Riaan Cruywagen born on October 5, 1945 is a South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

n television news reader and voice artist who has been associated with the South African Broadcasting Corporation

South African Broadcasting Corporation

The South African Broadcasting Corporation is the state-owned broadcaster in South Africa and provides 18 radio stations as well as 3 television broadcasts to the general public.-Early years:Radio broadcasting began in South Africa in 1923...

 since its first television broadcasts in 1975.

In June 2003, following an outcry over reports that Cruywagen's contract with the SABC would not be renewed, an agreement between the SABC and UASA (United Association of South Africa) was reached. His contract was renewed, and it was announced that he would continue with his duties for a period of time.

The name Riaan Cruywagen has become synonymous with Afrikaans television news through his lengthy career. In the mid-2000s, following the contract renewal issue, Cruywagen was once more the focus of popular culture in South Africa for a time, when a number of e-mail and internet jokes originally referring to Chuck Norris

Chuck Norris

Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris is an American martial artist and actor. After serving in the United States Air Force, he began his rise to fame as a martial artist and has since founded his own school, Chun Kuk Do...

 and David Hasselhoff

David Hasselhoff

David Michael Hasselhoff is an American actor, singer, producer and businessman. He is best known for his lead roles as Michael Knight in the popular 1980s US series Knight Rider and as L.A. County Lifeguard Mitch Buchannon in the series Baywatch...

 were modified by using his name in their place. South African-themed jokes in a similar vein were also circulated, mostly related to his perennially youthful appearance and intellectual prowess.

Cruywagen was also a voice artist for the character "Haas Das" on the popular Afrikaans children's news program-
Haas Das se Nuuskas

Haas Das se Nuuskas

Haas Das se Nuuskas was a weekly short television show in South Africa about a rabbit and a mouse running a news broadcast in Diere Land . Created by Louise Smit in 1976, at the time of television's introduction in South Africa, it was the first children's television programme in that country...

" in 1976 . He also voiced the character when it was revived in a movie "Haas Das hou konsert"( Hare Tie holds a concert) in 2007. He originally got the job, when he was telling the show's creator-Louise Smit a joke one day. She grabbed him and screamed: "I've got my rabbit!"
He also voiced numerous characters in another children's programme-"Liewe Heksie

Liewe Heksie

Liewe Heksie is a fictional character created in 1961 by Afrikaans children’s books author Verna Vels. The Liewe Heksie series consisted of a number of books...

"

He also appeared in an ad-campaign for ATKV/Pendoring, as a waitor in a restaurant with a board on the wall saying:" Moenie die taal afskeep nie! / Don't disrespect the language!"-referring to Afrikaans.
Cruywagen has appeared in a number of films, playing himself as a newsreader, including an appearance reading the news in Zulu

Zulu language

Zulu is the language of the Zulu people with about 10 million speakers, the vast majority of whom live in South Africa. Zulu is the most widely spoken home language in South Africa as well as being understood by over 50% of the population...

 in Leon Schuster

Leon Schuster

Leon Ernest "Schuks" Schuster is a South African filmmaker, comedian, actor, presenter and singer.- Early life :Schuster was drawn to the filmmaking process at an early age...

's "Sweet 'n Short". He was also seen in Stander

Stander (film)

Stander is a 2003 biographical film about Captain André Stander, a South African police officer who turned into a bank robber, starring Thomas Jane.-Reception:...

 as a nostalgic reminder of his long career as newsreader.

External links

• Who's who of South Africa:Riaan Cruywagen
• SABC:Cruywagen to stay
• "Don't Shoot", a documentary about Riaan Cruywagen in the Why Democracy?
  Why Democracy?
  Why Democracy? is a documentary film series produced by Steps International. The series consists of 10 films depicting independent documentary filmmakers personal perception of and experience with democracy, and was broadcast by 42 different broadcasters worldwide between the 8th and the 18th of...
  
  2007 series
• TVSA Actor Profile
• Snaparazzi Gallery