Hon Speaker, I move without notice:
That the House -
1) notes with deep sadness the death of former Member of Parliament and Deputy Minister for Provincial and Local Government, Nomatyala Hangana, on Friday, 3 August 2012, after a short illness;
2) further notes that Ms Hangana was amongst the first generation of public representatives that the African National Congress (ANC) sent to Parliament after the country's historic democratic breakthrough in 1994;
3) acknowledges that as an ANC Member of Parliament, she participated in various parliamentary and caucus structures, including as chairperson of the housing portfolio committee;
4) recalls that she was a fearless and selfless activist who, like many women activists who fought in the struggle, sacrificed immensely to bring about freedom and equality;
5) further recalls that as a longstanding ANC Women's League member and leader, she campaigned tirelessly for the rights of women and was passionate about issues affecting children;
6) remembers that during her tenure as a Deputy Minister, she played a key role as the national convenor of the Government's 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children Campaign;
7) believes that Ms Hangana was a hardworking and committed servant of the people; and
8) extends its heartfelt condolences to the family of Ms Hangana, friends, colleagues and members of the African National Congress.
Speaker, Billy Graham once said, and I quote:
We all need to be reminded that there is nothing morbid about honestly confronting the truth of life's end and preparing for it, so that we may go gracefully and peacefully. The fact is that we cannot truly face life until we learn to face the fact that it will be taken away from us.
The late Ms Hangana surely realised that death was not the greatest loss in life, but that the greatest loss was what died inside of us while we still lived. That was exactly the reason or motivation why she fought vigorously for the rights of women.
We are convinced that she never allowed any challenge to bar her from reaching the goals she set for vulnerable women. She was indeed a voice for the voiceless and a comfort to those in need. She never allowed any obstacle to dim the caring spirit for women inside her.
Her relentless opposition to the ill treatment of women and children is illustrated by the fact that she worked as national convenor for the 16 Days of Activism For No Violence Against Women and Children campaign. She understood the lack of access to resources and basic services, oppression, as well as unequal rights in communities and family structures.
I am sure she was painfully aware of many rural women who were caught up in patriarchal society, where men still dominated income and society. Women's specific roles - mothers, caregivers and providers - were greatly respected by her and she fought vigorously behind the scenes for equality and equity for those women. Today the late Ms Hangana can be remembered as someone who clearly made a difference to the lives of so many women. Being Women's Month, we will remember her and continue to do what she did best.
We convey our prayers and sincere condolences to her beloved family for the days ahead. May her soul rest in peace, knowing that the service she rendered to others was really only the rent she paid for her room on this earth. It is obvious that we are all travellers, and that the purpose of this world is not to have and to hold, but to give and to serve. There can surely be no other meaning. [Applause.]
Speaker, Cope notes that Comrade Nomatyala Hangana possessed fearlessness in her opposition to injustice and oppression by the apartheid system. It was little wonder that her outspokenness and ready willingness to be in the front line of the struggle got her into frequent trouble. She was always being arrested by the police.
I got to know her well and I admired her clarity of vision and her deep commitment to a noble cause. During the period when the UDF began mobilising people against the system of apartheid, she actively participated in many campaigns, such as the Crossroads protests at the time. She was a sterling member of the national executive committee of the ANC Women's League, as well as being the secretary of the ANCWL in the Western Cape before becoming a Member of Parliament in 1994. All of us who knew her well will also recall with deep appreciation the vigour and commitment she displayed in her role as the national convenor of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign.
Cope also recognises her valuable contribution in various portfolios, particularly in her role as the chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Housing. She genuinely cared about housing for the poor. Her promotion to the post of Deputy Minister of Provincial and Local Government was well deserved. She definitely proved to be equal to the challenges that the difficult portfolio offered.
The people of Stutterheim, a small farming town in the Eastern Cape, will forever remember her for having honoured their town. It was chosen as the venue to hold a national seminar on local government. A national government- sponsored event in Stutterheim is indeed a great event.
Nomatyala used her legal knowledge to serve not only the people of the Western Cape but the nation as well, considering that she was always in the very vanguard of women's rights. She spent her youth and adult life fighting for the full emancipation of women. She lived her life courageously, honestly, selflessly and successfully. The correct response to her death is for all of us to take the baton she held out and continue vigorously to combat the continuing scourge of brutality and victimisation unleashed against women, children and lesbians.
Cope readily joins with others in this House to offer our most sincere condolences to her bereaved family, her colleagues in the ANC and friends, as well as to the people of Beaufort West, who lost a dedicated and committed servant of the people.
Hon Speaker, the IFP is deeply saddened by the passing on of former Deputy Minister of Provincial and Local Government, Ms Nomatyala Hangana. She had a long and distinguished political and paralegal career and was one of the stalwarts of women's rights in South Africa. She had a passion for the law and its application in ensuring equality for all.
Ms Hangana served this Parliament and the people of South Africa with unwavering enthusiasm and energy. Her cause was just and unfaltering and the people responded to that. Ms Hangana was elected for two consecutive terms as secretary of the Women's League in the Western Cape. She was a member of this Parliament from 1994 to 1999. She was appointed Member of the Executive Council, MEC, for Housing in the Western Cape Provincial Government from 2001 to 2004.
Ms Hangana will be remembered for her famous 50/50 campaign, which promoted equal opportunity and representation of women in senior government positions. She will also be remembered for her relentless campaigning for the eradication of the bucket system from our municipalities.
Ms Hangana's legacy will live on. Her cause was just. Her aim was true. The people of South Africa salute her. May her soul rest in peace.
Thobela. Ke leboga metsotso e mebedi. [Greetings. Thank you for the few minutes allotted to me.]
Keep it up. [Interjections.]
Once more, we are gathered here to undertake the sad duty of bidding farewell to a former Member of Parliament, this time the late former Deputy Minister of Provincial and Local Government, Ms Nomatyala Hangana, who passed away on 3 August 2012. On behalf of the UDM, I would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, colleagues and the ANC.
As President Zuma put it in his condolence message, former Deputy Minister Hangana was a committed campaigner for women's rights. As national convener, she effectively and visibly led the campaign of 16 Days of Activism For No Violence Against Women and Children. Ms Hangana chaired the Portfolio Committee on Housing between 1997 and 1999, with distinction.
We will forever be grateful to her for her contribution to South Africa's democracy. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who share in her family's grief during this time of bereavement. O be a le moagi?ani wa ka kua Waterkloof. Re re a robale ka khut?o!
Se segolo ke gore ke leboga metsotso e mebedi yeo le mphilego. Ke a leboga. (Translation of Sepedi paragraphs follows.)
[She was my neighbour at Waterkloof. May her soul rest in peace.
More importantly, I thank you for the few minutes allotted to me. I thank you.]
Agb Speaker, dit is my voorreg om namens die VF Plus ons te assosieer met die mosie soos deur die agb Hoofsweep van die Meerderheidsparty voorgestel. Dit is 'n mosie van roubeklag met die afsterwe van ons voormalige kollega, die agb Hangana, wat ook as Adjunkminister gedien het.
Dit is korrek dat sy in 1994 hier in die Parlement gekom het, en van die begin af het ons haar leer ken as 'n persoon wat baie sterk standpunte gehad het, wat altyd baie sterk oor haar standpunte gevoel het en wat ook baie graag tussenwerpsels gemaak het.
Dit is ook so dat baie van ons ANC-kollegas vir ons tradisionele name gee, en ek en my kollegas het ook vir die agb Hangana 'n tradisionele Afrikaner- naam gegee. Ons het van haar gepraat as Anna Bezuidenhout. Dit was op 'n baie mooi manier bedoel, maar ons het geweet wie die kollega was. Sy was vir ons "Anna Bezuidenhout". Dit is goed dat die Parlement op hierdie wyse afskeid neem van kollegas wat ons deur hul afsterwe verlaat het. Ek wil graag ons medelye betuig met die ANC, wat 'n kollega verloor het, maar ook met haar familie en naasbestaandes, wat hartseer is oor 'n ma wat weg is. Ons dink aan julle. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)
[Dr C P MULDER: Hon Speaker, on behalf of the FF Plus it is my privilege to associate ourselves with the motion as moved by the hon Chief Whip of the Majority Party. It is a motion of condolence on the death of our former colleague, the hon Hangana, who had also served as Deputy Minister.
It is true that she arrived here at Parliament in 1994, and from the beginning we got to know her as a person who had very strong views, who always felt very strongly about her views and also readily made interjections.
It is so that many of our ANC colleagues give us traditional names, and my colleagues and I also gave hon Hangana a traditional Afrikaner name. We spoke of her as Anna Bezuidenhout. It was meant in a very nice way, but we knew who the colleague was. To us, she was "Anna Bezuidenhout".
It is good for Parliament to say goodbye, in this manner, to colleagues who have left us because they have passed away. I would like to express our condolences to the ANC, who have lost a colleague, and also to her family and relatives, who are mourning the loss of a mother. We are thinking of you. [Applause.]]
Speaker, the ACDP joins this House in conveying our sincere condolences to the ANC, the family and friends of the late former Deputy Minister of Provincial and Local Government, Nomatyala Hangana, who passed away on 3 August 2012 after a short illness.
Ms Hangana was one of the first generation of MPs to join Parliament in 1994. Described as a selfless activist and a pillar of strength, she will be best remembered for her vision and tireless commitment to the cause of human rights, particularly of women and children.
During her tenure as Deputy Minister, we saw her take the lead role in convening the annual 16 Days of Activism For No Violence Against Women and Children, a cause that was very close to her heart. During her speech at the launch of this campaign, she said:
We must do everything in our power to make women and children less vulnerable, make them feel safe and free in our streets, at work and at home.
Today we remember her words and echo her hope of seeing a safe and free South Africa for all, but most especially for the vulnerable in our society. May the Lord bring comfort and healing to all her loved ones and friends during this time of bereavement.
Hon Speaker and hon members, as the days go by and we remember those with whom we have rubbed shoulders but who have since gone yonder, one asks oneself: Who is next?
Nomatyala was such an ebullient person and she was at peace with everyone. One is able to assess a person's character by the way they conduct themselves in public places or on public transport. In the bus between Parliament and Acacia Park, Nomatyala would sing and crack jokes all the way.
As chair of the Portfolio Committee on Housing, as it was called then, she showed her fairness to all members of the committee. They knew well that, as chair, she had to serve the interests of all committee members.
As the Deputy Minister of Provincial and Local Government, she was on top of the situation. When statements were made, she would rise to the occasion and respond, as the Minister in charge was held up as a mediator in Zimbabwe most of the time. She acquitted herself very well.
Nomatyala showed her true colours as a protagonist and activist for women's issues when she took over the leadership of the co-ordination of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign. She travelled across the country, calling for restraint and an end to women abuse.
We in the UCDP have no doubt that, whatever the circumstances, Nomatyala fought a good fight and ran the full distance in her quest to make South Africa a better place to live in. To her family, friends and her political home, the ANC, we say "akuhlanga lungelanga" [take heart]. May her soul rest in peace. [Applause.]
Hon Speaker, hon members and the family of Ms Hangana, Azapo joins the country in mourning the passing of former Deputy Minister Nomatyala Hangana.
We salute her for the role that she played in the liberation struggle in general, but in particular for her role as a gender activist and a champion of the rights of women and children.
On behalf of Azapo, I convey condolences to her family, to all her friends and colleagues, and to her party, the ANC. May her soul rest in peace.
Speaker, Chief Whip of the ANC, Ministers, comrades and colleagues, as the ANC, we are passing our heartfelt condolences to the family of Comrade Nomatyala Hangana. Comrade Nomatyala was born in the Karoo town of Beaufort West. She was the fourth of seven children to Nozenza Catherine Hangana.
Amabanga akhe aphantsi uwafunde eBantu Community School phantsi kukaMnumzana uDlikidla. [She did her primary grades at Bantu Community School, under principal Dlikidla.]
After passing Std 6, she left for Cape Town in pursuit of work in order to assist her family. She left Cape Town to further her education at Siseko Senior Secondary School in Debe Nek. This is where her political consciousness was awakened. She then obtained her diploma in paralegal studies in 1984, after which she found employment at the Legal Resource Centre as a paralegal between 1984 and 1989. She left the LRC to join Ngcuka and Mathana Attorneys, a law firm that was run by Bulelani Ngcuka and M S Mathana.
This is also a period in which she actively participated in the struggle against apartheid. During the repressive apartheid regime, she distinguished herself as an organiser and an interpreter, along with the late Rev Sikolakhe Marhawu. This she did almost weekly at the funerals of fallen comrades and also at rallies, particularly in the Gugulethu area.
She joined the United Women's Front and was part of the negotiations to merge it with the United Women's Organisation to form the United Women's Congress, UWCO, where she served as a member of the executive committee. She also organised for the United Democratic Front. She was elected by the ANC Women's League as its provincial secretary-general and served two terms. In 1993, she was elected to serve on the National Executive Committee of the ANC Women's League, where she served until 2003. During this time, she also served as the provincial chairperson of the ANC Women's League.
After the historic victory of 1994, she was deployed to serve in the National Assembly, the first woman from Beaufort West to do so. She was appointed the chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Housing in 1997, where she ably demonstrated her passion for grassroots struggles. She was also a Whip of the ANC. In 2001, she was appointed as MEC for Housing, and she served until the national elections in 2004. It was also at this time that she was elected as deputy chairperson of the ANC in the Western Cape. She was then appointed as the Deputy Minister in the then Department of Provincial and Local Government, where she served until 2009.
In government, she was a convener of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign, a task she performed very well. She was again deployed as a Member of Parliament in 2009 but due to ill health she resigned later that year. She returned to her hometown, where she continued to be of service to her community and served in the ANCWL local structures in the regional task team of the Karoo region.
Usutywe kukufa ngomhla wama-30 kweyeThupha. [She died on 30 August.]
She leaves behind her mother, her sister, her brother, her children - two sons, Mkhululi and Loyiso, and a daughter, Thandiwe - her cousins, nephews, nieces and grandchildren.
Lala uphumle MamQadi, Mphankomo ... [Rest in peace, MamQadi, Mphankomo] ... you have been called to a higher place.
I first met Comrade Nomatyala in 1977, a year in which many students were not at school because of the aftermath of the 16 June 1976 student uprising. At the time, she was working as a domestic worker. She was very active in the Domestic Workers' Association. When we met, we became part of the cultural group, in which we were writing poems. We decided to publish our poems and agreed to travel to Johannesburg by train to publish with Ravan Press. This group later became Amampondo, so Nomatyala was one of the founding members of the Amampondo group. In Johannesburg, we were accommodated by the likes of Ingoapele Madingoane and Matsemela Manaka in Diepkloof. Our journey to Johannesburg was the beginning of many years of comradeship.
Nomatyala joined the United Women's Front and became active in many campaigns that took place during those days, such as the fight against forced removals at KTC, Crossroads and Nyanga Bush. She was also part of the campaign that proclaimed "Akuyiwa eKhayelitsha" ["We won't move to Khayelitsha"] - but ended up staying in Khayelitsha! She was fearless, very brave and very articulate. Nomatyala always stated her facts without fear or favour.
On her retirement, she continued to work for the ANC in Beaufort West, building the structures of the ANC. Nomatyala is one of the outstanding leaders of our movement who worked tirelessly to improve the conditions of our people. Her joy was to see the ANCWL being able to take up the issues of gender-based violence. She was a pillar of strength to many comrades. She was a reliable comrade. She was selfless, robust and a dynamic leader.
Nomatyala was an activist who joined the struggle at a tender age, when it was not fashionable to do so. She braved the odds and became one of the outstanding leaders of our time. She believed that women had to be emancipated. As a gender activist, she continued to inspire women to take up their rightful position in society. She led the struggles of women from the front. She believed that no country was free unless its women were free.
Her strength in the organisation was political education. She convened many sessions of chairs and secretaries at Zolani Centre in Nyanga, giving members of the ANCWL umrabulo [daily briefings] on a regular basis.
Those were the qualities of this cadre of our movement, whom we will sadly miss. She believed only the ANC had the vision and will to improve the conditions ... [Interjections.] Just keep your mouths shut, please. [Interjections.]
Order, hon members! Order!
She believed only the ANC had the vision and will to improve the conditions of the most vulnerable in our society. [Interjections.]
She was a team leader and a community builder, who believed in collective leadership. The most important thing to her was the unity of our movement. She was very excited when the ANCWL of the Western Cape asked her to receive the torch, which was handed over by the ANC Free State to the ANC Western Cape, on their behalf in Beaufort West on 1 February 2012. She was a beacon of hope to many members of the ANCWL, to whom she was a role model because of the quality of the leadership she provided. We have lost a special kind of cadre at a time when we need quality leadership more than ever before.
Masimyeke uQabane uNomatyala ngoba yena ugqatso ulufezile. Icekwa lilele kum nawe yena uqabane ulele phezu kwemisebenzi yakhe. Ubomi bakhe buyincwadi efundekayo. Sithumela amazwi ovelwano singumbutho i-ANC kusapho lwakhe, umama wakhe, udade wabo, umntakwabo kunye nabantwana bakhe. Sithi akuhlanga lungehliyo. Mabalale ngenxeba, uyenzile uqabane indima yakhe emzabalazweni nakuMzantsi Afrika uphela. Makaphumle ngoxolo. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[Let us take leave of Comrade Nomatyala because she has run her race. The onus is now on you and me to do our bit because the comrade leaves behind a legacy. Her achievements are there for everyone to see. As the ANC, we express our condolences to her family, her mother, her sister, her brother and her children. Comrade Hangana has made her contribution to the liberation struggle in South Africa and to the development of the country as a whole. May her soul rest in peace.]
Rest in peace, Comrade Nomatyala. The ANC salutes this great daughter of our nation. We say, rest in peace, qabane. Hamba kahle, qabane. [Go well, comrade.]
The presiding officers associate themselves with the motion.
Debate concluded.
Agreed to, members standing.