LATE Deputy National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) advocate Rodney de Kock has been remembered as a pillar of strength to an NPA working to rebuild itself, and a devoted father to his two children.
De Kock died in Johannesburg on Monday evening surrounded by his family and friends following a short illness.
He was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer in early December last year and his health declined rapidly.
De Kock had a distinguished career in private practice, the training and mentoring of young legal practitioners, and the management of the prosecutorial services in the country.
“After a luminary career, marked by an uncompromising dedication to justice, the democratic order, and his fellow citizens, his family and friends take great solace in knowing that Rodney served his country with unblemished integrity, dedication, honesty, and humility. He was a devoted father to his children, Ryan and Samantha, whom he loved and cherished dearly,” a statement released by De Kock’s family read.
De Kock, who had many interests and talents, was also described as a serious musician and mastered the guitar and saxophone. He was also a motor mechanic at the weekend and had a passion for the outdoors.
De Kock completed his articles at Wilkinson Joshua and Gihwalla in 1983, where he became a partner.
He went on to serve as the Head of the Legal Aid Board Clinic at UCT from 1994 to 1999, under whom numerous candidate attorneys completed their articles.
De Kock was the founding member and served as an executive of the National Association of Democratic Lawyers (Nadel) established in 1987 under the leadership of renowned Cape Town lawyer and later the first Minister of Justice in a democratic South Africa, the late Minister Dullah Omar, and the esteemed late Chief Justice Pius Langa and many others.
He was also a Presiding Officer in the Electoral Court in 1994. In 1997, he was appointed as a member of the Legal Aid Task Team by the then Minister of Justice which drafted South Africa’s National Public Defender Model.
De Kock was the first black person to be appointed as Attorney-General in the country when he took up the post of Attorney-General of the Western Cape in 1999, thereafter he joined the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) as Director of Public Prosecutions for the Western Cape in November 2003.
In 2019, De Kock was also asked by President Cyril Ramaphosa to act as the National Director of Public Prosecutions.
De Kock was appointed by Ramaphosa as the Deputy National Director of Public Prosecutions in June 2020, a position he held until his death.
NPA Spokesperson Adv Mthunzi Mhaga said De Kock joined the NPA ExCo team to contribute to the rebuilding of the NPA after years of state capture.
“The NPA leadership, NPA staff and colleagues in the criminal justice system will miss his passion for justice and the rule of law in this country. DK, as we fondly called him, was a pillar of strength in the NPA. Amongst many other things, he led the law enforcement agencies on the FATF, focusing our collective efforts and commitment to get the country to exit grey listing and dedicated his last months to this work.”
National Director of Public Prosecutions, Shamila Batohi said: “This is a huge loss for the NPA and the country. He was a solid lawyer, a gentleman, and a true warrior for justice. He will be sorely missed.”
Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi expressed her condolences to De Kock's family and colleagues.
“The passing of Advocate Rodney De Kock is a profound loss to the NPA, the legal fraternity and our country. He was a reliable pillar of strength to the NPA that is working hard to rebuild itself and gear up to turn the tide against corruption and entrench the rule of law in our society. He was an instrumental part of the team that has worked hard to restore public confidence in the criminal justice system. His wisdom, dedication and commitment to service will be sorely missed. We call on all those he mentored and guided to emulate his sterling example.”
Details of the memorial and funeral service are expected to be announced in due course.
Cape Times