The Deputy National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) advocate Rodney de Kock has died following a short illness.
De Kock was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer in early December last year and his health declined rapidly.
His family announced De Kock died in Johannesburg on Monday evening surrounded by his family and friends.
De Kock had a distinguished career in private practice, the training and mentoring young legal practitioners, and the management of the prosecutorial services in the country.
He completed his articles at Wilkinson Joshua and Gihwalla in 1983, where he became a partner.
He further went on to serve as the Head of the Legal Aid Board Clinic at the University of Cape Town (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.
“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 the 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 weekend and had a passion for the outdoors.
“The De Kock family takes much comfort from the fact that their beloved father, brother, and elder, passed peacefully after a short but courageous battle. They are grateful for the time they have shared with him,” the statement said.
De Kock leaves behind his two children and four siblings. The family wishes to express its appreciation for the support from the government, colleagues, and friends at this difficult time.
The family has requested some privacy as they come to terms with the loss and make the necessary arrangements to lay De Kock to rest.
Details of the memorial and funeral service will be communicated in due course.