Madam Deputy Speaker, I move without notice:
That the House -
1) notes with deep regret that hon Cobus Schmidt, MP, tragically lost his life in a fatal motor vehicle accident in Welkom on Monday, 23 November 2009;
2) further notes that the late hon Cobus Schmidt served on the Portfolio Committee on Energy and was a model constituency MP in the southern Free State region;
3) acknowledges that the late hon Schmidt commenced his political career in 2000 at which time he acted as a councillor and as the deputy headmaster of Reseamohetse Primary School;
4) recognises that the late hon Schmidt was a true patriot who was devoted to his country and that he will be remembered as a dedicated and selfless representative of the Free State;
5) further recognises that he will be deeply missed by all of his colleagues in the Democratic Alliance and by the community which he selflessly served for so many years; and
6) extends and expresses its sincere condolences to his wife Karin, their young daughter, his family and all who loved him.
Madam Deputy Speaker, Deputy President, members of the executive, Members of Parliament, the views that we shared and those of the hon member Schmidt were different, and fundamentally so. However, it was not in an acrimonious way. We met him in June when he was allocated to serve on the Energy committee, and that was the first time that I got to know him.
Although he was in Parliament for a short time, unlike other members who had 30 to 40 years, through our interactions it was as if we had known each other for a long time. One could gather that he was a dedicated member and a very hard worker. He was always on top of issues that informed public discourse in the area of energy in which his party, the DA, had deployed him.
Although we were on different sides of the political fence, we both understood that we were there to ensure that we are building a nation united in its diversity. Hon Schmidt was a true patriot who believed and understood the founding principles of our constitutional democracy. He contributed immensely to escalating the debate pertaining to energy, especially with regard to Eskom and its centrality to our future economic growth and prosperity.
As members of this House, we are here to deal with the masses of our people who voted for us, and he did exactly that. As I then went through his CV, I learnt that he was a former deputy headmaster of Reseamohetse Primary School in Theunissen in the Free State. He was a community activist who understood the toil and suffering of the poor in Theunissen. He lived by principles and was able to ensure that he could deal with the issues first- hand.
On 1 February, Members of Parliament and members of the Portfolio Committee on Energy paid tribute; and some of them, like Mr Selau, said that they even remember the late Schmidt when they go to do oversight work outside the precincts of Parliament because he would always talk about work issues. Mrs Mathibela also expressed words of condolence and said that Mr Schmidt was a hands-on and pleasant person to work with. She will always remember him.
Mr Nchabeleng stated that when he met him for the first time, he looked at his face and he looked like a very serious person, and he greeted. They were smoking together in the smokers' room when Mr Nchabeleng asked for a box of matches. But before he even finished asking for a box of matches, Mr Schmidt gave him a lighter. Mr Nchabeleng then realised that this person really was very embracing.
By only looking at his face, you might have thought he would tell you to go. Mr Nchabeleng also said he will forever remember the first time he met him rather than what he thought of him. He saw that Mr Schmidt was a different person and a colleague.
Another member, Ms Moss, also explained that because of Mr Cobus Schmidt's input - he was always forthright and tacked issues head-on - she believed that we were supposed to have had more time to work with him, but we couldn't.
Some of the members expressed the notion that it is a pity that we don't tell members while they are still alive, even annually, that they've done very well during the year while serving on the committee. We keep quiet. When they are no more, we then say all the nice things about them.
With regard to his duties as a committee member, yes, I do agree. He was a very forthright person who spoke his mind, but I am sure that the former Speaker and the former Deputy Speaker, the one who left to be the Deputy Minister of Economic Development, will be very happy to hear that Mr Schmidt used to carry his laptop into the portfolio committee meetings. They were discussing issues and then did presentations much faster and raised their hands afterwards.
But, Chairperson, this is not a fact; here is the correct information about what he used to do all the time. He always used to encourage other committee members to use their laptops because they are very informative. He was the type of person who used to take his work seriously, with passion, even if he disagreed with you. As far as I am concerned, he was a gentleman. He was very humble but he would raise his issues very strongly. Even if he didn't agree with you, he did that with humility and very respectfully. I believe that we need such Members of Parliament because we are here for the one purpose of doing work and ensuring that we can work together.
He was a shadow minister for the DA with regard to energy issues. In terms of his research, Eskom was the major part of his work. He was even prepared to go and investigate the issue of coal that was disappearing at Eskom. He would then come back to the committee to say this is how we must do things, and this is how we can get rid of these problems so that Eskom can do good things.
He would ask me, as the chairperson, how we could deal with Eskom issues. It is a pity that he had to go before he could even deal with some of those issues.
He was very clear that the former chief executive officer must leave because he didn't belong there and had not done one, two, and three. He said so openly in the committee. The CEO came to explain the issues relating to overspending. After that, hon Schmidt was very happy that at least Mr Maroga came to the committee to explain, but Mr Maroga is a gentleman.
He accepted all the things that were explained and after that we were able to have a very positive way forward to take action. But our mission was not yet finished. He said that in a very good way, not in a negative way, and we will miss that good way in the committee because he was a very dedicated person. That is what I experienced in the few months that he was on the committee.
What I also experienced is that he used to talk about Eskom even if we were socialising. This also happened when we were on an oversight visit to Coega last year, where we held a formal dinner. People started talking about other things, but hon Schmidt and hon Selau were talking about energy issues. Then I said to him, "No, Mr Schmidt we are here to socialise a little bit. Just relax a bit. We will deal with the issue of Eskom and the coal later in the committee. We are in Port Elizabeth and Coega is saying we must relax. This is a relaxed dinner."
He could even stay until late; he liked a bit of that. We also went to Mozambique with him, through Parliament. We were visiting the solar. After the workshop and the conference, they went and came back in the early hours of the morning and he was not able to come when the meeting started! [Laughter.] He wrote a note to me saying: "Chairperson, I am very sorry, we went to another spot where we were just looking at the fish and when we decided which one we wanted, they toasted it for us. We enjoyed ourselves and we were able to dance to the music. I really enjoyed myself and I am here now, we will discuss everything else."
But then I learnt that he was not the only one and that he was with some members of the committee; it was a three-member delegation! [Laughter.]
When we went to Coega, I already knew what he liked to do after hours. So we relaxed and talked, discussed and danced and so on. I mean that is what we are going to miss about him because he was a jolly person. When he had to do his work, he did just that. When we had to socialise, he did so until the early hours of the morning.
However, I made him aware of my disapproval of his socialising until the early hours. I told him he could overindulge in fish or other stuff but he must ensure that at 9:00 or 10:00 he was in the meeting. Further, I warned him if he did not adhere to this, he would never be part of my delegation again. He promised me that it was the last time. He apologised and I accepted his apology.
Let me thank the committee secretary, Peter Mbele, for attending the funeral, and also thank the representative from the department, through the Minister, for being able to attend the funeral, and Mr Motau. Although he is our member, he represented the committee very well.
We hope that you will keep up the spirit because this was a real activist. I've never seen such a person. When you were looking at him, you would think he wasn't doing community work. He knew his story very well. But then I realise that he taught in that type of school, and that is where he learnt a lot about community work.
So he was not one to thumb-suck; he was talking about the real thing. And he was an activist to me and much more than a deputy headmaster. He was able to grasp the issues. He was a lovely and good person to work with. I know that we will miss his energetic inputs, robust and at times a little bit rough. However, he would say that those were the facts.
I hope that we will be able, as the committee, to ensure that we keep up that spirit in the committee. We will remember him all the time and he will always be in our hearts. We are not going to see him again but his work will follow him. He made a difference during a short stint. I thank you. [Applause.]
Deputy Speaker, it's always a sad occasion to speak about the loss of any member of this House, especially when somebody is snatched away before his contribution is over. Jacobus Schmidt played a pivotal role in the committee - the chairperson has already spoken about him and his energy, independence and diligence. He has set a standard against which we have to measure ourselves in the committee, as he did. It is very rare to have such a person. I enjoyed his wry sense of humour and he certainly didn't suffer fools gladly. If anyone from one of the parastatals in the department came unprepared, we could all relax knowing that Cobus would tackle them and they would leave with their tails between their legs. On one occasion, I saw him reduce a person to shivering with his laptop in front of him. He was a formidable person.
As has been said, one other interesting thing about him is that he was a passionate public servant. I've learnt a little bit about his role as a councillor and an activist in the Free State where he came from. It left a huge impression on me that we still have such politicians in our country, who, despite our not having constituencies as such, are so deeply rooted in their communities and their constituencies. His track record speaks for itself in this regard. We need more public servants of that nature.
I'd like to pay tribute to him. As the chairperson has said, he contributed to a very interesting nonpartisan approach in the committee. It's one of the few places in this Parliament where I've seen so much interaction that is not based on party-political lines but on issues. We are not only paying tribute to our chairperson but also to the hon member who contributed in such a spirit.
Our condolences go to his family, friends and colleagues. He will be sorely missed and his spirit will live on in his work in the committee. Thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Speaker, it is with utmost sadness and shock that the IFP learnt of the untimely passing of the late hon Jacobus Schmidt at the end of last year. Although the late hon Schmidt was only a member of this Fourth Parliament for a relatively short period of time, he made a significant impact on the committee he served.
Mr Schmidt, as a DA shadow deputy minister of energy, exposed Eskom's failures and addressed the critical shortcomings within the parastatal. He played an active role in the portfolio committee and it quickly became clear that he had a passion for energy matters and that he was fully committed to serving the people of South Africa by holding the executive to account.
In 1993, Mr Schmidt became a teacher at Concordia Secondary School in Theunissen. This school was started to educate underprivileged black children in a conservative white community. Along with other pioneers of the Concordia School, he received acclaim for his teaching work in previously disadvantaged communities.
In 1996, he was promoted to deputy principal of the Reseamohetse Primary School and, with the help of the management team under his exceptional leadership, the school became the best performing primary school in the Free State for four consecutive years.
It is obvious that Mr Schmidt had a passion for people. He was a true leader and he worked tirelessly for a better South Africa for all whether here in Parliament or back home in his constituency. The IFP conveys its heartfelt condolences to hon Schmidt's friends, family and the DA. [Applause.]
Deputy Speaker, it is always tragic when people you have worked with pass away before their time. I was shocked to learn about Mr Schmidt's death last year. I briefly knew him during his time on the Portfolio Committee on Energy.
Although this was his first term as a Member of Parliament, he quickly grew into the position and proved himself a very capable parliamentarian. His presence will certainly be missed in this committee. On behalf of the ID, I would like to offer his family and the DA our sincere condolences during this difficult period. I thank you. [Applause.]
Adjunkspeaker, anders as baie van u in die Huis, het ek nie die geleentheid gehad om die agb lid Cobus Schmidt regtig goed te leer ken nie. Hy was maar eintlik vir 'n baie kort tyd 'n lid van ons Huis gewees. Hy het hier gekom na die vorige verkiesing, en ons paaie het nie regtig so gekruis dat ons op dieselfde portefeuljekomitee of elders saam was nie.
Wat ek baie goed van hom sal onthou, is dat hy altyd, waar ons mekaar raakgeloop het in die gange van die Parlement of in die Marksgebou, 'n baie vriendelike persoon was wat jou vierkantig in die o gekyk het en jou ordentlik gegroet het. Daar was 'n warmte wat 'n mens onmiddellik kon voel van 'n persoon wat vrede het met homself en wat in beheer is van wat in sy lewe aangaan.
Toe ons skielik hoor van die tragiese afsterwe van ons kollega in 'n motorongeluk op 'n relatiewe jong ouderdom, was dit 'n skok vir ons almal, want hy het maar so pas begin met 'n loopbaan hier in die Parlement, en laat 'n gesin met klein kinders en 'n vrou agter.
Ek wil graag namens die VF Plus ons medelye en simpatie betuig met sy familie, maar ook met sy party wat 'n kollega verloor het wat bestem was, glo ek, om nog 'n baie groot bydrae te lewer, maar dit was hom nie beskore nie. Baie dankie. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)
[Dr C P MULDER: Deputy Speaker, unlike many of you in the House, I did not have the opportunity to get to know the hon member Cobus Schmidt very well. Actually, he was a member of our House for a very short time. He came here after the previous election and our paths did not really cross in such a way that we had to serve on the same portfolio committee or work together on any other structure.
However, what I will remember about him most vividly is that, whenever we met each other in the corridors of Parliament or in the Marks Building, he was always a very friendly person who looked you straight in the eye and greeted you properly. There was a warmth that one could immediately sense, of a person who was at peace with himself, and who was in control of what what happening in his life.
When we unexpectedly heard about the tragic death of our colleague in a motorcar accident, at a relatively young age, it was a shock to all of us, because he had just recently started with a career here at Parliament, and he leaves behind a family with young children and a wife.
On behalf of the FF Plus I would like to convey our condolences and sympathies to his family, but also to his party, which has lost a colleague who was destined, I believe, to make a very significant contribution, but this was not to be his fate. Thank you. [Applause.]]
Deputy Speaker, according to the tributes it is obvious that the hon member Cobus Schmidt was devoted to his country and serving his fellow man. As has been stated, he made a significant contribution in the short time in which he served in Parliament as a shadow deputy minister of energy. He was regarded as a well-informed expert in the energy field.
Whilst we may have political differences on either side of this House and engage in robust debate, it is always extremely sad to lose one of our Members of Parliament, as we are a big family of public representatives trying to do what we believe is the best for our nation.
It is regrettable that the public does not see that side of us, the co- operation in the committees, and the socialising together with associates by the ANC members. That's a pity because there's a huge amount of co- operation and goodwill amongst us as Members of Parliament.
Die ACDP wil graag sy innige simpatie en meegevoel teenoor Cobus Schmidt se vrou, Karin, en sy dogter, Jani, betuig gedurende hierdie droewige tyd.
Ons gebede is met u, asook met u familie, vriende en kollegas in die DA. Mag die Here Jesus u in hierdie tyd troos. Ek dank u. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[The ACDP would like to convey its sincerest sympathy and condolences to Cobus Schmidt's wife, Karin, and his daughter, Jani, at this sorrowful time.
Our prayers are with you, as well as with your family, friends and colleagues in the DA. May you find comfort in the Lord Jesus at this time. I thank you.]
Madam Deputy Speaker, on behalf of the MF, we extend our heartfelt condolences and express our deep regret to the Schmidt family for their irreplaceable loss.
There are many sorrows in life and one of the greatest sorrows, that no one would like to experience, is the sorrow of death. We pray that God Almighty will bestow strength, courage and fortitude on the Schmidt family to deal with their irreplaceable loss.
Our condolences also go to the DA for the loss of this wonderful person, astounding personality and remarkable individual who undoubtedly made an incredible contribution to the Portfolio Committee on Energy.
We pray that the deceased will rest in peace in the high heavens. From God we have come and unto God we shall go. May his soul rest in peace.
Madam Deputy Speaker, hon members, on behalf of the DA I want to thank the chairperson of the committee and the other speakers for the tribute that you have paid to the late Cobus Schmidt. Despite him being here for only a few months, you recognised his personal strengths and attributes. It will console his family, friends and colleagues. We wish to thank you.
I first met the late Cobus Schmidt when we arrived as freshmen at Parliament in May of last year. Sharing a bench in this House, we soon discovered that we also shared numerous other interests. We were of similar age, both with a background in teaching and local government. We quickly became more than colleagues and formed a firm friendship.
We had wonderful, long debates on a variety of topics. These debates ranged from the contents of the Belhar Confession, issues regarding local government, and the importance of school sports, to the use of English versus African languages at primary school. These debates added value to our friendship.
Mr Schmidt was a devoted member of his church and represented his congregation at the Free State Synod of the Dutch Reformed Church. It was only at his funeral that we learned of his other valuable contributions to the activities of the local congregation. His funeral was a testimony to the way in which he involved himself with various communities. He was elected as a councillor in 2000 and again in 2006. He then represented the DA on the executive committee of Masilonyana Local Municipality.
Mr Schmidt was appointed as deputy principal of Reseamohetse Primary School in 1996. What a wise move by the school governing body this proved to be! With Cobus as their deputy principal, the school excelled in every imaginable terrain. The principal, Mr Moaki, is full of praises for the contribution and legacy of the late Mr Schmidt. He contributed largely to the school being elected as the top performing primary school in the Free State. This was achieved for four years in a row.
He was most successful in raising funds from the Lottery's trust fund for sports equipment. Mr Schmidt was the driving force behind the construction of the sports fields and vegetable gardens, complete with a borehole. He was also instrumental in the development of the netball and tennis courts at the school. All this speaks of excellent teamwork coming from a school management team comprised of leaders of the DA and the ANC, and with the former PAC chairperson in the Free State as headmaster. But what made a lasting impression was, above all, his empathy for learners from poorer communities.
Tydens verlede jaar se verkiesing was Cobus Schmidt die nommer-een kandidaat van die DA in die Vrystaat. Dit was gou duidelik dat hy oor al die kwaliteite van 'n goeie Parlementslid beskik het. Hy het die selfvertroue en vrymoedigheid gehad om vrae te stel, stellings te maak en aan debatte deel te neem. Ek kon dit dikwels net bewonder. 'n Mens kon nie help om te sien dat hy hom volkome in sy nuwe beroep as Parlementslid en politikus uitgeleef het nie.
Hy was bereid om baie ure se navorsing te doen oor energie. Dit was 'n onderwerp wat, volgens sy eie erkentenis, vir hom totaal onbekend was. Deur diepgaande studie en gesprekke met mense wat naby aan Eskom se hoofbestuur was, het hy gou tot die besef gekom dat die volle omvang van die redes waarom Suid-Afrika aan die begin van 2008 kragonderbrekings gehad het, nooit geopenbaar is nie.
Hy het geglo dat dit in die eerste plek nie die vertraging met die bou van nuwe kragsentrales was wat die land se ligte laat afgaan het nie. Volgens hom was die kragonderbrekings die gevolg van 'n kombinasie van swak bestuursbesluite.
Faktore soos die verlaging in steenkoolvoorrade by kragstasies, korrupsie met aankoopprosesse en die onverantwoordelike gebruik van onervare entrepreneurs vir die lewering van steenkool, het hierdie groot probleme veroorsaak.
Cobus Schmidt het dit sy taak geag om hierdie toedrag algemeen bekend te maak. Op sy sagte, dog ferm manier, het hy gesorg dat die betrokke persone verantwoordelikheid vir hierdie probleme begin aanvaar het. En so het hy 'n belangrike bydrae gelewer dat ons land se ligte sedertdien kon aanbly. Dit is dus tragies dat sy eie lewenslig so vroeg geblus is. Namens die DA dank ons sy familie, maar veral die Hemelse Vader, vir die tyd wat hy aan ons geleen is. Ons harte gaan uit na sy familie, insluitend sy ouers, maar veral na sy vrou, Karin, en hul sewejarige dogtertjie, Jani.
Wees daarvan verseker dat ons sy nagedagtenis nog lank in ons harte sal koester. Dankie. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[During last year's election Cobus Schmidt was the DA's top candidate in the Free State. Very soon it became clear that he had all the qualities of a good parliamentarian. He had the self-confidence and boldness to ask questions, make statements and participate in debates. Often I could only stand in awe of this. One could not help but notice how he completely realised himself in his new profession as a Member of Parliament and politician.
He was willing to spend many hours doing research on energy. It was a subject which, by his own admission, was totally unfamiliar to him. Through in-depth study and consultations with people who were close to Eskom's top management, he quickly concluded that the full extent of the reasons why South Africa experienced power failures at the beginning of 2008, was never revealed.
He believed, in the first instance, that it was not the delay in building the new power stations which plunged the country into darkness. According to him the power failures were the result of a combination of poor management decisions.
Factors such as the reduction in coal reserves at power stations, corruption with regard to procurement processes, and the irresponsible use of inexperienced entrepreneurs for the delivery of coal were the causes of these major problems.
Cobus Schmidt regarded it as his duty to expose this state of affairs. In his gentle yet firm manner he saw to it that the persons involved began to accept responsibility for these problems. And in so doing he made an important contribution to ensure that our country's lights could remain switched on since then. It is therefore tragic that the light of his life has been extinguished so early.
On behalf of the DA we thank his family, but especially the Heavenly Father, for the time that he was allowed to be with us. Our hearts go out to his family, including his parents, but especially to his wife, Karin, and their seven year old daughter, Jani.
Rest assured that we shall treasure his memory in our hearts for a long time to come. Thank you. [Applause.]]
Debate concluded.
Motion agreed to, members standing.