Deputy Chairperson, we in Cope would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to the Beyleveldt family, his loved ones and his party, the DA, following the passing away of Mr Theo Beyleveldt.
Mr Beyleveldt was a person who did everything to the best of his ability. This is evident from his 34 years of uninterrupted service in the military, and the recognition the Overstrand Municipality received for good governance under his watchful eye as the mayor.
Theo was an avid rugby supporter and served on the boards of numerous rugby unions. He was the project manager of the Western Cape government in establishing municipal police services. He was also not one to sit back, and he was not afraid to get his hands dirty. As a Member of Parliament, he spent most of his time working on the ground, serving his people.
It is indeed a tragic day when we have to say goodbye to a colleague and very humble human being who really loved his community and country with all his might. May his soul rest in peace! Hamba kahle, ntate! [Go well, Sir.]
Hon Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP and hon members, it is a great honour for me to deliver this tribute and words of appreciation for the life of a respectable, motivated, strong believer in God and a person chosen as a leader by the people, the hon Theodorus Barnardus, called Theo, Beyleveldt.
Firstly, I give praise to our Heavenly Father who granted us the opportunity to share in the wisdom of Theo Beyleveldt. Theo's death on Sunday, 3 July 2011 came as a huge shock to us because he was relatively strong and healthy. He was hospitalised for an organ biopsy after complaining of fatigue. Subsequent tests pointed to a genetic disease.
Hon Beyleveldt was a person who made a success of everything he did, as a soldier, sportsman and politician. He joined the army in 1966 and obtained a Bachelor of Military Science degree from the Military Academy in Saldanha in 1969. In 1999 he retired as brigadier-general after 34 years of service.
He also completed an International Command and Staff Course in Spain and learned to speak Spanish fluently. He was awarded the Southern Cross Decoration for exceptional service of the highest order and excellent dedication, and a few other awards and medals for service excellence.
After he retired he became involved in politics as a ward representative in Hermanus and in the local management of the DA in 2004. Under his leadership the DA achieved an outright majority in the 2006 local government election, and he became the Mayor of the Overstrand Municipality. As mayor he led the Overstrand Municipality with success, and the municipality received numerous awards and prizes and was singled out as a model municipality.
Hon Deputy Chairperson, hon Theo Beyleveldt was called up by the DA to serve in the NCOP in 2010 and, as the Western Cape Whip, he served with honour and dedication.
As the DA, we want to assure his wife, Marianne, his children and their family that we appreciate their compassion for children, the aged and the needy. They should rest assured that God will grant his mercy and blessings on their lives as the clouds are in the sky. I thank you.
Thank you, Deputy Chair and hon members. I rise to join the hon members who spoke before me, to convey words of condolence from the ANC, its members and the Whippery in the NCOP, as we bid farewell and pay tribute to one of our fallen colleagues, the hon Mr T B Beyleveldt.
Hon Beyleveldt joined Parliament as a delegate and Provincial Whip of the Western Cape only late last year. At the time of his death he had left a remarkable mark as one of the most dedicated delegates in the NCOP. Because of his unparalleled dedication to his work, his meticulousness, and the exceptional prowess he had accumulated over his many years of leadership and service to South Africa, he did his work with extraordinary excellence. Not many members were actually aware that he had been serving in the NCOP for just less than a year.
As the Provincial Whip of the Western Cape in the NCOP hon Beyleveldt had the incalculable task of leading a high-powered delegation of leaders who served the NCOP and their political parties in the highest capacities. Yet his humility, maturity and willingness to learn with utmost speed made him a remarkable provincial whip and member of the NCOP.
As the Provincial Whip of the Western Cape, hon Beyleveldt put his views very sharply. He remained a devoted champion of the Western Cape in the NCOP, especially in raising issues facing the people of the Western Cape and his party, the DA, in debates, in committee and Whippery meetings, and in the debates of the Council. He did so with supreme excellence, because he was disciplined and committed to his work in the NCOP.
The Western Cape, his party and his community of Hermanus have truly lost a dedicated patriot and committed servant. As the ANC we want to extend our heartfelt condolences to the family of the hon Beyleveldt, particularly his wife, Marianne, and his children.
Mag sy siel en gees voortleef en in stilte rus. Baie dankie. [May his soul and his spirit live on and may he rest in peace. Thank you.]