Mr Speaker, Chairperson of the NCOP, hon members, ladies and gentlemen, my respect goes to the Mandela and Sisulu families. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, our father, the commander-in- chief of uMkhonto weSizwe, the volunteer in chief, the first democratic President of South Africa, seaparankwe [chief], the icon of the world has gone to join his ancestors. [Applause.]
Different constituencies in the North West sent different messages. This one went to my heart:
Die groot Madiba slaap. Ons is hartseer en bekommerd, maar ons gun hom sy rus. Ons hoop dat julle, die ANC, op sy spore sal bly om ons land veilig vir almal te hou. [The great Madiba is sleeping. We are heartbroken and concerned, but we feel he is entitled to his rest. We hope that you, the ANC, will follow in his footsteps to keep our country safe for everyone.]
The public servants in the North West also woke up on Friday morning and decided that they were not going to work. They dared me to fire them. They said they were taking a day off to honour the man who made it possible for them to have their names, jobs and dignity. Of course, we could never fire them for honouring the man they called their father. They dared and challenged one another to stay true to the values and leadership of the man they called their father. The mood in the North West is sad, but not hopeless. We are not lost. We may be disappointed that perhaps Madiba left before we could prove to ourselves and to him that the sacrifices he made were not in vain.
The lives of South Africans are changing every day for the better and the freedoms which my colleague has referred to - social, economic and political freedom, equality and unity - are actually being realised. We are proud that this rare kind of a human being - this exceptional African, wise and warm person, was our very own. We are proud that Madiba was the great but humble leader. He was not flawless. However, he is the one leader who taught us in the ANC that courage is actually your ability to rise up and strive for greater heights every time you stumble.
We drew inspiration from this leader who continuously involved himself in the struggle for all our communities. He loved children, protected the sick, showed compassion to the poor, and believed in education. He sought to ensure that education would be the weapon we use to eradicate poverty and inequality in our country. He knew that without the eradication of inequality and poverty, democracy would be a figment. He believed that traditional leaders needed to educate themselves so that they could serve their people better. That is why the North West is resolute that it will reopen the traditional leaders' training college. [Applause.]
In 2004 in Mumbai, President Nelson Mandela said, and I quote:
We owe a huge debt to future generations in the form of a better world. It has to be a better world - one in which the rights of every individual are respected, one that builds our aspirations for a good life, and one that enables every individual to optimally develop their potential.
He was committed to equality and democracy, despite repeated provocation, sometimes in this very House. He resisted answering racism with racism and hatred with hatred. He taught us the very simple things - to respect time, to walk and talk straight, and to be good listeners. He remembered all of us and our little burdens. There was no problem that you could ever have told Madiba that was too petty for him to remember or try to resolve. He dedicated his legal practice to fighting injustice and apartheid - placing himself at the disposal of the poor and the helpless.
Despite the 27 years of deprivation, he came out to lead the effort to build a united country. His resilience and integrity during the difficult years in prison, and through the negotiation processes, inspired us as the oppressed poor, the world throughout, to strive for unity and peace; to fight for our identities and to retain our cultures.
Indeed, Nelson left this world a better place. Perhaps our sadness stems from our uncertainty about our ability to emulate his confidence, humility, honesty, determination, strength and his vision. We must honour this extraordinary being - the sage of our age, whose life represents the triumph of the human will, justice, equality and progress. The big question is: As individuals and as a nation, are we ready to follow in his footsteps? The answer from the North West is: Yes, and yes again, because our actions will be motivated by the vision that drove his life - a life that was dedicated to giving and to transformation.
History will remember Rolihlahla as a champion for human dignity, freedom, peace and reconciliation. He was gentle with the poor and children. He was very firm and uncompromising in upholding discipline and the mandate of the people. All of us will remember his magnificent and remarkable personality during the Codesa negotiations.
In the ANC, we know that without his leadership, things might have gone horribly wrong; and yet this leader and great man never took personal glory. He taught us to consult and to respect collective leadership. We owe it to him, as his comrade and people of this country, to celebrate his life in a manner that will multiply and replicate his courage, humility, intellect, willingness to sacrifice, his capacity to forgive, and his wisdom to acknowledge the humanity of others.
Those of us who were privileged to become leaders in his time, will remember his insistence always to put the concerns of people first; and always to understand what their needs were. The women members in this House will remember that it was indeed the legacy of Tambo, Walter Sisulu and Mandela that, firstly, we got the 30% quota; and secondly, the benches in this House, for the first time, got increasing numbers of women. [Applause.]
The members who started off with Nelson Mandela in those five years will remember what the ANC Women's League used to call "the maltabella breakfast" - where we would come and justify why we were taking certain stances on women within this Parliament. It will be remembered by the likes of Comrade Tony and Comrade Lindiwe Sisulu. Again at the maltabella breakfast, we used to justify decisions and positions we adopted on issues pertaining to the security in this country.
Those who served with us in the sports and recreation committee will remember how we fought to keep the positions. At last, we only won when Madiba was convinced that it wasn't about what you like personally - it was not for you, and that whatever position and policy you adopted and advocated for, was for the greater good of other people.
We want to say thank you to this father of the nation. We would like to rededicate ourselves to his name. We want to make our country decent, caring and one that always upholds the law. Walking in the footsteps of Nelson Mandela is not negotiable. We want to salute the commander-in-chief, the prisoner, the boxer and the sportsman, but most importantly, the father of nations - in South Africa and across the world. Re a leboga, Madiba. [Legofi.] [We thank you, Madiba.] [Applause.]