Deputy Chairperson, I move without notice:
That the Council -
1) notes with profound sadness and deep sorrow the passing away of the hon Mrs Bertha Nonkumbi Gxowa on Friday, 19 November, only a few days before her 77th birthday;
2) further notes that the hon Mrs Gxowa or Ma Bertha, as she was affectionately known, was born on 28 November 1934 in Germiston and will be laid to rest at the Thomas Nkobi, South Park cemetery in Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg;
3) acknowledges that Ma Bertha dedicated her life to serving the people of South Africa, and was a Member of Parliament for the past 16 years, and played a pivotal role in the fight against apartheid, and served the national democratic revolution as a trade unionist, treason trialist, and as one of the organisers of the 1956 women's march to the Union Buildings;
4) further acknowledges that Ma Bertha was an embodiment of the principles, values and character of the African National Congress, and the African National Congress Women's League, and that her untimely death has robbed us of a distinguished cadre of the ANC who dedicated her life to changing the lives of the people of South Africa;
5) takes this opportunity to dip its head for comfort on the shoulders of a nation in mourning and on the chests of so many of our people who are mourning with the Gxowa family, friends, and comrades;
6) hopes that they will find comfort in knowing that Ma Bertha's dedication, commitment, words and deeds will serve as a living memorial and a living heritage for many of us who know that she shared her life with our nation; and
7) calls on the House to observe a moment of silence.
Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.