Hon Speaker, hon Deputy President, Mrs Asmal, children, friends and hon members of this House, I move:
That the House -
1) notes with great sadness the death of Professor Kader Asmal yesterday, 22 June 2011, at the age of 76, after suffering a heart attack;
2) remembers that Prof Asmal was born on 8 October 1934 in Stanger, KwaZulu-Natal, and while still a school-boy met Chief Albert Luthuli who inspired him towards human rights and in 1959 he qualified as a teacher and moved to London where he enrolled at the London School of Economics and Political Science and while in London he started the British Anti-Apartheid Movement and when he joined the Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, as a teacher of human rights, labour law and international law he started the Irish Anti- Apartheid Movement;
3) further remembers that Professor Asmal qualified as a barrister in both the London and Dublin Bars and received degrees from both the London School of Economics (LLM (Lond)) and Trinity College, Dublin,(MA (Dubl)) and was a law professor at Trinity College for 27 years, specializing in human rights, labour and international law and in 1983 he was awarded the Prix Unesco for his involvement in the international inquiries into human rights violations and served on the African National Congress' constitutional committee from 1986;
4) recalls that in 1990 Prof Asmal returned to South Africa and shortly afterwards was elected to the African National Congress's national executive committee and in 1993 he served as a member of the negotiating team of the African National Congress at the Multiparty Negotiating Forum and shortly afterwards was elected to the Forum, and in May 1994 he was elected to the National Assembly and joined the Cabinet as Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry;
5) further recalls that in 1996 the World Wide Fund for Nature-South Africa awarded Asmal their Gold Medal for his conservation work and during his tenure he supported the Global Water Partnership (GWP)and as Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry he spearheaded the recognition of the concept of "the environment as a prime water user" and also served as the chairman of the World Commission on Dams from 1997 to 2001;
6) acknowledges that in 1999, after the South African general elections, he became Minister of Education and among his initiatives as Minister of Education was the launching in 2001 of the South African History Project "to promote and enhance the conditions and status of the learning and teaching of history in the South African schooling system, with the goal of restoring its material position and intellectual purchase in the classroom"; 7) further acknowledges that Prof Asmal retired from active politics in 2008;
8) appreciates his sterling contribution to the struggle for liberation and the attainment of freedom and democracy; and
9) extends its heartfelt condolences to the family of Prof Asmal, friends and comrades in the ANC and the Alliance.
Hon members, before we proceed I wish to acknowledge the presence in the Speaker's bay of the family of Prof Kader Asmal: his son Adam, granddaughter Zo, sister Fawzia and nephew Farouk. Prof Kader Asmal's family from KwaZulu-Natal, welcome to the National Assembly. [Applause.]
Mr Speaker, I smuggled Kader Asmal into this Parliament in my little car for his very first visit at some point after his return from Ireland, to an institution which we would soon thereafter, with the two constitutions, change beyond recognition to the open, public, participatory place that it now is. He just could not wait to see the place, I think, firstly because of his great love for democracy and the law, and secondly from sheer excitement, because we were on the threshold of making history. We would make new law for South Africa in these same hallowed halls where the old laws were made, which both he and we in the then DP opposed.
As his friend, the hon Wilmot James, notes, Kader Asmal saw our country as a theatre of promise at a moment in time when, as his friend the Nobel Laureate and poet Seamus Heaney put it, "hope and history rhyme". It is a sad, sad thing that someone who thrived on enthusiasm and was propelled by optimism was disillusioned with many trends at the end. His spirit did not fail, however.
I celebrate the fact that his last blast on a public platform, on Youth Day, was about the rights to free speech and access to information, which come into contention in the secrecy Bill. I just wish that I had let Kader know that progress was in fact being made in the ad hoc committee. We are still here, doing what we have always done, after all, especially for free speech.
Sir, let me mention as an aside that we had in common a commitment to and a passion for the fundamental human rights and a particular devotion to free speech, and that the hate speech provision of the right to free expression in the 1996 Constitution was effectively negotiated and settled between us. It was always a pleasure to negotiate with a real gentleman.
Kader truly cared for constitutionalism. He loved and lived for the great legal and political principles which we all share. We all share them, because they are now built into our founding document. If it was always a pleasure to negotiate with him, it was later also - well, usually - fun to work with him. As the hon James notes, he had a special ability to get many people of talent to work for him and do so in the spirit of public service. He notes that such people ranged from Antjie Krog and Gcina Hlophe to Edward Said and clearly to Dr Wilmot James himself. He says:
[We] ... made our contribution because we admired his intellect, passion and stubborn determination to make our country work. If the truth be told, we did it because we adored him for his mix of intelligence, an utter self-confidence that bordered at times on arrogance, his powerful sense of purpose, his unwavering sense of public morality ...
Sir, those of us who worked with Kader on parliamentary projects, such as the Chapter 9 Review, will agree, but wrily, that he had a special ability to get many people to work for him. The MPs who produced the Chapter 9 Review included myself and the ANC's Carol Johnson, but what was the report called? Why, it was called the Asmal Report. [Laughter.]
Kader, above all, had a gift for communication and, yes, publicity, but he truly devoted that gift to advancing the great values, even if a little limelight did come his way, and we did love him for that. The public, via the press, loved him. They felt that they knew him and that is how a public representative should be.
I, on behalf of the DA, extend my dearest condolences to Louise - this is such a shock - and also to the children and mesdames et messieurs from KwaZulu-Natal. [Applause.]
Mr Speaker, members of the House, a very special generation of South Africans is passing into history. It is a generation of men and women who were born into apartheid, who took part in the struggle to terminate that system and who became part of the constructors of the new order of democracy that we are now living under in our country. One of those outstanding South Africans was Prof Asmal.
I recall so well how some of the senior comrades spoke of him as a young activist in this country who was called Tiekie. Those who remember sterling will know that a "tiekie" was one of the smallest coins when we grew up. But although he was called Tiekie, he was a very big person. I often thought of him as a diminutive giant, because in spite of his stature, he did enormous work, at home, in England, in Ireland, where I briefly experienced his work and the people he worked with. Wherever we went in Ireland, fundraising in preparation for the first elections, his name was literally everywhere. In every hall, people spoke about Prof Asmal as the representative of the people of South Africa.
I got to know him for the very first time when he arrived in South Africa as we worked together in the ANC. He was informal, but he was very organised and systematic. He knew what he was about. I think those of us who were part of the team, of the ANC by the way ... [Laughter.] ... benefited tremendously from Prof Asmal. He was educative, he guided us, he was well researched. There was simply not anything that was lacking about him.
I think those of us who worked with him, both in the structures of the ANC and in this House, will remember how energetic he was in everything he did. In Cabinet, one of the comrades recalled, he read each and every memo of every department, and he debated it as if it was his own memo when it came before Cabinet. I think that example, set by an individual who had already advanced in years to that extent, was an inspiration and showed us the spirit of those who really shouldered the struggle over the years that brought us to democracy. So today I think we must again stop and reflect on the quality of the men and women who prepared the places we occupy now and think how we can make up for what they showed us.
I think that the very best we can do for Prof Asmal at this time is to remember the passion he had, the insistence he had on issues of national democracy and human rights in this country, and of sticking to the provisions of the Constitution. I think that passion he continued to display even after he had retired calls us to duty to the very end of our days.
I say on behalf of all of us: May his soul rest in peace.
Hon Speaker, Xhamela, his Excellency our Deputy President, hon Ministers and hon members, the death of former Minister and freedom fighter Kader Asmal has weakened our democracy and impoverished our Republic. One of our greatest independent thinkers has left us.
I had the pleasure of serving in Cabinet with Prof Asmal for 10 years. Despite his being the Minister of Water Affairs, he soon acquired the nickname "Minister of All Portfolios", because he dutifully read all Cabinet memoranda and provided his contribution. He set the standard of hard work, competence and efficiency at Cabinet level. He was an indefatigable worker, who believed in the dignity and necessity of work, and he worked until the very end. Just last Monday, he presided over a meeting of the Parliamentary Institute of South Africa, a brainchild of his, which will soon be launched to enrich our democracy. The institute will be his legacy amongst us in this Parliament.
Last week, Prof Asmal was labouring over his important contribution to protect the Republic and its democracy from the threats inherent in the proposed secrecy legislation. With his death, the Republic has lost one of the most vigilant custodians of our freedom and constitutional order. He never feared to speak up on matters of principle. He will remain an example of a courageous life inspired by the highest values, a democrat and a man of principle you can aspire to. Prof Asmal was dedicated to the struggle for democracy within the liberal tradition of tolerance and the pursuit of maximum freedom and liberty. He inspired the ANC liberalists. One hopes that his liberal spirit will continue to inspire us all. I can only hope that the ANC will honour his example, by teaching the values which forged our generation so that they may also shape our younger generation.
It is up to us to decide whether Prof Kader Asmal will continue to live in spirit, by upholding all that this Republic of ours stands for. We can choose therefore to continue to live by the legacy of our spoken, uncompromising and unwavering democratic vigilance, which Kader Asmal taught us, or we can yield, of course, to the weakness of closing our eyes to the ongoing democratic degeneration, keeping silent while what we built slowly disintegrates.
If we do the latter, we ourselves shall cause the death of Kader Asmal more than any physical ailment. But if we do the former, we shall ensure that whenever we speak in this House to defend democracy, the spirit and legacy of Kader Asmal shall continue.
I offer my and my party's condolences to the Asmal family and to the leadership of the ANC who have lost such a great comrade, and I am also saddened by the fact that I have lost a great homeboy from KwaZulu-Natal. [Applause.]
Hon Speaker, the sudden loss of struggle stalwart Prof Kader Asmal has come as a huge shock to all of us in the entire country. The 76- year-old professor was a fearless fighter for freedom and human rights, and even up until the very last weeks of his life he had been fighting for the rights of South Africans without any aim of self-enrichment. Just a few days ago, he encouraged South Africans to stand firm against the proposed Protection of Information Bill, and his independent voice will be sorely missed.
He served the people of South Africa and his nation without wavering from the foundations and goals of our democracy. He added substance and value to each and every task afforded to him and stood firm on his beliefs, even at times when his views were unpopular.
The nation will continue to benefit for many decades from the vital role he played during the anti-apartheid struggle. He was an irreplaceable entity in the Mandela and Mbeki Cabinets in which he served. Prof Asmal will be missed by the thousands of students, both locally and abroad, whom he has inspired over the years with his enthusiasm.
On behalf of the ID, we extend our deepest, heartfelt condolences to the friends, family and colleagues of the late freedom struggle icon, Prof Kader Asmal. I thank you. [Applause.]
Speaker, the UDM would like to extend its condolences to the family, friends, the ANC and colleagues of hon Prof Kader Asmal, who passed away yesterday afternoon. Our hearts go out to you in your time of sorrow.
Once again, South Africa has lost yet another struggle icon who dedicated his life to our struggle for liberation. As a Cabinet Minister of first Water Affairs and Forestry and then Education, Prof Asmal showed an impeccable work ethic. He worked hard to transform the department for the benefit of all South Africans.
The untimely death of Prof Asmal has robbed us of a true intellectual, a fearless fighter for human rights and social justice, who served our country with distinction. Our words seem inadequate to express the sadness we feel. As a nation, we must hold tight to the values and principles which national heroes and heroines like the late hon Prof Asmal resolutely defended. His life was a life of service to others.
Ka Sepedi re re robala ka khut?o monna wa banna, senatla sa dinatla, mogale wa bagale.
Ke a leboga. [Legofsi.] (Translation of Sepedi paragraphs follows.)
[In Sepedi we say, may his soul rest in peace. He was a great man, a hero, a brave and strong man. Thank you. [Applause.]]
Hon Speaker, hon Deputy President, it is a privilege for me to convey the condolences of the FF Plus to the family of the late Prof Kader Asmal, as well as to his party.
Prof Asmal was 'n lid van hierdie Parlement sedert 1994 en het in daardie opsig 'n reuse bydrae gelewer tot die grondwetskrywende proses van die Grondwetskrywende Vergadering, en ook tot die debatte wat daarna plaasgevind het. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[Prof Asmal had been a member of this Parliament since 1994 and has, in this capacity, made a huge contribution to the constitution-writing process of the Constitutional Assembly and also to the debates that took place thereafter.]
I would like to share one incident that happened in this very House in which Prof Asmal was involved at the end of his career. After he left the executive, he was a senior member of the ANC, a front bencher, and also for a while served as chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Defence. My colleague the hon Groenewald is a member of that committee. So one day Mr Groenewald went to sit next to the chairperson, Prof Asmal, to speak to him about something. Before the discussion started, the hon Asmal said to Mr Groenewald: "I have a problem and I want to talk to you about this. The hon Groenewald is causing a lot of problems for me." He was complaining to the hon Groenwald about the hon Groenewald, being under the impression that he was speaking to the leader of the party. [Laughter.] Mr Groenewald did not think it was necessary to indicate to him that he was talking to the wrong person.
Prof Asmal het vir ons ook 'n voorbeeld gestel in hierdie Parlement in terme van debatvoering. [In this Parliament Prof Asmal was also an example to us when it comes to debating.]
He was never afraid to go into real debate and to debate argument against argument. I think we can all learn from that reality. That is the way to do things in terms of putting argument against argument.
Ek wil graag ons medelye aan die familie van prof Asmal betuig. U gaan agterbly met mooi herinneringe van hom en sy lewe. Aan die ANC, as 'n party, u het 'n sterk staatmaker van die party verloor. Ons innige simpatie. Baie dankie. [Applause.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[I would like to convey my condolences to the family of Prof Asmal. You are going to be left with beautiful memories of him and his life. To the ANC, as a party you have lost a powerful stalwart. Our heartfelt condolences to you. Thank you. [Applause.]]
Speaker, the ACDP received the news of the death of Prof Kader Asmal with shock and sadness. He was a fighter for freedom and justice to the very end.
When Prof Asmal retired from parliamentary politics in 2008, the ACDP honoured him for being a truly authentic person, courageous when it came to his convictions, a risk taker and certainly controversial. The ACDP appreciates the contribution he made towards the realisation of a South Africa that is free of many of the injustices of the past, and for this we are grateful.
Prof Asmal's willingness to speak out and tell the truth as he perceived it, regardless of the consequences, placed him head and shoulders above many in this arena. He did not mince his words and he did not even hesitate to break ANC tradition by raising his concerns outside party structures.
This fearless fighter for human rights and guardian of democratic principles even urged South Africans to reject the controversial Protection of Information Bill and warned his own political party not to rush the Bill through Parliament.
We are grateful to him for speaking out and caring for his fellow Africans on the continent. We thank him, too, for speaking out on behalf of refugees and immigrants in South Africa who face great hardship. His courage was touching and inspirational. The ACDP extends our sincere condolences to his wife, Louise, his sons and grandchildren, his family and friends, his colleagues in the ANC, and the communities he served. Our nation has lost a man of great intellect, principle and personal conviction, whose contribution to our constitutional democracy will be cherished forever. I thank you. [Applause.]
The UCDP would like to convey its sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Prof Kader Asmal. It is sad that the country continues to lose quality stalwarts whose values enhanced this country and whom there'll be no shame in regarding as role models.
Prof Kader will always be remembered for his passion that translated into hard work in the field of human rights. He made such an immense contribution to the democracy we all enjoy.
May his soul rest in peace and may his family find comfort in the legacy he left for the nation. Thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Speaker, hon Deputy President, hon members and guests, the Pan African Congress of Azania is deeply saddened by the untimely death of Comrade Kader Asmal. We send our condolences to the family of Comrade Asmal, the ANC and the government of South Africa.
Mokgapa o mogolo o wele. Ga re lle sehlodimare, re lla sa makgonthe sello. Mogale wa bagale o fulere. O re ?iile le lefa la tokologo. [We are mourning the death of a great man. We have lost a great hero. He left us freedom as our inheritance.]
In a political environment contaminated with patronage and cronyism, Comrade Asmal towered above petty political agendas and never exchanged principles for personal favours. He was courage personified. As we bid this daring freedom fighter a heroic farewell, let's remember that it is not yet uhuru as far as ownership of the land is concerned. Let us redouble our efforts to achieve a genuine economic liberation. Thank you. [Applause.]
Mr Speaker, hon Deputy President, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers, hon members and the family of the late Prof Asmal, we were saddened by the news of the untimely death of Prof Kader Asmal. In the late Prof Asmal South Africa has lost a teacher, a leader, a lawyer and an intellectual par excellence.
I had an opportunity to interact with him during his time as Minister of Education - at that time I was a teacher and union leader. He appointed me, at the recommendation of the National Council of Trade Unions, as a member of the National Board for Further Education and Training. We therefore worked with him during the change in the further education and training landscape.
I also interacted with him during discussions on the National Plan for Higher Education that led to the merger of universities and then technikons. He had come with the then director-general, Thami Mseleku, to make a presentation to the National Economic, Development and Labour Council's Development Chamber. The meeting was very hot and he disagreed with the Development Chamber on a number of issues.
Prof Asmal was a forthright and outspoken person. He was not one to pull any punches, and with him you always knew where you stood. He was always passionate and full of energy, and pursued his ideas without fear. He will be sorely missed.
On behalf of Azapo, I say nxabe [condolences] to his family and to his political party, the ANC. May his soul rest in peace. Thank you.
Mr Speaker, comrades, Deputy President and hon members, it was with shock and sadness that we learnt of the passing away of Comrade Kader Asmal. On behalf of the APC and indeed on my own behalf I wish to pass on our heartfelt condolences and solidarity to his family and his party, the