GEORGE NEWS - After the death of her husband Eugene von Brandis on 27 May last year, Ina felt that the end of his life was the end of her world.
“As a celebration of life to honour my late husband’s contribution to our family and the community of George, I walked the 810 km pilgrim’s route, the Camino de Santiago in north-western Spain.”
She had planned to complete her personal pilgrimage in 33 days. “The 33 days represents a day for every year that Jesus Christ spent on earth after his resurrection. I however did it in 28 days and then extended my walk by a further 120 km to Muxía, and then on to Cape Finisterre, the rocky outcrop on the west coast of the Iberian Peninsula. This was a rewarding and intense experience. In total 930 km in 33 days.” In Roman times, Finisterre was believed to be the end of the known world.
“During my journey I was carrying a cross for Eugene which I placed in the parish church of Santa Maria de Fisterra,” said Ina.
“I wanted to feel pain and experience suffering as a reminder of the many hardships that Eugene experienced in the days before his death.” With her son-in-law, Hennie de Kock, they walked an average of 30 km per day in the pouring rain, hail, snow and wind. “I got blisters and twisted my ankle, but continued walking until I reached my goal at the end of each day. I felt that my pain was only a fraction of his.” At times she shared a communal room with up to 148 strangers, both men and women sharing only two showers. “I gave up my personal space which was a sacrifice foreign to me.
My personal conundrum was that I was at a loss, floating in the sea of uncertainty, as courage without purpose and direction is not enough. I felt alone and confused without my soulmate and the future was uncertain. During the solitude of the walk, the most trying time, I grasped that I was alive and I have to continue, I have to serve, I have to work, I have to carry on where he left off, with renewed vigour and enthusiasm.
“What I learnt from the pilgrimage was not why I embarked on the journey, instead I learnt to appreciate life again and to embrace it with all my heart, even if it still pains for my beloved, Eugene,” said Ina.
Ina and Eugene at Red Square in Moscow during a visit in 2013.
Dit is wie hy was
Presies een jaar na haar man se dood, skryf Ina von Brandis:
Presies een jaar na haar man se dood, skryf Ina von Brandis:
My man was ‘n perfeksionis, lojaal en betroubaar. In sy werk het hy altyd sy beste gegee. Die wat oor hom aangestel is, het hy respekteer en die wat onder hom gewerk het, het hy menswaardig behandel. Hy het nooit iets teen die reëls of onwettig gedoen nie.
By die huis
Hy was in die eerste plek my man, ek was vir hom die belangrikste persoon in sy lewe, hy was altyd trots op my en het baie meer van my vermoë gedink as ekself. Hy het my altyd ondersteun en nooit my groei gedemp met sy eie behoeftes of ambisies nie. Ek kon langs hom loop. Ons was byna 40 jaar saam, geliefdes, vriende, ouers en grootouers.
Vir sy kinders, Angelique, Eugene en Jacqulique wou hy net die beste hê. Hy het hulle altyd aangemoedig en ondersteun om hulself te verbeter. Hy was ‘n streng, maar liefdevolle pa.
In die weermag
As militêre polisiebevelvoerder het hy verskeie toekennings ontvang en het uitgeblink in die eenheid. Eugene was altyd voor sy tyd bevorder. In elke kursus het hy eerste gestaan, die gevolg van hardwerkendheid en verseker intelligensie ook. Daarna is hy verplaas na die rekenaarstelsel eenheid.
Vroeëre politieke loopbaan
Eugene was ‘n Christen en as ouderling van NG Kerk Tuinedal het ek hom versoek om saam met een van sy wykslede na ‘n NP-vergadering te gaan. Daar is hy verkies as tak-tesourier, sonder dat hy enigsins beplan het om in die politiek te gaan. Onder sy rentmeesterskap het die finansies vlot verloop. Hy was ook een van die stigterslede van die DA. Hier het almal hom geken vir ‘n man met ‘n toe beursie, hy sou eerder sy eie geld op DA verpligtinge spandeer as om die DA-beursie te gebruik wat in sy sorg as tesourier toevertrou is.
George-stadsraad
In 2001 is Eugene verkies tot die George-stadsraad, waar hy as exco-lid en later as speaker gedien het. Van die projekte waarvoor hy hom veral beywer het was die munisipale swembad in Conville, die Plattner Boulevard deurpad van Heatherpark na Yorkstraat, die rolstoel vriendelike sypaadjies in George en Emmaüs tuiste vir gestremdes.
In die parlement
Gedurende sy tweede termyn in die raad is hy verkies tot die Wes-Kaapse parlement, waar hy die voorsitter van verskeie staande komitees was onder andere, vervoer, toerisme, finansies en die provinsiale begroting. In sy tyd in die Kaap het hy ook die meeste wette deur die parlement gesien, (hersiening en nuwe wette). Hy het ook in die ‘Governance and Leadership’-kursus by die Universiteit van Witwatersrand die beste in die Wes-Kaap gevaar.
Gedurende sy tweede termyn in die parlement was hy by die National Council of Provinces (NCOP). Met net soveel ywer het hy daardie taak aangepak, hoewel hy nie eers ‘n jaar daar was voor hy siek geword het nie.
Hy was altyd gedissiplineerd in sy optrede. Hy was ‘n groot man, fisies en geestelik.
Eugene (right) celebrated his 60th birthday at the King George Hotel. On his 61st birthday on 9 May he was in hospital receiving a bone marrow transplant. Tomorrow (Friday 27 May) is the first anniversary of his death. With Eugene are from left: Richard Sellars (Ina’s sister's husband) and Ina's brothers Ockie and Hennie Barnard.
Ina and Eugene von Brandis at a military ball in Pretoria 20 years ago.
Psalm 1:3 - "en hy sal soos 'n boom wees, wat geplant is by waterstrome, wat sy vrugte gee op sy tyd en waarvan die blare nie verwelk nie, en alles wat hy doen voer hy voorspoedig uit."
