{"id":297536,"date":"2026-04-23T09:39:02","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T07:39:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/eikestadnuus\/?p=297536"},"modified":"2026-04-23T09:39:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T07:39:04","slug":"geliefde-toegewyde-stellenbosch-verkeersman-gegroet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/eikestadnuus\/geliefde-toegewyde-stellenbosch-verkeersman-gegroet\/","title":{"rendered":"Geliefde, toegewyde Stellenbosch-verkeersman gegroet"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

‘n Man van integriteit, dissipline en ‘n groot Stormers-ondersteuner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vir 34 jaar het Charl Smit (54) in verkeerdienste gewerk en volgens sy kollegas, seniors, vriende en familie was dit sy roeping in die lewe.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smit, oftewel “Smitty” soos hy bekendgestaan het, is Maandag 13 April skielik oorlede.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Di\u00e9 Stellenbosser het vir dekades lank as verkeersbeampte van die Stellenbosch-munisipaliteit gewerk waar hy so geliefd was dat hy verlede week selfs ‘n vaarwel van die plaaslike Sixty-60-afleweraars ontvang het.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Charl
Plaaslike Sixty-60-afleweraars saam met wyle Charl Smit se gesin. Die afleweraars het hulde aan die verkeersman gebring.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Familie- en gemeenskapsmens<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Dr. JJ Johannes, sy vriend en kollega verbonde aan die Gene Louw-verkeerskollege, het Smitty Dinsdag 21 April op ‘n gedenkdiens as ‘n gemeenskapsmens en gentleman<\/em> beskryf. “Sommige van ons dra die uniform en sommige van ons word dit wat die uniform verteenwoordig,” het Johannes ges\u00ea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Die twee het destyds saam gewerk en Johannes meen dit was Smit se mentorskap wat hom aangespoor het om uiteindelik sy twee doktersgrade te voltooi.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smit is oorspronklik van Worcester. Volgens sy vrou, Lezel, het die twee in 1993 ontmoet en was hul sedertdien nooit weer sonder mekaar nie.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smit se kinders, Charl jr., Destiaan en Vernique, s\u00ea hoewel hulle nie ‘n streng pa gehad het nie, was daar altyd dissipline in die huis. Die drie sal hom altyd as ‘n stoere Stromers-ondersteuner onthou vanwe\u00eb sy liefde vir rugby. Die Smit-gesin s\u00ea as gelowige het Smit verseker dat hy Sondae in die kerk is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smit se ouer suster, Ron\u00e9l Pretorius, s\u00ea hoewel sy byna ‘n dekade ouer as haar broer is, het hulle ‘n hegde band gehad. “Ons was almal saam vir Paasfees en ek glo dit was die Here se wil om ons almal bymekaar te h\u00ea vir die laaste keer,” s\u00ea sy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smit het vir die afgelope twee jaar gesondheidsuitdagings gehad, maar was n\u00e1 herstel weer op die pad \u2013 voor sy skielike dood verlede week.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Toegewyde verkeersman<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Kollegas van Smit het op die gedenkdiens sy toegewydheid en passie vir sy werk uitgelig. “Toe hierdie seun gebore is, kon ‘n mens nie dink dat een persoon se impak wat hy gemaak het so groot sou wees nie. Dit spreek boekdele,” het die Stellenbosch-verkeershoof, Gavin Solomons, ges\u00ea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Hy het sy rol goed gespeel en was nog aan diens tot die Sondagaand om 22:00 en Maandag het God hom huistoe geroep.”\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Volgens Solomons was Smit die laaste twee weke in die beheerkamer, maar dit was nie waar die verkeerman wou wees nie.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Hy wou op die pad wees. Hy het aan ons geskryf en gebel en uiteindelik was die besluit om hom weer buite op die pad te h\u00ea. Dit was sy wens en wat hy wou doen tot op sy laaste toe.”\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solomons het die Smit-gesin bedank vir hul opoffering om hul man en pa met die gemeenskap van Stellenbosch “te deel”.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Wyle
Kerses is tydens ‘n gedenkdiens vir wyle Charl “Smitty” Smit aangesteek.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Stephanie Heneke, burgemeesterskomiteelid vir gemeenskaps- ontwikkelings- en beskermingsdienste, meen daar is min verkeersbeamptes soos Smit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heneke het vertel hoe Smit destyds vir haar verkeersboetes “met ‘n bre\u00eb glimlag” uitgeskryf het en beklemtoon sy professionaliteit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Volgens Stellenbosch se burgemeester, Jeremy Fasser, het hy Smit ontmoet toe hy as bestuurskooloperateur die plaaslike verkeersdepartement besoek het.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fasser s\u00ea benewens die munisipaliteit wat ‘n passievolle werker verloor het, het hy ook ‘n vriend en mentor verloor.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Familie, kollegas en vriende van Charl Smit (54) het tydens ‘n gedenkdiens in Stellenbosch sy lewe vereer. Die toegewyde verkeersman is skieklik op 13 April 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