Last will testament of kindness to animals

WELL-KNOWN business and mining industry figure Des Mathews, who died a month ago, made a point of remembering his pets and his affection for animals in the last will that he wrote a year before his death.

Mathews, who died of a heart attack on July 27, left a total of N$250 000 for his own pets and two animal welfare organisations in his will, according to the testament that has been filed at the office of the Master of the High Court. To the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in Windhoek, Mathews left N$100 000 in his will.To the Cat Protection Society, he left N$50 000.For the benefit of his own pets, he directed that his sister-in-law, Betty Mathews, should receive N$100 000 out of his estate.This is “for the care of my pets, who are very dear to me”, Mathews stated in the will, which is dated June 5 2006.Mathews died at the age of 84.He was still fit and active to the end of his life, and was still working at his company, Trust & Mining Co., most mornings, his son, Peter Mathews, told The Namibian yesterday.His father had thee dogs and a cat, and also three geese, as pets at the time of his death, Mathews Jnr said.He added that his father also had a habit of feeding stray cats at times, and that he had always been kind to the SPCA during his life.SPCA fundraiser Micheline Huester also said yesterday that Mathews had been a frequent financial contributor to the SPCA.As a not-for-profit organisation that depends on donations to make ends meet, the SPCA is always facing the challenge of raising enough funds to continue with its work, and as such the organisation is very happy to benefit from Mathews’ continued generosity, she said.Through his firm, Trust & Mining Co., Mathews acted as a consultant for various mining companies in Namibia, including handling secretarial functions for several companies, Mathews Jnr said.Mathews on occasion also acted as a liquidator for companies that were being wound up due to financial difficulties.These included Imcor Zinc, the former owner of the Rosh Pinah zinc and lead mine, of which Mathews was a joint liquidator in the mid-1990s, and copper mining company Tsumeb Corporation Limited, which was placed in liquidation in early 1998.As joint liquidator Mathews played a key role in the process through which the TCL mines were resuscitated under new ownership after some two years of inactivity.Mathews also served as a director on the boards of several companies, including the former Swabou Building Society and First National Bank of Namibia.He was a founder member of the Association of Mining Companies of South West Africa, now known as the Chamber of Mines of Namibia, when it was formed in 1969, and was an honorary life member of the Chamber of Mines.According to an inventory of his estate that has been filed with the Master of the High Court, Mathews left behind assets amounting to some N$9,58 million in value.Except for the bequests to the SPCA, the Cat Protection Society and for the care of his pets, the remainder of his assets were inherited by his three children, his eight grandchildren and close friends.To the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in Windhoek, Mathews left N$100 000 in his will.To the Cat Protection Society, he left N$50 000.For the benefit of his own pets, he directed that his sister-in-law, Betty Mathews, should receive N$100 000 out of his estate.This is “for the care of my pets, who are very dear to me”, Mathews stated in the will, which is dated June 5 2006.Mathews died at the age of 84.He was still fit and active to the end of his life, and was still working at his company, Trust & Mining Co., most mornings, his son, Peter Mathews, told The Namibian yesterday.His father had thee dogs and a cat, and also three geese, as pets at the time of his death, Mathews Jnr said.He added that his father also had a habit of feeding stray cats at times, and that he had always been kind to the SPCA during his life.SPCA fundraiser Micheline Huester also said yesterday that Mathews had been a frequent financial contributor to the SPCA.As a not-for-profit organisation that depends on donations to make ends meet, the SPCA is always facing the challenge of raising enough funds to continue with its work, and as such the organisation is very happy to benefit from Mathews’ continued generosity, she said.Through his firm, Trust & Mining Co., Mathews acted as a consultant for various mining companies in Namibia, including handling secretarial functions for several companies, Mathews Jnr said.Mathews on occasion also acted as a liquidator for companies that were being wound up due to financial difficulties.These included Imcor Zinc, the former owner of the Rosh Pinah zinc and lead mine, of which Mathews was a joint liquidator in the mid-1990s, and copper mining company Tsumeb Corporation Limited, which was placed in liquidation in early 1998.As joint liquidator Mathews played a key role in the process through which the TCL mines were resuscitated under new ownership after some two years of inactivity.Mathews also served as a director on the boards of several companies, including the former Swabou Building Society and First National Bank of Namibia.He was a founder member of the Association of Mining Companies of South West Africa, now known as the Chamber of Mines of Namibia, when it was formed in 1969, and was an honorary life member of the Chamber of Mines.According to an inventory of his estate that has been filed with the Master of the High Court, Mathews left behind assets amounting to some N$9,58 million in value.Except for the bequests to the SPCA, the Cat Protection Society and for the care of his pets, the remainder of his assets were inherited by his three children, his eight grandchildren and close friends.