Speaker, I guess I have a very good story to tell. I'm rising to say my final thank you and goodbye to all of you in this House, for the journey I walked with you was worth every mile.
Only a handful of us are fortunate to be elected to serve our people as lawmakers of our country. For this reason I have been truly honoured and exceptionally privileged to serve in the fourth democratic Parliament with all of you.
When we met in 2009, we were strangers and political opponents, but today I am leaving as a friend and comrade of many of you. I would like to thank Cope for the confidence they have shown in me and my abilities, and for having deployed me to Parliament.
To all my colleagues in the Portfolio Committees of Public Enterprises and of Defence and Military Veterans as well as in the Joint Standing Committee on Defence, I want to say that our robust and sometimes rough deliberations in committees have, in many respects, made me a better person. I will truly miss you.
A special word of gratitude goes to all the staff members who had to contend with my rather unpleasant attitude at times, and for providing me with support at all possible times.
Xhamela, egameni losapho lwakowethu, amaMpondomise, ooJola, abazukulwana benkwakhwa, amathole omthwakazi, amaKrancolo, ooMgebe, ooMsizi, ooMbuyeni, sithi maz'enethole, sibamba ngazo zozibini. Inga iinkomo, iibhokhwe neegusha zakowenu zinga zingazala amathokazi. Enkosi. [Kwaqhwatywa.] (Translation of the isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[Xhamela (clan name), on behalf of our family, amaMpondomise, ooJola, abazukulwana benkwakhwa, amathole omthwakazi, amaKrancolo, ooMgebe, ooMsizi, ooMbuyeni, (praise-singing particularly for and/or of the Mpondomise clan), we thank you. May you prosper abundantly. [Applause.]]