A TRIBUTE TO OM SAKKIE ZS6BPA

A recent lapse in health, from which I have fully recovered, reminded me of my slogan that “we are who we associate with” and that I should therefore spend more time acknowledging those around me. There are in this room a number of Giants of the AWA. OM’s and YL’s who are passionate about our association and devote much time to furthering its aims.

All this brings me to draw to your attention the presence of Giant OM Sakkie today. I well remember putting my chin down on my folded arms and listening to Sakkie, Duppie and our beloved silent key, Bushy coming over the speaker of and old Hammerlund 129X. Sakkie lives by the writing of “The Radio Amateurs Code” and I will go so far as to say that I believe he has a fairy sitting on his shoulder calling it out to him each time he fires up his rig.

As long as I can remember, Sakkie has always had a “kierrie”, which some years ago, I believe he merely used to draw a circuit in the sand. For those of you that do not know, he is waiting for a knee replacement to arrive from Belgium and so will undergo surgery in January. I am sure you all join me in wishing him a speedy recovery and hopefully the “kierrie” will once again be used to point out in the sand to chaps like me, that it is the mixer that follows the RF Stage and not visa versa.

But I also wish to bring to your attention that Sakkie does not let the distance between him and “Baie Dom Duppie” stop him from taking to the road to visit his and our old chum. He tells me that Duppie is confined to a wheelchair or lying down on his bed. Duppie for those of you who do not know, built up a significant cable company, so he certainly was not dom as he allowed others to call out to him at the end of their overs.

Sakkie, we wish you well and look forward to seeing you prancing about soon.   

Read out at the 2016 Annual General Meeting by Founding President Cliff ZS6BOX.