Komani passed away on the night of Saturday, 11 July at Peace Care Hospice in Tarka, Mossel Bay.
He was born in Mossel Bay on 2 July, 1951.
“Willie was a natural storyteller with an enormous empathy for and interest in the vulnerable and the defenceless, and especially for the natural world,” said the owner of the Oystercatcher Trail, Fred Orban.
“I met him some 20 years ago when I was chairperson of Coast Care in this region, and he was working for the organisation. I was also at that time doing radio stories on the environment on South Cape Radio, and I interviewed him for one of my programmes about his absolute passion for a clean and healthy natural environment.
“He later trained as a guide, and joined the Oystercatcher Trail in 2003.
“In my opinion he was one of the main role players who helped showcase the plight of what was then one of South Africa’s most endangered coastal birds - the African black oystercatcher.
“As a result of the banning of vehicles on all beaches, the banning of dogs from sensitive beaches, and the massive, country-wide information campaign that Willie supported so strongly, this species will soon be removed from the highly endangered list - because its numbers have increased so significantly,” said Mr. Orban.
Orban said that Komani’s dedication to his work helped to position the Oystercatcher Trail (a 5-day luxury hiking trail between Cape St. Blaize and the Gouritz River Mouth) as one of the finest in the world.
“He featured in documentaries about the Trail made by Julia Bradbury for the BBC and by Pasella, Jan Braai, and others.”
