Witsie Generations: The Akerman Family
- By Deborah Minors
Dr Akerman, Dr Akerman and Dr AkermanThe Akerman family boasts five Witsies of three generations, all of whom are Wits Medical School alumni. The first of the Akerman doctors from Wits, Coneth John Akerman was born in 1918. He graduated with an MBBCh in 1944. He enlisted in the army and was demobilised as a Captain in 1946. In Fort Beaufort, he opened the first government Health Centre catering to the needs of black patients. In 1952, John joined his cousin, Dr Halley Stott, at the Health Centre in Botha’s Hill, where he worked until his retirement. It was next to the Health Centre that Dr Stott established the Valley Trust and for many years, John served on the committee. John died in September 1996, aged 78. John’s brother, Bernard Stott was born in 1932. He graduated from Wits Medical School in 1958. As a student, he also completed first aid and nursing certificates and earned his private pilot’s licence. After graduating, he attended the Royal College in the UK, where he specialised in anaesthetics. He returned to South Africa in characteristic adventurous fashion; flying from London to Dar-Es-Salaam, then on to Durban overland. While practicing in Durban, he spent his free time sailing, flying and (briefly) running a coffee farm. He returned to the UK in the ‘70s to specialise in histpathology, becoming a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists in 1992. He returned to South Africa and worked at Addington Hospital where he retired as head of department in 1997. He died in 2007, aged 75. John and Bernard’s third brother, Cedric Conrad, was born in 1922 and enrolled at Wits in the midst of World War II. Cedric’s nephew, Anthony, notes in Cedric’s obituary that his uncle joined the army in response to a remark made by General Jan Smuts “that any man who wanted to serve his country could enlist” (Cedric was then only 17). The army used Cedric’s enlistment as a publicity stunt and his photograph appeared on the cover of the Rand Daily Mail. Cedric practiced medicine successfully after the war and, in retirement, devoted much of his time to documenting the Akerman family history. He died in August 2010, aged 87. Cedric’s son, Hugh Neville was born in February 1954 and graduated from Wits Medical School in 1977. Hugh told The Edge: “Cedric was in private GP practice 1948 ‘til 1986. I joined the practice in 1982 and am still in the practice now - been going 65 years. Hoping my son, Mark will join the practice in two years time!” Mark John, one of Hugh and his wife’s three children, was born in 1984. Mark holds a BSc from Wits in addition to an MBBCh. He completed his medical internship in Port Shepstone. Mark is an enthusiastic hockey player and served as Vice-Chair of the Sports Council at Wits in 2006/7. He is currently working in Canada. Are you a Witsie Generation family? |
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