
Rev Colin Andrews dies age 86
Reverend Colin Andrews, who served the community of Benoni from the pulpit of the Central Methodist Church for 14 years, died in Pinetown on May 23 after a long struggle with dementia, at the age of 86.
He is survived by his wife, Christine, and his children, Britt van der Knaap, Chad, Rhett and Ryan Andrews, and eight grandchildren.
Between 1963 and 1970, Andrews became an ordained minister with the Methodist Church of Southern Africa (Johannesburg) and went on to serve at congregations in many other parts of the country.
These included the Russell Road Methodist Church in Port Elizabeth (1963), Rhodes University in Grahamstown (1964-1965), White River Methodist Church (1966-1970), Kempton Park Methodist Church (1971-1975), Benoni Central Methodist Church (1976-1990) and Durban North Methodist Church (1991 until his retirement in 2004).
With a love for bonsai, reading, music, sport, the cinema and theatre, Andrews' service to the community extended to volunteer work, for which he also received many awards over the years.
ALSO READ: Trinity Methodist Church holds fund-raiser
His professional activities and skills included being a spiritual director, pastoral and grief counsellor, trauma debriefer, public speaker and marriage officer, among others.
Andrews was also a dedicated community volunteer.
Some of his volunteer work included serving as a member of the Benoni West School board in 1980, from 1983 to 1989 he held the position of national chairman of Life Line Southern Africa, was a member of the Willowmoore High School board from 1984 to 1985, the mayoral chaplain from 1989 to 1990, between 1993 and 1996 he held the position of Presiding World President of Life Line International and from 1993 to 1994 was a peace monitor in the townships for the Network of International Monitors.
Andrews' work did not go unnoticed and he was honoured by several distinguished community organisations.
Some of these awards were:
* 1980: Distinguised Service Award Jaycee South Africa in recognition of outstanding services.
* 1984: Toastmaster International Communication Achievement Award for outstanding achievements and contributions to communications excellence.
* 1986: Merit award from the Rotary Club of Benoni Van Ryn for devoted and unselfish service above self to the community.
* 1990: Paul Harris Fellow awarded by the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International.
* 1996: Awarded Honorary Life President of Life Line Southern Africa.
A funeral service for Reverend Andrews will be live streamed on the Pinetown Methodist Church's Facebook Page on June 6 at 11:00.
ALSO READ: St James Methodist Church's outreach donate groceries to Villa Liza families
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Citizen
5 days ago
- The Citizen
Rev Colin Andrews dies age 86
Reverend Colin Andrews, who served the community of Benoni from the pulpit of the Central Methodist Church for 14 years, died in Pinetown on May 23 after a long struggle with dementia, at the age of 86. He is survived by his wife, Christine, and his children, Britt van der Knaap, Chad, Rhett and Ryan Andrews, and eight grandchildren. Between 1963 and 1970, Andrews became an ordained minister with the Methodist Church of Southern Africa (Johannesburg) and went on to serve at congregations in many other parts of the country. These included the Russell Road Methodist Church in Port Elizabeth (1963), Rhodes University in Grahamstown (1964-1965), White River Methodist Church (1966-1970), Kempton Park Methodist Church (1971-1975), Benoni Central Methodist Church (1976-1990) and Durban North Methodist Church (1991 until his retirement in 2004). With a love for bonsai, reading, music, sport, the cinema and theatre, Andrews' service to the community extended to volunteer work, for which he also received many awards over the years. ALSO READ: Trinity Methodist Church holds fund-raiser His professional activities and skills included being a spiritual director, pastoral and grief counsellor, trauma debriefer, public speaker and marriage officer, among others. Andrews was also a dedicated community volunteer. Some of his volunteer work included serving as a member of the Benoni West School board in 1980, from 1983 to 1989 he held the position of national chairman of Life Line Southern Africa, was a member of the Willowmoore High School board from 1984 to 1985, the mayoral chaplain from 1989 to 1990, between 1993 and 1996 he held the position of Presiding World President of Life Line International and from 1993 to 1994 was a peace monitor in the townships for the Network of International Monitors. Andrews' work did not go unnoticed and he was honoured by several distinguished community organisations. Some of these awards were: * 1980: Distinguised Service Award Jaycee South Africa in recognition of outstanding services. * 1984: Toastmaster International Communication Achievement Award for outstanding achievements and contributions to communications excellence. * 1986: Merit award from the Rotary Club of Benoni Van Ryn for devoted and unselfish service above self to the community. * 1990: Paul Harris Fellow awarded by the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. * 1996: Awarded Honorary Life President of Life Line Southern Africa. A funeral service for Reverend Andrews will be live streamed on the Pinetown Methodist Church's Facebook Page on June 6 at 11:00. ALSO READ: St James Methodist Church's outreach donate groceries to Villa Liza families At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!


The South African
21-05-2025
- The South African
Machine arrives at Cape Town's Zeekoevlei for dredging to begin
The components of the dredger arrived at Zeekoevlei in the False Bay Nature Reserve over the weekend and are now being assembled. Image: City of Cape Town The City of Cape Town recently revealed that the components of the floating suction dredger have arrived at Zeekoevlei. ADVERTISEMENT Here, the project team will assemble the machine, and if all goes as planned, testing will take place at the end of this week. 'I am very pleased to say that all is on track for the dredging of Zeekoevlei to commence by mid-June 2025. The components arrived over the weekend, this in itself was quite an operation, and in coming days the dredger will be assembled and once ready, tested on the vlei.' the City's Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Eddie Andrews said. What exactly is dredging? Dredging is the process of removing sediment, debris, and other materials from the bottom of water bodies such as rivers, lakes, harbours, and oceans. The process is done using specialised equipment to deepen waterways, maintain navigation channels, prevent flooding, or reclaim land. Dredging is also commonly used in port maintenance, environmental cleanups, and construction projects. 'Improving the water quality at Zeekoevlei is a priority. The dredging will assist in removing pollutants and improving the overall health of this ecosystem. The intention is to dredge and remove as much of the nutrient rich sediment as possible over a period of 26 months,' Alderman Andrews added. The City said that two sections of Zeekoevlei will be dredged over the 26 months, first Storm Bay and thereafter the contractor will move to the section known as Home Bay. ADVERTISEMENT The dredged material will then be pumped with a slurry pipeline from Zeekoevlei to dewatering ponds where the sediment can dry out. Do you think any other waterbody in Cape Town or South Africa needs similar treatment? Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.


The South African
13-05-2025
- The South African
City of Cape Town says Zeekoevlei dredging will begin this June
The City of Cape Town's Spatial Planning and Environment Directorate has announced that the dredging of the Zeekoevlei waterbody will kick off in June 2025. According to the City, over the past decades, there has been a large build-up of sediment and nutrient rich organics in the Zeekoevlei lakebed that has resulted in algal blooms, which has negatively impacted the overall health of the vlei and its water quality for recreational users. The project team have already made great progress with the preparations for the dredging, which will take about two years as part of the City's efforts in improving the water quality of the waterbody. Cape Town's Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Eddie Andrews said that the dredging would likely begin by the middle of next month. 'If all goes as planned, and inclement weather does not cause any delays, residents and visitors to the reserve will see the dredger doing its job by mid-June, if not sooner,' Alderman Andrews revealed. Dredging is the process of removing sediment, debris, and other materials from the bottom of water bodies such as rivers, lakes, harbours, and oceans. The process is done using specialised equipment like dredgers to deepen waterways, maintain navigation channels, prevent flooding, or reclaim land. Dredging is also commonly used in port maintenance, environmental cleanups, and construction projects. The City said that two sections of Zeekoevlei will be dredged over a period of 26 months, first Storm Bay and thereafter the contractor will move to the section known as Home Bay. The dredged material will then be pumped with a slurry pipeline from Zeekoevlei to dewatering ponds where the sediment can dry out. Residents and visitors should expect a lot of activity in these areas where the contractor will be busy, and should be aware of the following: The work will happen from Monday to Saturday, but work may also be scheduled for public holidays and Sundays when absolutely necessary. There may also be noise during working hours, and the dredging process will release an odour as organic material and sediment are disturbed. Recreational users will have access to Zeekoevlei for rowing and sailing, but certain sections will be closed in the interest of safety. The public will have access to Zeekoevlei, including for bird watching, but certain sections of the False Bay Nature Reserve will be restricted while the work is happening. Do you think any other waterbody in Cape Town or South Africa needs to be dredged? Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.