The well-known, Bloemfontein born Savvas Vrahimis, one of South Africa’s foremost terrestrial scientists, will be laid to rest on Saturday (25/03). He died at Medi Clinic Bloemfontein this past Sunday at the age of 70 years.
A passionate conservationist, Vrahimis had been suffering from ill-health. His funeral service will be held at the AVBOB chapel in Bloemfontein at 14:00.
Vrahimis is survived by his spouse, Sheila, daughter, Nikola Vrahimis-Fraser, son in-law, Mark Fraser, and grandson, George Vrahimis-Fraser (3). Sheila was a geography lecturer at the University of the Free State (UFS) and the former Vista University.
“My Savvas’ funeral service will be a combination of our two cultures, Greek and African. My husband was well loved and respected,” said Sheila.
Vrahimis matriculated at Grey College. His parents, George and Rosie, owned the historic Waldorf Café building which was built in 1928. Part of the Free State capital and situated on the corner of Charlotte Maxeke and Elizabeth Street, the building is set opposite the Supreme Court of Appeal and Fourth Raadsaal.
Vrahimis initially enrolled for dentistry at the University of Witwatersrand (Wits), but he dropped his studies because he was a man of “glade” or open wood and forest spaces. However, he attained a degree in botany and zoology from the UFS. After completing his studies, he worked at the institution’s laboratory unit. In 1979, Vrahimis joined the Free State Department of Tourism and Environment. He went on to complete a masters’ degree in zoology with black wildebeest as his thesis theme.
Vrahimis retired from the department with a good reputation for upholding his commendable work ethics. He is remembered for his crucial contribution towards nature conversations and kindness to people, too. Vrahimis was recognised as a leading researcher both nationally and internationally.
“I worked with Savvas for years, and he will be remembered as a person who truly was a public servant. Savvas was a purist and had a huge burden and passion for keeping Free State reserves and fauna in a state as they were before serious human impact started having a negative effect. With the risk of hybridization increasing as closely related species were forced into unnaturally small enclosures by game farming, he was extremely serious about keeping species like blesbok and bontebok as well as blue, and especially black wildebeest, genetically pure,” said Thabang Selemela, director of the provincial department of economic development and tourism.
Selemela paid tribute saying: “As a person, Savvas was a modest, kind, hospitable, and easy person to get along with. He had a very pleasant disposition. As a boss and supervisor, his personnel were always treated fairly, with respect, and with their best interest and development at heart. If any unhappy attitude was suspected, the employee would be invited for coffee and the issues be resolved eye-to-eye. His integrity was of the highest standard – something that is as endangered as some of the species he fought for.”
Vrahimis’ unquestionable passion for the black wildebeest was further illustrated in 2003. He joined hands with paleontologist James Brink to save the genetic integrity of the black wildebeest, which is one of only a handful of species endemic to the central interior of South Africa. This was after learning the species was under threat due to crossbreeding with its ancestral species, the blue wildebeest,
