Retief touches children’s hearts with his words

Bergville is celebrating its very own homegrown published author and he’s only 22 years old!

Retief Potgieter has just had two books of children’s stories published.

His friends, family, ex-teachers and members of the community who have known him since he was a baby gathered for a book launch on Thursday at Bergville Primary School, where Retief attended school from Grade 1 to 7.

The two books both have a Christmas theme, which is Retief’s favourite time of year, and are filled with magic and mystery.

Retief explains: “I have been writing stories in my head as long as I can remember.

“When I was little, my granny always told me stories: Peter Rabbit, Winnie the Pooh, Peter and the Wolf were all stories I knew by heart.

“As I got older, I started reading and reading, and have never stopped. I have approximately 1500 books at home.”

Retief’s granny will be well-known to long-time residents of Ladysmith. She was Pam Oosthuizen, principal of Keate Street Primary School. He started writing during his second year of varsity (he studied communications at the University of the Free State).

He was not able to complete his studies, but did an online course through the South African Writers College, which helped him to “pick up a few tricks”.

Retief’s achievement is all the more amazing because he was born with Larsen’s Syndrome, a condition which means the joints are undeveloped. Retief’s mom, Delmarie Potigeter, says, “When Retief was born, they did not give him much chance of living very long.”

His body was severely deformed and through his childhood years, he underwent operation after operation to straighten his spine and correct his legs. He now walks on his knees, but is able to lead a normal life.

At primary school, he rode his bicycle to school, sang in the school choir, was a prefect and media monitor, and scored for the U/13 cricket team. In his Grade 7 year, he was Dux.

He attended Ladysmith High School (LHS), where he had a personal assistant to help him move around.

He achieved honours for speech & drama, colours for chess and half-colours for debating.

He was both a school and hostel prefect.

Retief is sport mad and proudly tells, “I was the first team rugby mascot at school. I wore a No. 23 on my jersey!”

With a chuckle, he relates how at high school, his friends would pay him to write their book orals!

One of the school friends who attended the book launch added cynically, “The problem was no one could read his handwriting!”

Retief describes the tough process of getting his books published. He was rejected by some publishers, but pressed on and found World Publishing South Africa, who accepted his manuscripts and, as he says, “the rest is history”.

Retief is proudly supported by his parents, Delmarie and Bam Potgieter, and his two younger sisters, Natasha and Adele. Delmarie and Bam both attended LHS and their elder daughter, Natasha, is in Grade 11.

Bam says, “I always wondered how proud a dad must be when his son is chosen to play rugby for the Springboks. Now I know. I couldn’t be prouder of Retief than I am today.”

Delmarie, who is Head of Department at Bergville Primary School, says, “He has exceeded our wildest expectations; we are so proud of him.”

Retief has already submitted further manuscripts to his publishers and says he is now working on a book in Afrikaans, his home language.

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