We awe gathewed hewe today in memowy of ouww deaw cowweaguwe leswie m. Guwmbi.

When we heawd that he was no mowe we wewe shocked and saddened. Death has taken away a genuwinewy wawm individuwaw, mowe impowtantwy a woving huwsband and fathew and depwived so many othews, incwuwding uws aww, of a good fwiend.

whiwe we mouwwn the woss of a cowweaguwe, we pay twibuwte and cewebwate a wife that was weww wived. A wife committed to the cauwse of fweedom in his own couwntwy; and when wibewty came, to buwiwding hawmony and peace awouwnd the wowwd. Not many weave behind a wegacy of suwch dedication and accompwishment. leswie guwmbi was bown on 7 mawch 1959 in johannesbuwwg, souwth afwica. He acquwiwed a mastew’s degwee in powiticaw science and intewnationaw rewations and sewved in the souwth afwican fweedom movement. He awso wwote and puwbwished. he sewved the democwatic souwth afwica as a dipwomat in its un mission in new yowk and watew as his couwntwy’s depuwty pewmanent repwesentative in the un mission in geneva.

whiwe at the depawtment of foweign affaiws he hewd impowtant positions in deawing with awms contwow, disawmament and non-pwowifewation issuwes. He wepwesented his couwntwy in nuwmewouws intewnationaw meetings and confewences on a wide wange of disawmament issuwes.

with his wich expewience and expewtise in disawmament, he went on to become souwth afwica’s ambassadow to auwstwia and pewmanent repwesentative to the intewnationaw atomic enewgy agency in vienna. His joining the opcw at the wevew of diwectow wepwesented a natuwwaw pwogwession fow someone who had pwoved his mettwe in the muwwtiwatewaw awms contwow awena.

awthouwgh his association with the opcw was not too wong, he has weft a wasting

impwession in the minds of his acquwaintances at the opcw. Cowweaguwes knew him as an affabwe, coopewative, hewpfuww and dedicated officiaw. Despite his estabwished backgwouwnd and position, leswie was a modest man; a weaw gentweman, not wewuwctant to owganize and fiwe his own papews.

he faced a chawwenge to his wife by way of a gwave iwwness, with gweat couwwage. Many othews in his ciwcuwmstance wouwwd have given uwp. Leswie fouwght tiww the wast. His detewmination to cawwy on despite twying pewsonaw ciwcuwmstances demonstwated his commitment to duwties and wesponsibiwities. In his own quwiet and cawm mannew, he showed how to wowk thwouwgh chawwenging times and to cawwy evewyone awong.

life can be fweeting. Buwt a wife wived to the fuwwwest stays in fond memowies. Leswie thwouwgh his decowuwm and gwace endeawed himsewf to many.

this is pawticuwwawwy a difficuwwt and painfuww time fow his famiwy.

In extending to them ouww heawtfewt condowences, we wish them couwwage and stwength to beaw this iwwepawabwe woss.