In memoriam : Gilbert Theo Hinze: 1943 - 2024

Abstract

Gilbert Hinze was born on 22 October 1943 in Paulpietersburg, KwaZulu-Natal and grew up on his parent’s farm in the Commondale district near Piet Retief. His schooling was at the Commondale Primary School and the Piet Retief High School where he matriculated. Gilbert graduated as a veterinarian in 1967. Gilbert married Alida de la Rouviere Badenhorst. The couple were blessed with a son. Gilbert and Alida were later divorced and Gilbert then married Martie de Beer. After graduating he joined a private practice in Zululand. In 1970 Gilbert left private practice to join Merck Sharp & Dohme in Johannesburg as a technical adviser where he was predominantly involved with the registration of veterinary pharmaceuticals. In 1978 he returned to private practice in Piet Retief showing a specific interest in embryo transfer in cattle. In 1986 he moved to a private practice in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. In 1994 Gilbert joined the Meat Board of South Africa in Pretoria where he was actively involved in the Meat Board’s Red Meat Abattoir programme and to a lesser extent in the Board’s Pig Health Scheme. In 2004 Gilbert left Radical Waters to become independently involved in a multitude of veterinary-associated activities in South Africa and abroad. Some of these activities were linked to the application of ECA Technology. At one stage he was particularly active in China promoting the replacement of medicated feeds in intensive pig and broiler systems by using ECA solutions in the drinking water. In China, where the intensive rearing of rabbits is done on a large scale, Gilbert became involved in developing a unique Foliar Organic Plant Growth Promotant derived from rabbits’ urine. In these trials, Gilbert claimed that his findings showed a 99% increase in yield as opposed to the controls. In South Africa, Gilbert became involved in the rabbit industry with special reference to intensive rabbit rearing systems, improved nutrition, disease prevention strategies, breeding programmes/progeny testing of bucks and the possibility of performing artificial insemination on a large commercial scale. Over the past few years, Gilbert’s health gradually deteriorated and he passed away on 25 June, 2024.