Civil Engineering January/February 2021 | Vol 29 No 1

Civil Engineering January/February 2021 47 Swaziland and the Driekoppies Dam in South Africa, downstream of Swaziland. PROFESSIONAL BODIES Theo was an active member of SAICE and participated particu- larly in its Water Engineering Division of which he was Chairman in 1975. He was also involved with the management of SAICE, serving on the Council and Executive Committee in the early 1990s. He also served for several years as a vice president. Theo was also a Fellow of the South African Academy of Engineering, which comprises eminent engineers of all disciplines and related professionals with proven ability and achievement. South Africa became a member of ICOLD in 1964 and formed the South African National Committee on Large Dams (SANCOLD). Because of his ability in French, Theo was ap- pointed as the Assistant Secretary who did all “donkey” work. Over the years, Theo rose through the ranks of SANCOLD and ICOLD and was eventually elected as president of ICOLD in 1994 – a position he held for three years. Another career highlight was when South Africa hosted the 1994 ICOLD Congress in Durban. Because of his prominent posi- tion as Director General of Public Works, Theo was able to per- suade then President Nelson Mandela to open the international congress, much to the delight of the delegates. Delivering the keynote address, President Mandela said, “I am proud of the active role South African engineers play in your organisation. I want to make use of this opportunity to congratu- late our own Theo van Robbroeck on the honour of having been chosen to serve as president of the august body (ICOLD) for the three years following upon this congress. I consider his election as a mark of the confidence your organisation has in the competence of South African hydraulic engineers.” The international exposure was of great benefit to South Africa as it provided the incentive to institute dam safety legisla- tion. The ICOLD president even featured prominently in the Lesotho treaty in connection with settlement of disputes via arbitration. Theo’s term of office as ICOLD president was rather stressed as it also coincided with the creation of the controversial World Commission on Dams under South African Professor Kader Asmal. LOVE OF SPORT Both Theo and Irma were active in sport until a very advanced age. They both played tennis at a high level until they retired to Stellenbosch in 2004. Theo seriously took up golf when they ar- rived in Stellenbosch and was a regular on the local course, where he still played a mean game. Just after Christmas he completed a round with a net 63, nine shots under his handicap, to the ap- plause and astonishment of his much younger partners. AWARDS AND TRIBUTES Theo received many awards and recognitions, including: Q Q AD Lewis Medallion from the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry for outstanding achievement Q Q Water Engineering Award 1992 presented for his contribution to water engineering in South-Africa Q Q Elected a SAICE Honorary Fellow in 2007 Q Q Elected a Fellow of the South African Academy of Engineering Q Q Honorary doctorate in engineering from Stellenbosch University in 1994. A large number of tributes were received from former colleagues when the news of the passing of Theo and Irma was circulated. A small sample of these tributes is given below. It was very sad news to learn of Theo van Robbroeck’s death and that of his wife Irma. Theo was a powerful force in the DWA and Theo greeting President Nelson Mandela at the opening of the 1994 ICOLD Congress in Durban Dr Theo van Robbroeck receiving his honorary doctorate from Stellenbosch University