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29 November 2017

Passing of Construction Law Student, Ignatius Wilhelm Henning

The Dickson Poon School of Law offers its condolences in the wake of the loss of student Ignatius Wilhelm Henning.

The Dickson Poon School of Law
The Dickson Poon School of Law

It is with great sadness that the staff at The Dickson Poon School of Law report the loss of student Ignatius Wilhelm Henning. Known as “Naas”, he died in Pretoria on 28 May 2017 aged 60, just under a year after being diagnosed with leukaemia.

His passing is mourned by his family, friends and colleagues in his native South Africa and also by his fellow classmates where he was a well-liked and popular member of the MSc in Construction Law and Dispute Resolution class from 2014 to 2016. Naas is survived by his wife Marina, his daughter Lenise and his sons Pieter and Wilhelm.

A co-owner and director of VIP Consulting Engineers since 1992, Naas was a distinguished alumnus of the University of Pretoria holding undergraduate and postgraduate civil engineering qualifications along with a Diploma in Arbitration and Mediation. An additional Master’s degree in Business Leadership obtained from the University of South Africa further supplements a distinguished management career in civil engineering infrastructure. 

In his condolences to the family, the Director of the Centre, Professor David Mosey said “I and the other members of the Centre of Construction Law team are very sad indeed to have learned that Naas has passed away. We send his family our sincere condolences. We remember Naas well as a mature, thoughtful and friendly student, and it was a great pleasure to have him on our MSc course. He was also very popular among the other students and was always willing to share his extensive professional experience.”

On 1 December 2017 Ignatius was posthumously awarded the Diploma (Postgraduate) in Construction Law & Dispute Resolution in recognition of his achievements on the programme. His award will be recognised at The Dickson Poon School of Law graduation ceremony to be held on 23 January 2018, which will be attended by his family.