Business and education stalwart, Andrew Layman, dies

Andrew Layman, former chief executive officer of the then Pietermaritzburg Chamber of Business (PCB), has died. He was 78.

Born in Durban, Layman matriculated at Durban Boys’

High School in 1961, later graduating from the Durban campus of the then University of Natal with a BA in education.

He taught at Glenwood High School from 1968 to 1982 before moving to Pietermaritzburg to take up the post of deputy principal at Maritzburg College.

In 1986, he was appointed principal of Alexandra High School.

Layman was also president of the Natal Teachers’ Society in 1992 and an executive member of the organisation that succeeded it, the Association of Professional Educators in KwaZulu-Natal.

In January 1996, Layman was seconded by the provincial education department to be acting superintendent of education and became acting district manager five months later.

He also chaired the KwaZuluNatal Education Council and the Provincial redeployment agency and task team.

In 2002, he was appointed director of the Pietermaritzburg Chamber of Commerce and Industries (PCCI), the PCB’s predecessor, an appointment which raised a few eyebrows in the city at the time.

His job was to represent the voice of business to local, provincial and national government, a role which some firms didn’t value quite as much as the networking opportunities they got from the PCB.

When Layman first came on board, the chamber movement was reflective of the old order and perpetuated apartheid divisions.

This changed under Layman’s watch and was reflected inside the PCB with people, including Lucky Moloi, Babu Baijoo and Zinhle Sokhela, taking up the post of president of the organisation.

Bajoo, said he was very sad to hear the news of Layman’s death.

“I got up to the very sad news of the passing of former CEO of the Pietermaritzburg Chamber of Business and Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry. I was fortunate to have worked together with Andrew from 1997 in a project to unite the chamber movement. The work he did in Pietermaritzburg and nationally led to the formation of PCB in 2002 and South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI) in 2004. Rest in Peace, my friend.”

Layman regarded the creation of the PCB in 2002 as one of the most important developments during his time as CEO. It resulted from the unification of the Midlands Black Business Chamber, the Pietermaritzburg Sakekamer and the PCCI, all of which disbanded to form the new body.

Melanie Veness, the CEO of the Pietermaritzburg and Midlands Chamber of Business (PMCB), which grew out of the PCB, said: “We’re very saddened by Andrew’s passing. Andrew made an immense contribution to the chamber movement, both locally and at a national level. He served our chamber faithfully for 13 years before he was appointed at the Durban Chamber. He played a pivotal role in the establishment of the PCB in 2002, an amalgamation of the three separate chambers in the city to form the united chamber that we all enjoy and benefit from today.

“Andrew was solid, sensible, measured and kind, someone you could always rely on to do the right thing. While he may have seemed quite serious at times, he was always approachable and he had a warm smile and a welcoming manner that could make anyone feel at home.

“He had a lovely sense of humour too – he regularly had the chamber lunch attendees in stitches with his, sometimes, quite naughty, jokes. He was very good to me personally, he remained a shoulder to lean on and just a phone call away, always willing to lend a hand or chat through something over a cup of coffee.

“He was an honourable man, a lovely man, and he will be greatly missed by many.”

Members of the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry were also saddened to learn of the passing of Layman. “We wish to extend our sincere condolences to Mr. Layman’s family, friends, and colleagues.”

His colleagues at the Durban chamber, described him as “a committed, compassionate man who loved the city, and was committed to playing a role in the upliftment and development of it.

“... Layman was a committed man who loved his job and enjoyed his career, he truly will be dearly missed by all.”

Layman was also a talented writer and became a regular columnist for the Witness, the Mercury and Public Eye.

“I am very fortunate in that I find it easy to write,” he said. “I sit down wondering what to write about and within 10 minutes I’ve got a subject I can write about.”