Godfrey Cleinwerck, who has died in Cape Town at the age of 70, was the first serjeant-at-arms of the first democratic parliament of South Africa. In 1994, with the eyes of the world on him, he shouldered "his" 9.86kg mace, more than a metre long and made of 18ct gold, diamonds and platinum, symbol of the authority of parliament, and announced the entry of president Nelson Mandela into the chamber of the National Assembly.He said it was easily the greatest moment in a career as serjeant-at-arms that spanned 26 years, during which he announced the entry of presidents PW Botha, FW de Klerk, Mandela, Thabo Mbeki, Kgalema Motlanthe and Jacob Zuma.Cleinwerck was the epitome of a gentleman in the best sense of the word.He was immaculately dressed, calm under pressure, punctiliously correct, dignified, polite, equipped with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the arcane rules, protocols and traditions that govern parliament, well informed but meticulously discreet about the latest political and not-so-political intrigues, and amiable up to a point.story_article_left1He liked to say, tongue only half in cheek, that he was the "Speaker's bouncer" or "chief bouncer of the National Assembly". Although he engaged easily with people, he was not to be trifled with.Errant MPs who earned the displeasure of the Speaker by being, as he put it, "unparliamentary", refusing to take their seats or shut their mouths when told to, would soon see Cleinwerck's imposing figure in black tail coat, white cravat and pristine white gloves bearing smoothly but purposefully down on them.After a brief murmured exchange he would "escort the member" from the House. Even the most agitated and troublesome would quickly succumb to his deceptively deferential powers of persuasion and go quietly.He performed this duty with such tact and grace that for the 20 MPs he escorted from the chamber between 1994 and his retirement in 2011, the experience elicited feelings of affection and even pride that they had received the personal attentions of so august a figure.On one celebrated occasion Cleinwerck had kicked off his shoes and was relaxing in his parliamentary office after a hard day when he glanced idly at his closed-circuit TV screen and was horrified to see ANC MP Johnny de Lange and New Nat MP Manie Schoeman wading into each other with fists flying.Grabbing his shoes, he flew down to the chamber to defuse the situation before it got completely out of hand.Then he sat late into the evening studying the footage in order to determine who had been the aggressor.Cleinwerck was born in Maitland, Cape Town, on January 9 1946. He matriculated at St Columba's High School.Following the family tradition, his first job, at the age of 17, was in the printing trade. He soon had to leave when it was found that he was colour blind.He joined the department of coloured affairs where he became the private secretary to some high official before being seconded in 1984 to the new tricameral parliament as the first serjeant-at-arms in the (coloured) House of Representatives.Cleinwerck, who never smoked, was diagnosed with lung cancer one year after his retirement. He was operated on and the cancer removed. Three years later it came back and nothing could be done for him.Cleinwerck is survived by his wife, Linda, and two children.1946-2016..