Hon Speaker, I move the Draft Resolution printed in my name in the Order Paper as follows:
That the House -
1) notes with great sadness the passing of Mr Paul Harry Kgomotso Ditshetelo, a former Member of Parliament, who died in hospital in Johannesburg on Tuesday, 11 October 2011, after many months of ill health;
2) further notes that Mr Ditshetelo's funeral service was held on 22 October 2011 in North West; 3) recalls that Mr Ditshetelo was one of the founding members of the United Christian Democratic Party (UCDP) and represented the UCDP in the National Assembly during the period 1999 to 2009;
4) further recalls that Mr Ditshetelo started at the UCDP as the Secretary-General and later became the Deputy President and finally acting President until 29 January 2011, when the party held an elective congress;
5) recognises that Mr Ditshetelo was a friend and mentor to many in the UCDP and that his legacy and contribution to the party will continue to inspire all of its members;
6) further recognises that Mr Ditshetelo strongly believed that all people are born equal and that his nature did not allow him to rest in the face of injustice;
7) believes that even in his passing, his legacy will serve to inspire people to take up the banner and continue the fight to keep his ideals alive; and 8) conveys its heartfelt condolences to the Ditshetelo family, his grieving widow and current Member of Parliament, Mrs Ipuseng Celia Ditshetelo, their three children, grandchildren and the UCDP and assures them that its thoughts and prayers are with them.
We are gathered here today as the National Assembly to pay tribute and bid farewell to one of our former Members of Parliament, Mr Paul Harry Kgomotso Ditshetelo, who died on Tuesday, 11 October 2011, after he had been in ill health for some time.
Mr Ditshetelo diligently represented his party, the UCDP, in this House from 1999 to 2009. Hon Members, we are here today to bid farewell to this former colleague, who was also a wonderful husband to one of our MPs, the hon Celia Ditshetelo. The untimely and sudden death of Mr Paul Ditshetelo has not only robbed his family of a caring father and grandfather, but his departure from our midst is a great loss to the UCDP and the rest of South Africa. Even though I did not have the privilege of working closely with him, from what I have heard he has left a void that will not be filled.
Hon Celia Ditshetelo, although we may not feel the full extent of your pain, we appreciate that you know and understand that your loss is our loss too, because your husband was a man among those who dedicated their lives to the cause of the entire South Africa.
Hon members, as the ANC caucus we have assembled here not just to mourn, but to celebrate Mr Ditshetelo's life, which was well lived. He was one of the founding members of the UCDP and there is no doubt the UCDP has lost a hard worker and a leader who represented that greatness of spirit that keeps that party going. In these challenging times in the existence of the UCDP, we are all called upon to return to those values that he represented and lived by.
His death may serve to remind all of us to strive for unity and to put the wellbeing of our country and its people above all personal and sectarian considerations. Irrespective of party differences, we, the ANC, join all political parties in this House in celebrating the life of the late Kgomotso Ditshetelo.
This afternoon, let us rededicate ourselves to making this country of ours the cohesive, caring and decent society that we as South Africans can be proud of. As the ANC caucus we take this opportunity to express our deepest condolences to the Ditshetelo family. We want to say to them, in memory and in honour of Mr Kgomotso's life, that we are proud of the contribution he made during his term as a Member of Parliament.
Ba ga Ditshetelo, le balosika lotlhe, ra re lalang ka ntho madi a tshologa. Ga go a senyega sepe. Ke a leboga. [To the Ditshetelo family, may you be comforted in these trying times. It's not the end of the world. Thank you.]
Hon Speaker, hon Members of Parliament ...
... re le baDA, re tloga re kwele bohloko ka go tlogelwa ke senatla sa dinatla, Ntate Ditshetelo, gomme re rata go t?ea sebaka se go homot?a le go romela mant?u a matshidi?o go lapa la ga Ditshetelo le go maloko a mokgatlo wa UCDP ka go tloga lefaseng ga Mna Paul Ditshetelo.
Ntate Paul Ditshetelo o belegwe ka ngwaga wa 1936, ka di 16 t?a Oktoboro go la Leboa-Bodikela gomme a hlokofala ka di 11 t?a Oktoboro 2011, morago ga bolwet?i, a le Sepetleng sa Johannesburg. Ntate Paul Ditshetelo o bolokilwe ka di 22 Oktoboro 2011 go la Leboa-Bodikela. E bile mohlomi le mothei wa mokgatlo wa Tswana National Party ka ngwaga wa 1972. O ?omet?e mokgatlo gomme a ?ala le mokgatlo ge maloko a mangwe a tlogela mokgatlo go yo hloma mokgatlo wa Bophuthatswana Democratic Party ka 1974.
Ka ngwaga wa 1991, mokgatlo ile wa fetola leina go ba Christian Democratic Party wo o bego o le mokgatlo wo o bego o swere pu?o ya Bophuthatswana. Morago ga ngwaga wa 1994 wa dikgetho, mokgatlo o ile wa fetola leina go ba United Christian Democratic Party. Ntate Ditshetelo o ile a kgethwa go ba mongwaledikakaret?o wa UCDP. O ile a kgona go ngwadi?a mokgatlo go la IEC gore ba kgone go tsenela dikgetho t?a set?haba. O ile a kgethwa ke mokgatlo go ba motlat?a mopresidente ka ngwaga wa 1998, go tloga fao a kgethwa go ba leloko la Palamente Ya Set?haba ka 1998 go fihla ka ngwaga wa 2009. Ntate Ditshetelo e be e le ntate wa lerato le dikelet?o. E be e le Mokreste yo a bego a beile Modimo pele.
Ke kopane le Ntate Ditshetelo ka ngwaga wa 2004, ka ngwaga waka wa mathomo ge ke be ke etla mo Palamenteng morago ga dikgetokakaret?o t?a 2004. Bjale ka leloko le leswa la DA, ke hwedit?e boNtate Ditshetelo ka mo Palamenteng, gomme Ntate Ditshetelo le maloko a mangwe a UCDP, boNtate Mfudisi, ba ile ba nkamogela ka matsogo a borutho, a mabotse. Ba ile ba mpha dikelet?o, ba mpont?ha gore goba moetapele, go ba ka mo Palamenteng go nyakega eng le gore ga go nyakege eng.
Ba ile ba ntsamai?a le diphapo?i kamoka t?a mo Palamenteng, ba mpont?ha gore mo go swarwago gona dikopano t?a dikomiti t?a Palamente ke mo kae, gore ke tsebe tsela, ke kgone go ya fao. Ba be ba nthuta, ba nkelet?a gore ge o le moetapele, o swanet?e gore ka dinako kamoka o hlomphe batho, o hlomphe set?haba ka baka la gore o tlile mo Palamenteng go tlo emela set?haba. Ntate Ditshetelo ga ake are wena Ntate Swathe, o wa DA gomme nka se gofe dikelet?o, ke tla go kgaphela ka thoko. O be a rata batho kamoka, a bula matsogo go Maloko a Palamente kamoka. Motho mang goba mang yo a bego a nyaka dikelet?o, Ntate Ditshetelo o be a mofa t?ona.
Re le baDA, re lla kudu le mokgatlo wa UCDP le ba lapa la Ditshetelo, gomme rere re lahleget?we ke senatla, moetapele wa maemo a godimo. Re tla gopola Ntate Ditshetelo ka me?omo e mebotse yeo a e dirilego. O kgathile tema e kgolo go ageng naga ya Afrika Borwa. Re le baDA rere, moya wa gagwe o robale ka khut?o. Modimo a ?irelet?e lapa la gagwe le ba mokgatlo wa UCDP. Ke a leboga. [Legoswi.] (Translation of Sepedi paragraphs follows.)
[... the members of the DA are saddened by the death of Mr Ditshetelo, a hero amongst heroes. We are conveying our condolences to his family and to the members of the UCDP.
Mr Paul Ditshetelo was born on 16 October 1936 in North West and died on 11 October 2011 at the hospital in Johannesburg. Mr Ditshetelo was ill. His funeral service was held on 22 October 2011 in North West. He founded the Tswana National Party in 1972. He worked for the Tswana National Party and remained with it, even when other members were leaving, to form the Bophuthatswana Democratic Party in 1974.
In 1991 the name of the party was changed to the Christian Democratic Party which was leading the Bophuthatswana government. After the democratic elections in 1994, the name of the party was changed to the United Christian Democratic Party. Mr Ditshetelo was elected Secretary-General of the UCDP. He registered the party with the IEC to enable the party to take part in the elections. He was elected Deputy President in 1998 and then Member of Parliament in the same year, serving until 2009. He loved people and he was always full of good advice. Mr Ditshetelo was a Christian who believed in God.
I met him in 2004 when I arrived in Parliament for the first time after the democratic elections. As a new DA member, Mr Ditshetelo and other UCDP members like Mr Mfudisi made me feel welcome. They advised me on many things, including what is expected of me as a leader and a Member of Parliament and what is not.
They gave me a Parliamentary tour and showed me where different portfolio committees held their meetings. They taught me that as a leader I must always respect the public, because I am in Parliament to represent them. Mr Ditshetelo gave advice to everybody, irrespective of the party they belong to. He loved everybody and co-operated with all the Members of Parliament. He used to give advice to anybody who needed advice.
We are conveying our heartfelt condolences to the family and UCDP as members of the DA. We have lost a hero, a true leader. We will always remember his good works. He contributed a lot in building our country, South Africa. May his soul rest in peace. May God protect his family and the members of the UCDP. Thank you. [Applause.]]
Speaker, Cope joins all other political parties in sending condolences to the friends, party members and family of former Member of Parliament, Paul Harry Kgomotso Ditshetelo, who died on Saturday at the age of 72. His illness had taken such a great toll on him in recent months that he was unable to continue carrying the burden of a long life in public service. Everybody who knew him respected him for being a man of peace and of God. This is why he was affectionately known as Oom Paul.
Paul Ditshetelo, together with Kgosi Lucas Mangope, cofounded the Tswana National Party in 1972. His party later became known as the UCDP. Paul Ditshetelo became its first Secretary-General in 1994. In 1999, Oom Paul was elected Deputy President.
Those of us who served with him in Parliament knew him as a man of integrity. He fought for justice and prosperity in his quiet and dignified manner. He never forgot his cultural roots and was proud of his Tswana background, language and tradition. He promoted the recognition and advancement of his language, both in Parliament and in private life.
His passing away is a great loss to his family, friends and colleagues. Suddenly a great vacuum has opened up. We pray that God will sustain the entire family and clan of Oom Paul. May their hearts be filled with fortitude and may time be allowed to heal the wound of such a loss as they remember a life well lived.
The fact that he spent the last years of his working life in politics is a sure sign of his commitment to the development of the country and co- operation with others to contribute to a better life for all South Africans and all who live in this country. It is an ideal goal to live and die for. Our deepest condolences go to his party, bereaved family and especially to his wife, the hon Ipuseng Celia Ditshetelo, a current Member of Parliament.
Speaker, it is always a sad time when we are called together to remember a fellow Member of Parliament who has passed on. But we should also see it as a time to celebrate a life well lived. Paul Harry Ditshetelo served his country, his party and democracy with such vigour and enthusiasm that it was difficult not to take note of the man. He was truly a man who lived by the values he espoused.
Oom Paul, as he was known, and the UCDP were synonymous with each other. He cofounded the then Tswana National Party, now known as the UCDP, with Kgosi Lucas Mangope. He was elected as its first Secretary-General after South Africa embraced a democratic dispensation in 1994. In 1999 he was elected Deputy President of the UCDP, a position he held with honour until January 2011. Unfortunately, due to his ailing health, he was unable to hold office this year.
Mr Ditshetelo was an inspired leader, a man of firm religious convictions and a distinguished Member of Parliament in his own right and a senior member of the UCDP.
Whenever a former Member of Parliament dies, our parliamentary democracy loses an important piece of its institutional memory. All of us carry the memory of what happened here and of the long journey that brought us here. In this sense, his passing impoverishes our democracy.
We of the IFP extend our most solemn condolences to Mr Ditshetelo's friends and family, especially to his wife, Celia. Hon member, always remember Psalm 23, which states: "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want."
Mr Speaker and hon members, the UDM would like to extend its condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the late Mr Ditshetelo who passed away on 11 October 2011. May the love of those around you, the family, serve as an important source of comfort and support during the days ahead without him.
The late Mr Ditshetelo served South Africa and this House for a decade, from 1999 to 2009. As one of the senior leaders of the UCDP and one of its founding members, he worked hard to ensure that services were indeed delivered to the millions of South Africans we represent in this House. As a religious giant, he influenced and touched the lives of many people who crossed his path. He was a devoted Christian who tirelessly preached about the importance of having God in one's life.
I had the opportunity of attending this great man's funeral. The first to the last speaker in the service made it clear that the life of Oom Paul, as he was affectionately known, was one lived in service of others. May his soul rest in peace.
Speaker, the ACDP learnt with sadness of the death of the former Deputy President of the United Christian Democratic Party, UCDP, Paul Kgomotso Ditshetelo, who died after a period of illness. The 72-year- old ex-parliamentarian was the first Secretary-General of the UCDP after the dawn of democracy in 1994 and was elected its Deputy President in 1999. This year, in January, he did not stand for any position due to ill health.
The ACDP enjoyed a good relationship with Paul Ditshetelo, or St Paul, as my colleague Steve Swart used to call him at Parliament during his time in office in the National Assembly. He led the parliamentary prayer group for many years and was much appreciated. We knew him to be a dignified, diligent man with high principles. He was also friendly and a pleasure to work with.
On behalf of the ACDP, I wish to express our sincere and heartfelt condolences to our friend and fellow Member of Parliament, Celia Ditshetelo, the Ditshetelo family, friends and colleagues. Having met and worked with Paul Ditshetelo, it is easy to understand how much he will be missed. You are in our thoughts and prayers. Our heart goes out to our friends in the UCDP.
Motlotlegi Mmusakgotla, go bua boammaruri lekoko la gaetsho le wetswe ke kotsi e kgolo, mme re fitlhetse moriti wa setlhare se re ntseng re se nnela o ole. Go a bonala letsatsi le tlile go dika le re bolaile monongwaga. E rile fa Motswana a bua a re "Tlhapi solofela leraga, metsi a ?ele o a lebile". Mo go Rre Ditshetelo, re ne re na le moeteledipele. Nna ke nnile le t?hono ya go dira gaufi thata le ene, e le Mokwaledikakaretso mme nna ke le Motlatsamokwaledikakaretso. Ka nako eo ... (Translation of Setswana paragraph follows.)
[Mrs M N MATLADI: Hon Speaker, I would like to acknowledge that our party is facing a very difficult period in its history. We have just learned that we have lost a key figure in our party. I reckon that we are facing a difficult year ahead of us. Motswana once said "Draw solace from the knowledge that someone's immense contribution will never go unnoticed." In Mr Ditshetelo we have lost a leader. I had the privilege of working closely as his Deputy Secretary while he was serving as our Secretary-General. At that time ...]
... I was still a lecturer at the college of education, and politics was a part-time venture for me. I learnt a lot from him, including diplomacy in politics. I found him to be a loving, respectful, tolerant and selfless man. He would teach without limitation.
I remember his first day in the National Assembly of South Africa, after a long time of the Batswana not being represented in this House. Then in 1999 the UCDP brought them in. I am referring to the area where he was from, as a Motswana from the North West. I am not saying all Batswana generally. You must hear what I am saying. When he came in, he spoke Setswana like a Motswana, not like some of us who come and speak foreign languages here. He was not ashamed to speak his mother tongue and this is the first sentence he uttered from this podium, which is recorded in the Hansard:
"Ngwana sejo, wa tlhakanelwa." [It takes a village to raise a child.]
The world was mad about it. The media had a field day with it and people wanted to understand what that Setswana idiom or proverb meant. Well, now is not the time for me to teach or explain what it meant.
When we look into his life, we realise that he was one of the people who started a prayer meeting forum in the National Assembly of Parliament. That forum for people to pray together still exists today. We thank him for that. He even represented South Africa in the United States of America, where they had prayer breakfast meetings, and South Africa became known for its religious spirit through him.
He was a man who had seen to the revival of the UCDP - we are talking about the elective congress of 29 January 2011. We say that where he is resting, he might be saying: "Oh God, let Thy son's spirit rest for his eyes have seen the deliverance of the United Christian Democratic Party." Our party is faring well in this democracy. Our party has been revived and is ready to compete with other parties in the political arena, for the voters of this country and to share in the land of its birth. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.
Motion agreed to.