Speaker, on behalf of the Chief Whip of the Majority Party, I move:
That the House -
1) notes with great sadness the death of African National Congress Member of Parliament and Minister for the Public Service and Administration, Mr Roy Padayachie, on Saturday, 5 May 2012;
2) further notes that Mr Padayachie passed away while on an official state visit to Ethiopia;
3) remembers that Mr Padayachie served in various capacities within the ANC and Government, including as member of the ANC KwaZulu- Natal negotiating team at the Congress for a Democratic South Africa (Codesa), Deputy Minister of Communications, Deputy Minister for the Public Service and Administration and Minister of Communications;
4) further remembers that he served as an Executive Member of the Natal Indian Congress and Executive Committee Member of the United Democratic Front in KwaZulu-Natal;
5) recalls that his political career was shaped by the Black Consciousness Movement, the Natal Indian Congress, and his own experience of the destructive influence of apartheid's racist laws on the majority of South Africans;
6) further recalls that, notwithstanding his immense involvement in directing protests and opposition to the repressive policies of apartheid, he excelled at university and completed his Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Durban-Westville and a Master of Science degree at the University of London;
7) believes that Mr Padayachie's hallmark characteristics of humility, modesty and unassuming brilliance belied his supreme political astuteness, his rare incisive analysis of political crises and his talented ability to resolve and reform even under the most trying of circumstances;
8) further believes that he was a man for the poor, a leader for the downtrodden and a champion of the disadvantaged;
9) acknowledges his deep compassion, humility, commitment and courage, which he proved in true selfless service to his people and the country;
10) appreciates his immense contribution to furthering our democracy, his dedication and enthusiasm as a public representative and community worker, and his work ethic and vibrant leadership; and
11) extends its heartfelt condolences to the family of Mr Padayachie, friends, colleagues and members of the African National Congress.
Speaker, it is with immense sadness that I rise today to pay tribute to Minister Radhakrishna Lutchmana Padayachie, popularly known as Roy. As you will undoubtedly hear from fellow parliamentarians this morning, Roy was a very special person who was held in very high esteem by the party he served steadfastly, unwaveringly and loyally.
It is indeed an honour and privilege to pay tribute to him. I heard of his death early last Saturday morning and, as is human nature's wont, I reflected on my association with him. His demeanour, manner and utmost humility were a living expression of the character traits of his name, namely truthful, morally upright, mischievous and humorous.
In my student days I held him, among others, in awe, because they dared to take on the establishment. In fact, when I was young, any Indian student who took the ferry to Salisbury Island to study was looked up to. He was one of the leading political architects of the Natal Indian Congress. For his cause, he was arrested by the Special Branch, virtually on a daily basis. He shared many stories of his endeavours to evade arrest. Together with his family, he paid a high price when he served time on Robben Island.
I and many others will remember him for his dedication to the early childhood learning project and the housing action campaign, as a result of which he became a household name in Chatsworth, Merebank, Phoenix and Clairwood.
Roy and I shared a constituency boundary. We recently had a light-hearted conversation, when he was instrumental in helping with facilitating an application made by the South Indian community in KwaZulu-Natal to get a licence for a community radio station. I joked with him, saying that he was upping the North Indian-South Indian debate in his endeavour.
I am sure he would have been very sad to hear that one of his greatest supporters, Dr T P Naidoo, succumbed to cancer yesterday.
We in the DA extend our sincerest condolences to Sally, Trevana and Vindea on the loss of a father, husband and friend. You can be proud of the highest honour accorded to him on his death and the legacy he left behind. I would encourage you to celebrate his life and achievements as you mourn his loss. We thank you for sharing him with the rest of South Africa.
He lived his life as a true Gandhian, and I say rest in peace, Roy. Shanti, shanti, shanti. [Peace.] [Applause.]
Mr Speaker, on behalf of Cope, I would like to say that it is with sadness that we convey our heartfelt condolences to the family of the late Minister, Comrade Padayachie, his friends and the bigger family, the ANC. We are all united, not only in our desire to pay our last respects to Roy Padayachie, but to go on our knees to do so.
We pay this tribute to a remarkable son of the soil, who died with his boots on, on the battle field and in a foreign country, representing the South African government and the people of our motherland, South Africa.
Comrade Roy has written his book, but he has ended it with a different chapter by departing while on foreign soil, hard at work. I listened to speaker after speaker during the memorial service yesterday, 10 May 2012, reciting chapters from Comrade Roy's life. We can read the same chapters and say that he was a selfless human being who sacrificed his life up to the last day for the greater good of all of us in South Africa. What a remarkable man!
He was an open-minded person, who had no fear of expressing his views and engaging other views in the pursuit of honesty. As a committee member, I noted that, from when he was a Deputy Minister to the period when he was a Minister, he remained the same - simply Comrade Roy, with a down-to-earth tone, a sense of balance, and seriousness in dealing with all the challenges.
On the 21st, when he met with the committee, telling us what he was going to do with the budget, he summarised it in five key areas, about which I won't go into in detail, as time is short. As South Africans, we have indeed lost a leader of our time, who had vision and clarity of mind when it came to challenges.
The last chapter of his book should be called, "Qualification for an award and calls to regard him selfless, as human, a comrade, down to earth, community leader, teacher and hero, and the soldier who fell with his boots on".
Last night when I was reading and looking for a suitable poem for him, I found this poem, which is attributed to Ronald Rohr:
Bury my body, but do not bury my beliefs, Time will come when my life will cease. But when that time comes I ask that you remember these things Bury my body but don't bury my beliefs Bury my heart but don't bury my love Bury my eyes but not my vision Bury my feet but not the path of my life Bury my hands but don't bury my diligent efforts Bury my shoulders but not the concerns I carried Bury my voice but not my message Bury my mind but don't bury my dreams Bury me but don't bury my life. If you must bury something, let it be my faults and my weakness, but let my life continue on in you.
I ask that we let his soul rest in peace. Thank you. [Applause.]
Mr Speaker and hon members, firstly let me say that in the IFP we were a bit disappointed that although a formal request was made by the department for a tribute from the party to be read at the crematorium on Wednesday, this was not done. Therefore, what I would like to do, hon Speaker, is to place on record what Prince Buthelezi's message would have been to the mourners at the Clare Estate Crematorium:
On behalf of the IFP, I offer my condolences to the Padayachie family and to the ANC on the untimely passing of Minister Roy Padayachie. The family's loss is deep and personal. We cannot begin to understand their pain.
The loss to the ANC, however, is easier to put into words. Minister Padayachie was an asset to his party. He was a dedicated, loyal and competent servant of the people. He aligned himself with the ANC's ideals and represented the ANC's vision.
However, there was more to Minister Padayachie than this, which makes his death a loss to many of us outside the party he served. He was an exceptional Minister whose appointment was welcomed and whose work consistently proved the wisdom of appointing him. His death is a loss to the Department of Public Service and Administration and a loss to government. He also had a good business mind, and his advice was equally sought out by entrepreneurs and international organisations. His death is a loss to the pool of leadership this generation must draw on. He was respectful, inclusive and warm. His death is a loss to those of us who still pursue reconciliation. In this sad hour, there are many commendations we could bestow on Minister Roy Padayachie.
But, as we mourn our loss, our thoughts will no doubt turn to the individual recollections we have of him. I recall the many functions we attended together when he was the Minister of Communications, for he made a point of always inviting me and I made a point of attending.
He showed great respect for other political organisations, which was a manifestation of his genuine commitment to unity across all divides. This is what drove him during the liberation struggle, and it continued to inspire him as we consolidated South Africa's freedom after 1994. Our nation owes a debt of gratitude to Minister Roy Padayachie for all he gave and all he did throughout his life to serve liberation, reconciliation and democracy.
Here in KwaZulu-Natal, we feel we have lost one of our own. Although his authority was felt in every province as he served in South Africa's Cabinet, it was here that we saw him rolling up his sleeves, going into homes and making a difference through his presence.
I am privileged to have known Minister Padayachie well. I held him in high esteem and will feel this loss both personally and as a colleague. May we continue the work he so passionately pursued. May his family be comforted and may our nation rise in a unified message of thanks for the life of a true servant of the people.
Mr Speaker, on a personal note, I have known Roy for 41 years, since we were students at Salisbury Island, and we served together on many committees thereafter. To Sally, their daughters and the rest of the family, I offer my personal condolences.
Let me also offer my condolences to the family of Dr T P Naidoo, who was a doyen of the cultural sector in South Africa. We in the IFP also offer our condolences to that family. Thank you.
Speaker, today we say goodbye to someone who joined the ANC at the youthful age of 22 years and spent most of his life fighting for the betterment of South Africa.
It was with unbearable shock and profound sadness that we learned of Minister Roy Padayachie's passing away. Surely this Parliament will long remember the late Minister Padayachie who suddenly said his final goodbyes to his wife, children and country while on an official visit.
Roy was a humble, principled and well-respected man. He was an extremely hard worker and always put service to the country before his own needs.
I can still hear his tone of voice when responding to the opposition benches during Members' Statements and Questions in this House. He was certainly cool, calm and collected. He was always seeking compromises and, where necessary, inviting members to visit or write to him to investigate any matter.
In the days after the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup, I made it a point to personally hand over photographs to members who attended the opening match. Roy was one of them. In return, he sent me a note and actually took me by surprise. He jokingly teased me about my photographic abilities, but simultaneously showed immense appreciation and could not comprehend how I could have taken the time to spot, zoom in on and capture him on camera.
I was also impressed by his humble nature, and it is these traits that will allow us to remember Roy the person and not Roy the Minister.
Speaker, ek wil dit beklemtoon dat ek bendruk was met Roy se sagmoedigheid en nederigheid. Hy was 'n mens-mens, en dit is hierdie soort kenmerke wat ons in staat stel om Roy die persoon te kan onthou, en nie net Roy die Minister nie. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[Speaker, I want to emphasise the fact that I was impressed with Roy's gentle nature and humility. He was a person's person, and it is these kinds of characteristics that enable us to remember Roy as the person he was, and not only as Roy the Minister.]
In Roy the ANC has undoubtedly given birth to one of the greatest heroes of our age, a true servant and leader, someone who has made a lasting impact on the lives of others, someone who will certainly be missed.
We would like to express our sincere sympathies to Minister Padayachie's wife, children, family and friends, as well as the ANC. Thank you. [Applause.]
Mr Speaker and hon members, on behalf of the UDM, I would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the late Minister Roy Padayachie, who passed away on 5 May 2012, and to the