Hon Speaker, the Mbili family and members of this august House, I move without notice:
That the House -
(1) notes with great sadness the death of African National Congress (ANC) Member of Parliament, Mr Mandlenkosi Enock Mbili, in a motor vehicle accident on 10 July 2012 at the age of 48;
(2) further notes that Mr Mbili obtained a Diploma in Marketing Management at Unisa and a Business Administration degree at the University of Zululand;
(3) remembers that Mr Mbili, an active ANC member, served in various capacities within the ANC, including as chairperson of the ANC's Kwa Dabeka branch in KwaZulu-Natal from 1990 to 1994, and from 1999 to 2003, he served on the Regional Executive Committee and the Regional Working Committee of that province's lower region;
(4) further remembers that he served as an ANC Member of Parliament since 2006, representing his constituency of Hibberdene in KwaZulu- Natal, and he served with distinction as the ANC Whip of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts and as a member of the Standing Committee on Appropriations;
(5) recalls that he was one of the movement's hardest working and committed cadres in Parliament, pursuing his parliamentary oversight with great vigour and fearlessness;
(6) acknowledges his deep compassion, humility, commitment and courage which he proved in true selfless service to his people and the country;
(7) appreciates his immense contribution to furthering our democracy, his dedication and enthusiasm as a public representative and community worker and his work ethic; and
(8) extends its heartfelt condolences to the family of Mr Mbili, friends, colleagues and members of the African National Congress.
Order! Before I ask the next speaker to come to the podium, can I request hon members to reduce the noise level? Can I also ask the three Deputy Ministers in front of me to please stop conversing? We would like to listen to the speakers.
Thank you, Mr Speaker. Mandlenkosi Mbili was born and grew up in the Nyangwini area in KwaZulu-Natal, but was unfortunately and sadly taken away from us in an unexpected motorcar accident at the young age of only 48 years.
Hon Mbili matriculated at Zwelibanzi High School, whereafter he obtained a Diploma in Marketing Management at the University of South Africa, Unisa, as well as a Bachelor of Administration degree at the University of Zululand. The studies he pursued after matriculating proved his continuous love for gaining knowledge and bears testimony to the fact that he was a person with an inquisitive mind.
While Mandlenkosi was studying, working in the private sector and even after he established his own businesses, he remained committed to his political ideals and remained an active member of the ANC throughout. He was elected to the Regional Executive Committee of the ANC for the Lower South Coast Region, where he served as Regional Working Committee member. He remained particularly committed to the ideals of job creation and the eradication of poverty. Mandlenkosi became a Member of Parliament in 2006, and he passed away while in office. He served as ANC Whip of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Scopa, for a number of years and was transferred to the Standing Committee on Appropriations, Scoa, a few months ago. While serving with the hon Mbili on the Standing Committee on Appropriations, I found him to be serious about his job. He was the type of person who was committed to doing the right thing at all times to benefit all citizens. He was an open, honest, forthright, well-spoken and earnest person.
Mandlenkosi is survived by his wife and fiance, seven children, as well as four grandchildren and three sisters. Our thoughts and sympathy go to his family for the loss of a grandfather, father, husband and staunch family man. Our sympathy also goes to the ANC, who lost an excellent Member of Parliament. He will be missed by all of us and will remain with fondness in our thoughts.
Thank you very much, hon Speaker. On behalf of Cope, I rise to express our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the late Comrade Mandla Mbili, as well as to the ANC, who were also his family.
Death is a thief that comes in the night, when it is least expected, to strike a blow, leaving a family and a collective weakened and hurt. The passing on of Comrade Mandla Mbili came as a shock to us, his colleagues in the standing committee, while he was still recovering from a similar car accident.
We want to say that, more and more, motorcars are becoming coffins on wheels. To his family we say: Our hearts are reaching out to you for what you are going through. As for hon members and colleagues of the late Comrade Mbili, we know the pain you are going through. As members of this House, as we say farewell to this comrade, we must remember that he was one of us.
He was upfront. He spoke his mind, thinking less of personal consequences, while serving in the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Scopa, before he came to the Standing Committee on Appropriations, Scoa. Of course, we remember the stand he took on corruption. I would like to end this tribute to him by reading a short poem, written by H Kenya, titled The Loss of A Loved One:
The loss of a loved one is so hard to face, you just want to hide, go somewhere and escape! But death is something we all must go through, I know it's hard when it's someone you loved and knew.
Just know now, he is in a better place, no more hurt or pain shall he face. It seems unfair and, yes, this is true, but he is in Heaven now waching over me and you!
God has called him home to rest! And he's being well taken care of Because God knows best!
May his soul rest in peace!
Thank you very much, hon Speaker and colleagues. It was with a deep sense of shock that I received a text message early on the morning of 11 July 2012 from an unknown person who was in possession of my contact number, indicating that Comrade Mbili had been involved in a motorcar accident. I was struck with disbelief. My immediate reaction was to get into my motorcar and drive to his home, which is about seven or eight minutes away, at Umgababa, where the sad news of his death was confirmed.
What was shocking is that the night before, as I drove with my wife from Durban to the South Coast, I noticed police cars and an ambulance at a particular spot on the N2 national highway. It is a spot where one would never expect an accident to take place. There was no sign of any vehicle on the road. However, I realised the next morning that the vehicle of hon Mbili had gone over the barrier and was not visible from the road. It was shocking to know that I had passed without even knowing that a friend and neighbour - we called each other ``makhelwane'' [neighbour]- had passed on in that tragic accident.
On a social level, we visited each other's homes quite often. I know I visited his home when he had had two accidents prior to this one. I also went there with my wife and we used to enjoy braais together. We used to socialise and, as colleagues would know, we used to exercise together. The way we used to exercise was to go for a walk. Accompanying us on that walk used to be somebody called Johnny. And Johnny, since we came from the pre- apartheid era, had to be black! That is why we took Johnny Black with us when we were socialising. [Laughter.]
You would know when hon Mbili was around, even on an aeroplane. We used to travel very often on the six o'clock aeroplane from Durban to Cape Town and then back to Durban on Friday. Even a blind person would have known that hon Mbili had come on board the plane, because everybody knew when hon Mbili was around. He had that kind of bubbly character, which was spoken about earlier on. He was loud, but he loved life. As the other hon members said, it is tragic that the Almighty, in whose hands we all find ourselves, had to take him away at such a young age.
At a parliamentary level, when he joined us, I was on Scopa, and he was too. It is sad that two very active members of Scopa, hon Mavis Matladi and hon Mbili, had to pass on. Both of them were committed in their resolve to ensure that there was accountability for public funds. Some of you, colleagues, would recall that hon Mbili once made a director-general cry. We were in the Old Assembly Chamber and, given his robust questioning, she had no choice but to cry because she could not provide answers. Hon Mbili would not hesitate when somebody - whether a director-general or financial officer - said, "Well, you know, we reported this official to the police." He would say: "Chairperson, can that hon member give us the case number because I will phone my friend, Commissioner Bheki Cele, to find out if a charge has been laid against that official." He would do it then and there! That is the kind of robust questioning he used to perform.
I have no doubt that hon Mavis Matladi and hon Mbili will set up a standing committee on accountability in the place we are all going to one day. I feel sorry for the angels, even for Satan, because they are going to make them account for the good and the bad that they do. [Laughter.] I can hear him saying in my left ear, "You know what, Comrade Naren, we have done that already. You are too slow in asking us to do that."
To the representatives of the family who are here - Mr Sibongiseni Sibiya, Sithabile and the sisters who are here, as well as other family members, and to the ANC, you have lost a very committed member. On behalf of the IFP, I want to offer our heartfelt condolences to his close friend, Ndabenhle Mkhize, and say ...
Hamba kahle, mfowethu! Ngiyabonga! [Rest in peace, brother. Thank you!]
Mr Speaker and hon members, the UDM extends its condolences to the family, friends and the ANC on the tragic and untimely death of the late hon Mandlenkosi Enock Mbili, who died in a car accident on 10 July 2012.
The late hon Mandlenkosi Mbili was an exceptional political leader who served on a number of parliamentary committees, such as the Portfolio Committee on Finance and, recently, the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Scopa.
Like some in this House, I also had the privilege of interacting and engaging with the late hon Mbili. In all my interactions with him, he was committed to improving the effectiveness of parliamentary oversight. He also wanted a Parliament that truly represented the needs of the people. From the day I first met him until he passed on, I saw a gentleman and a very neat person.
We know that nothing we say will ease your pain. However, we trust that you will somehow find solace in the shining legacy of the selfless hard work he leaves behind. May his soul rest in peace. [Applause.]
Agb Speaker, ons as die VF Plus wil ons baie graag assosieer met die mosie wat vandag deur die Hoofsweep van die ANC voorgestel is. Dit is 'n mosie van roubeklag ter herdenking van ons kollega, die agb Mandlenkosi Enock Mbili.
Dit is onafwendbaar so dat die dood deel van die werklikheid is. Dit is iets wat niemand kan ontsnap nie, en dit is wat voorle.vir ons elkeen wat vandag hier sit. Tog, wanneer dit die dag gebeur met iemand soos ons kollega, dan tref dit 'n mens. Ons is nooit daarop voorberei nie. Dit kom onverwags, veral waar die kollega nie siek was nie en dit in 'n motorongeluk gebeur. Dit is vir ons almal skokkend en ons is hartseer daaroor.
Ek wil graag ons medelye aan sy gesin en familie oordra - hulle wat agterbly en vir wie dit baie moeilik gaan wees om 'n alleenpad te loop, met mooi herinneringe van 'n geliefde wat vir hulle daar was en wat nie nou meer daar is nie. Ons wil ook aan sy party, van wie hy 'n staatmaker was en waar hy 'n groot rol gespeel het, ons opregte meelewing en simpatie oordra.
Dit is gepas dat die Parlement op hierdie wyse nabetragting hou en erkenning en huldiging gee aan die lewe van ons kollega wat afgesterf het. Ons opregte simpatie en meelewing. Ons dink aan u. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)
[Dr C P MULDER: Hon Speaker, we, as the FF Plus, would really like to associate ourselves with the motion that was moved today by the Chief Whip of the ANC. It is a motion of condolence in commemoration of our colleague, the hon Mandlenkosi Enock Mbili.
It is inevitable that death is part of reality. It is something that none of us can escape, and something that is awaiting each one of us sitting here today. Still, the day when it happens to someone like our colleague, one is deeply affected by it. We are never really prepared for it. It hits us unexpectedly, especially when the colleague was not sick and passed away in a car accident. It comes as a shock to all of us and we are saddened by it.
I would really like to convey our condolences to his family - those who are left behind and for whom it is going to be very difficult to continue on their own, with loving memories of a loved one who was always there for them, but now is not there anymore. We would also like to convey our heartfelt sympathies to his party, of which he was a stalwart and where he played a major role.
It is fitting for Parliament, in this manner, to reflect, acknowledge and pay tribute to the life of our colleague who passed away. Our sincere condolences. We are thinking of you. [Applause.]]
Speaker, the ACDP joins this House in conveying our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the hon Mandlenkosi Mbili, who tragically passed away on 10 July 2012 as a result of a car accident.
Hon Mbili will be well remembered for his unwavering commitment and invaluable contribution to this House, where he participated in a number of portfolio committees, including appropriations. He also served as Whip for Scopa, a role that he, by all accounts, pursued with great vigour and fearlessness, and one in which his propensity for detail flourished.
Parliament's most recent In Session magazine quoted Mr Mbili's fellow Scopa members, who described him as "a colourful character, lively and easy- going, whose commitment was beyond doubt." According to speakers at his memorial service earlier today, he was not shy to speak his mind and understood what a robust Parliament was all about.
He was also known to speak out robustly against corruption. He was one of the ANC's hardest-working and most committed MPs in Parliament and in his home constituency in KwaZulu-Natal.
The ACDP extends its deepest condolences to his brother and daughters - who are with us today - to his wife and the rest of his family and friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this time. May the Lord be your comfort and grant you peace. [Applause.]
Hon Speaker and hon members, when, during recess, I received the message from the Office of the Chief Whip that the hon Mandlenkosi Mbili had been called thither, I did not believe it.
I knew Mandlenkosi from the last Parliament, though he caught up with us midstream. He had this knack of looking and asking for facts, even in ordinary discussions. He was injured after joining Parliament and recuperated for a considerable time but, on his return, he hit the ground running.
When the current Parliament started, hon Mbili served as Whip of Scopa. Although I was serving in the North West Provincial Legislature at that time, there was a revival of old excitements and discussions when we met on occasions when all committees of public accounts would come together.
Mandlenkosi was always a friendly man and it was meet and proper that he was given the role of a Whip in the ruling party. He had leadership qualities, such as accepting people from other fronts and their views. When I was again deployed to the National Assembly in January 2012, hon Mbili never ceased to make me welcome, and his constant refrain was that we had come to meet at the right place.
Mandlenkosi will be missed in the corridors of Parliament. His lanky figure with the limp will no longer tower over some of us as we move in the corridors between the Old Assembly and the new buildings. We take comfort that he graced our lives and accept that he has gone the way of all flesh.
Our condolences from the UCDP go to all his family members, friends, the constituency he served and the broader ANC membership. May his soul rest in peace.
Hon Speaker ... mokgapa o mogolo o wele dinong le dinonyana t?a lla ma?oko?o, t?a lla tswii ke senanatswiding [... a hero has fallen; we are deeply saddened by his death].
In this gloomy hour of loss and sorrow, the PAC sends its condolences to the bereaved family of Comrade Mandlenkosi Mbili. In the same breath, we commiserate with the ANC, the political home of the late Comrade Mbili.
Comrade Mbili was a great human being. He was respectful and had a sharp sense of humour. He affectionately called me ``Mongameli'', and he would bow as he saluted me. For as long as I knew him, I never saw him in a foul mood. In the words of Percy Bysshe Shelley, an English poet, he was a blithe spirit. The corridors of Parliament will not be the same without him.
Hamba kahle, Nontshongela. [Rest in peace, Nontshongela.]
Hon Speaker, hon members, comrades and friends, may I start by expressing my heartfelt condolences to the Mbili family, to Mr Mbili's beloved children, friends, comrades in the province and the entire family of his organisation, the ANC. Comrade Mbili's sudden death came as a great shock to all of us, especially his colleagues in the Standing Committee on Appropriations.
He was involved in a serious accident before this one, which burnt his car beyond recognition, but he survived. He was then hospitalised for some time. The standing committee members kept in contact with him. I know that hon Singh and Snell visited him at his place while he was off sick. I contacted him a week before he was involved in this last accident. During our conversation, he informed me that he was ready and had recuperated enough to come back to work. He met his untimely death a day before he was supposed to be discharged by the doctor.
I met Comrade Mbili during the previous term of Parliament, when he served as a member of the Portfolio Committee on Finance, as it was known at that time. Those who worked with him would know how he enjoyed taking people on in committee discussions. He had this propensity for detail - something that does not always sit well with officials who appear before committees.
I also remember, when Parliament was supposed to pass the Financial Management of Parliament Bill, that the issue at the time was whether there should be oversight over Parliament itself. The Parliamentary Oversight Authority was not comfortable with the fact that they would have to account to somebody. However, Comrade Mbili and other members insisted that it be included in the Bill, which is an Act today, so that Parliament could account to some structure. That was finally adopted by everyone in the committee.
When the President, in his state of the nation address in 2009, said that Parliament should be an activist Parliament, Comrade Mbili was one of those members who grabbed the challenge with both hands, ensuring that departments accounted to Parliament. The ANC had deployed him as a Whip in the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Scopa, and he took on that responsibility with great enthusiasm. Comrade Mandla believed that the executive authority, as enjoined by the Constitution, was accountable to Parliament and therefore it also needed to appear before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. Comrade Mandla Mbili's interpretation caused tension but once he had formulated a particular view in his mind, it was difficult to convince him otherwise.
Hon Mbili subsequently joined the Standing Committee on Appropriations with all the necessary energy. The Standing Committee on Appropriations got a lot of mileage out of his participation in the committee. He believed in oversight and accountability, like all members of the committee. He did not want officials to assume that they knew what the committee wanted to hear. His view, shared by all of us in the committee, was that the truth had to be told as it was.
I can remember some examples. For instance, officials of a certain department once received an adjustment of R700 million on the previous financial year's spend. The officials promised that that money would be spent by the end of the financial year - March this year. The officials told the committee that they had signed a memorandum of understanding with the construction industry, including contractors who were supposed to do that work and that not all who signed the memorandum of understanding were going to close over Christmas. That did not go down well with the committee, including Comrade Mandla Mbili. The rest is history, as the committee discovered that no such agreements existed. We give credit to Comrade Mandla for demonstrating that paying attention to the details was an important part of the committee's work and not just a principle.
Comrade Mbili stammered, but he was always ready to put his point across very strongly. He was a fearless debater - of course you needed to persuade him! He called a spade a spade, whether he was right or not. As long as he believed in a point, he would stand to defend his view.
As the chairperson, I did not escape being on the receiving end of his feelings in one of our study group meetings. I never shared this with members of the opposition and I hope they are not listening today! I thought a general feeling existed among committee members. The issue was related to an overseas study tour that the committee was supposed to undertake. Every arrangement had been made for the committee to undertake that trip. However, the trip had not yet been realised.
In that study group, Comrade Mandla told me to my face that this trip was failing because "the chairperson does not want the trip to happen". Everyone in the study group seemed to agree with him. I kept quiet because I thought it would not help me to argue with him over this; I would not be able to convince him. Hon members wanted the study tour to take place so that they could compare and contrast their experiences with those of other places. I am sure Comrade Mbili, wherever he is, will be pleased to see the study tour materialise. To him it was a matter of principle, not because he would be part of the delegation. He was always ready to raise hard questions.
This House will remember his last speech, which was misconstrued to a certain extent. He was referring to the degraded infrastructure at Mthatha. He thought the democratic government had not done enough to improve the road infrastructure there. We are happy today to report that that area has become a presidential project. Whether it was already in planning then or not, we give credit to Comrade Mandla Mbili because he raised the issue very strongly in this House.
He grew up in an Inkatha-dominated area, but we have learnt that he was always an ANC member, despite all the violence taking place around him. He was a dedicated member of the ANC, who believed that the ANC-led government could achieve a better life for the poor. This he did by ensuring that the budget was spent on what it was intended for. He was an activist, not only in politics, as we heard at the memorial service, but also of the church.
A spear of the nation has fallen and ANC members must pick up the spear and forge forward towards a better life. We will miss him greatly. Long live the spirit of Comrade Mandla. Thank you. [Applause.]
The condolences of the House will be conveyed to the Mbili family and to the ANC. The Deputy Speaker and I join in expressing our condolences.
Debate concluded.
Agreed to, members standing.