service followed and then, in 1990, he was ready to join his father on the farm. He began farming with 30ha of citrus, primarily the Cape naartjie.
He married Carina, a music teacher, and they have two children: Lara, who has a degree in industrial engineering, and Warren, who, like his father, studied BSc Agriculture, but at Stellenbosch University, where he majored in economic analytic management.
A true man of the soil, Tertius and his wife lived on the farm in the house that his great-grandfather Jan Hendrik Meyer built in 1898. They farm 200ha citrus and have their own packhouse, Mandaryn, where Tertius’s father helps out when he visits from Jeffreys Bay, where he has retired.
More than 18 citrus cultivars are grown on the farm and it was Tertius’s dream to convert the original packhouse into a farm museum. Another hobby of his was to farm with Bonsmara cattle and so there are a number of these beautiful animals on the farm in Mossel Bay.
Warren, who will be taking over Tertius’s farming activities, says of his father: “He didn’t work a day in his life. Farming was his passion and his great love. Even in his last days, all he wanted was ‘to farm a little more’. That was his life.”
Tertius was known for responding wherever he sensed a need, donating fruit to the church, the elderly and schools; paying school fees for several deserving pupils and even contributing towards medical care for people in need in the valley.
“One of his dreams was to see the BBBEE farm he’d established continue into the future, but this was not to be,” says Warren.
The Gamtoos Irrigation Board comprises three regions: Hankey, Patensie and Loerie/Mondplaas. Tertius served on the Board since 2003, initially representing the Hankey district. He took over the role of chairman in 2011, after the passing of Merwe du Preez.
Tertius’s appointment to the role came as a natural result of his involvement in agriculture and his personal experience of the scarcity of water as a resource in the area. He was always concerned about the future of water in our country.
“Water must be stored, like a life policy for food security,” he said. Tertius believed the answer lay in building more dams.
Over the past four years, in particular, there were enormous challenges in terms of water resources, but none so harsh as the 80% water restriction that was imposed and the Kouga dam dropping to a critical level.
Despite this, Tertius indicated: “Much is being spent to limit water losses and we can see results.” He was impressed by the extent of co-operation from the farmers.
Gamtoos Irrigation Board CEO Rienette Colesky will remember Tertius as a great personal mentor.
“In my role as a new CEO, it was wonderful to have discussions with Tertius and to take in his perspective on things,” she says. “He was able to debate an issue; he was logical and analytical, and above all fair. These were qualities that served him well as chairman of the Board.
“The Board itself is one where people work together well as a team and where decisions are made in that spirit. It is a group that strives for renewal and innovation and embraces and builds on the democratic South Africa that is.
“Tertius was a man of vision and integrity. He was a good leader who will really be missed. He was taken away from us too soon.”
GBR bring hulde aan Tertius Meyer – ‘n man van visie en integriteit
Die Gamtoos-Besproeiingsraad en lede van die breër Gamtoosvalley gemeenskap betreur die verlies van een van ons eie, Tertius Meyer, na sy onlangse siektestryd.
Tertius is gebore op 6 December 1965 en verteenwoordig die vierde geslag van Meyers in die Kleinsrivier landboudistrik naby Hankey. Hy het sy skoolloopbaan aan die Nico Malan Hoërskool op Humansdorp voltooi en daarna sy BSc in Landbou aan die Universiteit van Pretoria behaal.
Na sy nasionale diensplig van twee jaar was Tertius in 1990 gereed om by sy pa op die familieplaas aan te sluit. Hy het begin boer met 30ha sitrus, hoofsaaklik die Kaapse nartjie.
Hy het getrou met Carina, ‘n musiekonderwyseres, en saam het hulle twee kinders: Lara, wat haar graad in industriële ingenieurswese behaal het, and Warren, wat nes sy pa ‘n BSc in Landbou behaal het, maar wel aan Stellenbosch Universiteit, met ekonomiese analitiese bestuur as hoofvak.
Tertius, ‘n ware man van die aarde, het saam met Carina op die plaas gewoon in die einste huis wat deur sy oupagrootjie Jan Hendrik Meyer in 1898 gebou is. Hier word geboer met 200ha sitrus and die plaas het ook sy eie pakhuis, Mandaryn, waar Tertius se pa ook soms uithelp wanneer hy kuier uit Jeffreysbaai, waar hy afgetree het.
Die plaas verbou meer as 18 sitruskultivars en dit was Tertius se droom om die oorspronklike pakhuis in ‘n plaasmuseum te omskep. ‘n Ander gusteling stokperdjie was boer met Bonsmaras and daar is van hierdie pragtige beeste op die plaas in Mosselbaai.
Warren, wat Tertius se boerdery aktiwiteite oorneem, sê die volgende van sy pa: “Hy het nie ‘n dag in sy lewe ‘gewerk’ nie: Om te boer was sy passie en sy groot liefde. Selfs in sy laaste dae wou hy net nog ‘n bietjie langer boer. Dit was sy lewe.”
Tertius was bekend daarvoor dat hy behoefte rondom hom herken en aangespreek het. Hy het vrugte geskenk aan bejaardes, die kerk en skole, skoolgeld vir belowende leerlinge betaal en verskeie kere bygedra tot mediese sorg waar daar in die vallei behoefte was.
“Een van sy drome was om die BBBEE plaas wat hy op die been gekry het te sien vooruitgaan, maar ongelukkig het dinge nie so uitgewerk nie,” sê Warren.
Die Gamtoos-Besproeiingsraad behels drie streke: Hankey, Patensie en Loerie/Mondplaas. Tertius was sedert 2003 ‘n raadslid en het aanvanklik die Hankey-distrik verteenwoordig. Hy het in 2011 die rol van voorsitter betree na die afsterwe van Merwe du Preez.
Tertius se aanstelling as voorsitter was gepas weens sy noue betrokkenheid by die landbou en sy persoonlike ervaringe van die beperktheid van water as natuurlike bron in die area. Hy was veral bekommerd oor die toekoms van water in ons land.
“Water moet gestoor word; dis ‘n lewenspolis vir voedselsekuriteit,” het hy gesê. Tertius het geglo die bou van meer damme was een antwoord.
Veral oor die laaste vier jaar was daar reuse-uitdagings in terme van waterbronne, die ergste daarvan die 80% waterbeperking wat opgelê is en die val van die Kouga dam tot kritiese vlak.
Ten spyte hiervan het Tertius gesê: “Vele aandag word gegee aan die beperking van waterverliese en ons kan die uitslae daarvan sien.” He was veral beïndruk deur die samewerking van die boeregemeenskap in hierdie verband.
Die Gamtoos-Besproeiingsraad se Hoof Uitvoerende Beampte, Rienette Colesky, sal vir Tertius as ‘n belangrike mentor onthou.
“In my nuwe rol as Hoof Uitvoerende Beampte was dit wonderlik om gesprekke met Tertius te voer en sy perspektief op dinge te ervaar,” sê sy. “Hy kon ‘n saak uitstekend debatteer, was logies en analities, en bowenal regverdig. Hierdie eienskappe was van groot waarde in sy rol as voorsitter.
“Die Raad is een waarin die lede almal saamwerk as ‘n span en besluite word ook in hierdie gees geneem. Dis ‘n groep wat strewe na vernuwing en innovasie, en wat die demokrasie van Suid-Afrika omarm en ondersteun.
“Tertius was ‘n man van visie en integriteit. Hy was ‘n puik leier. Ons gaan hom mis en hy is te vroeg van ons weggeneem.”