The Stellenbosch Traffic Department held a memorial service on Tuesday at Lentelus Sportsground for late traffic officer Charl Smit, who passed away on 13 April at the age of 54, after 34 years of service.
From left , chief of traffic services Gavin Solomons, mmc for safety at Stellenbosch Stephanie Haneke, deputy chief Ayanda Royi, chief Daniel Jonkers, Stellenbosch major Jeremy Fasser attending the memorial service service of the late traffic officer Charl Smit at Lentelus Sportsground in Stellenbosch. PHOTO: Kwanda Mkhonto
Lezel Smit, the late officer’s wife, said her husband was diagnosed with throat cancer in October 2024. After a two-year battle, he was declared in remission on 10 March, but passed away on 13 April from a blood clot in the lung.
Smit was the youngest of three children. “He would support you wherever he could support you,” said Ronel Prestorius, his older sister. “His family and his children [were] everything to him.”
The Smit family, from left, are the late Charl snr, Lezel, Destiaan, Vernique, and Charl jnr. PHOTO: Supplied/Destiaan Smit
“He treated everyone with respect. […] that is something I take away from him,” said Charl Smit junior, his eldest son, describing his father as “a role model”.
After finishing high school, Charl Smit joined the army. Following his service, he joined the Stellenbosch Municipality, where he began a 34-year career as a traffic officer.
Traffic officers and saluting, and members of the public, at the memorial of the late traffic officer Charl Smit, in Lentelus Sportsground, Stellenbosch. PHOTO: Kwanda Mkhonto
Speaking at the memorial, Jeremy Fasser, the executive mayor of Stellenbosch, said he met Smit early in his career, when he was a driving instructor and Smit a traffic officer. He described Smit as not just a colleague, but a “true friend”.
Fasser added that Smit taught him the values of integrity and service that should be upheld in the line of duty.
Paying tribute to Smit at the memorial, chief for traffic services Gavin Solomons described him as a man who was “dedicated to his work”.
Chief for traffic services at Stellenbosch Traffic Department, Gavin Solomons, delivers his speech at the memorial of the late traffic officer, Charl Smit. The memorial was held at Lentelus Sportsground, Stellenbosch. PHOTO: Kwanda Mkhonto
Even though he had a firm hand, the community of Stellenbosch still loved him. “He would take time to explain why a driver was stopped,” said Adri van Zyl, a family friend. “You would always see him in deep discussions with drivers, pedestrians, [and] the public.”
Before the week of the memorial, a group of Checkers Sixty60 drivers visited the Smit family to pay tribute to him.
“My first fine I [got] in Stellenbosch [was from] him,” said Victor Mbiya. Mbiya said that after some time, they became friends. They frequently met, and Smit would ask how he was doing. He added that other traffic officers can learn from Smit’s example and take pride in their work.
Smit’s funeral was held on 22 April, in Stellenbosch.