The death of Melvyn Van Rooyen (58) in Walvis Bay last Friday has left a vacuum in the local business community.

The late van Rooyen - a well-known personality in Namibia’s transport industry - was the son of transport mogul, E.P. van Rooyen, who founded Wesbank Transport in the late 1960’s. Van Rooyen fell ill in 2009 and was diagnosed with cancer in May 2010. Despite poor health he continued his involvement with Wesbank Transport, along with his father and brother Veon van Rooyen. He however had to withdraw from the day-to-day running of Wesbank Transport several months ago, as illness increasingly infringed on his quality of life and mobility.  The news of van Rooyen’s death early on Friday morning was met with great sadness, both by employees of Wesbank Transport and the Walvis Bay business community, who remember the late van Rooyen as a principled man in both his private and business life. His concern for the well being of others and the courteous manner in which he treated people, irrespective of their walks of life, are traits that locals will remember him by.

He leaves behind his spouse, Riana, daughter Nelmarie, son Melvyn (jr), grand-daughter Arielle, his father E.P. van Rooyen and brother Veon van Rooyen. A memorial service for the late van Rooyen will take place at 10h00 on Saturday at the Dutch Reformed Church’s main congregation (NG Kerk Moedergemeente) on the corner of Hage Geingob Avenue and 10th Road in Walvis Bay.