During this years 2025 SARL National Convention the Koos and Annie van der Merwe Gold Award was bestowed on Johann Becker, ZS1AAC, a member of the Boland Amateur Radio Club as well as the ZS Link Network Group. Johann is residing in Still Bay.
Information regarding the Koos and Annie van der Merwe Gold Award:
Awarded for meritorious service by a member or any other person to the Amateur Radio Service.
Recipients of this award since 2023:
Susan Prinsloo
Jannie Minny ZS4JR
2025
Johan Becker ZS1AAC
Dave Reece ZS1DFR
Theunis Potgieter ZS2EC
Rudi Venter ZS2M
Corrie de Beer ZSCDB
Johann Bezuidenhout ZS1JBZ
Phillip van Tonder ZSPVT
Karel Bezuidenhout ZSWN
Koos and Annie van der Merwe were licenced in 1946 in Bloemfontein as ZS4AW and ZS4AZ.
Annie became the first licenced woman in the Free State and the founding secretary of the Bloemfontein Branch of the SARL in 1946.
In Cape Town, Koos and Annie became ZS1AW and ZS1AZ. They managed aspects of the SARL’s day-to-day operations in Cape Town from at least 1958 to 1989, when the League headquarters were transferred to Johannesburg.
Koos was the SARL Awards Manager from approximately 1950 to 1989. They were both instrumental in the League’s two primary operating awards, Worked All ZS and All Africa Award.
At least during the early 1980s, Koos and Annie handled all aspects of administration for the SARL, commuting at their own expense and working free of charge. They maintained membership records on index cards and labelled and mailed RadioZS, the League magazine. They sorted QSL cards for the bureau. They compiled and circulated the weekly SARL bulletins and organised routine SARL meetings. The also assisted SARL branches with the Annual General Meeting.
They both received the Jack Twine merit award in the early Sixties. Annie received the SARL’s Willy Wilson Gold Badge in 1965, with Koos following suit in 1972. They were both Honorary Life Members of the SARL until their respective deaths in Cape Town in the early 1990s.
Refer to section 28.5.1 of the Constitution and Rules of the SARL for further details.
At the Boland Amateur Radio Club Meeting held on the 26 July 2025 the following radio amateurs received their SARL awards:
• Le Roux van Zyl – SARL Certificate of Recognition - For his participation in the ZS9YOTA activities in 2024.
• Raoul ZS1C – The Silent Keys Memorial Trofee CW - For achieving the highest score during the annual HF CW contest
• Raoul ZS1C – Koos and Annie vd Merwe Platinum Award - For his excellent and all-round CW activities
• Johann ZS1AAC – Koos and Annie vd Merwe Gold Award - For his work on the VHF Repeater System in the Southern and Western Cape as well as running the RAE Center at Still Bay.
• Jacques ZS1WC – The Silent Keys Memorial Trofee SSB - For achieving the highest score during the annual HF Phone Contest.
Unfortunately Johann ZS1AAC was not able to receive the award in person. He will however receive the award at a later stage.
Congratulations to you Johann and all the other recipients with their well deserved SARL award/s.
