Speaker, Chairperson of the NCOP, hon members...
... Motlatsa Mopresidente, lelapa la Mandela le metswalle, ke re madume, matshediso ho leloko la Mandela. [... Deputy President, the Mandela family and friends, I greet you, and I send condolences to the Mandela family.]
This special Joint Sitting of Parliament is a fitting tribute to Madiba as we bid farewell to him.
He comes from a different generation, a generation well-drilled in selflessness and high moral values, a generation which produced Lembede, Mda, Sobukwe, Makwetu, and many others. Comrade Mandela has submitted to the will of God in that, after serving one's purpose, one must proceed to His Kingdom. His body will join the earth, the land that he and his predecessors committed to fight for. He served his purpose well. He is now enjoying a well-deserved rest.
It is indeed highly significant that he died on 5 December, the day that Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe - another icon and a great leader in South Africa, in Africa and in the world - was born.
Our thoughts are with Nelson Mandela's wife, Ms Graa Machel, his former wife, Ms Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, his children, his grandchildren and the entire Madiba clan. Our thoughts are with his comrades who are here today, and those who have passed on, who fought alongside him to achieve our political democracy. Our thoughts are with the masses, the people of this country, and with the people throughout the world who embraced him as their own.
In Tata, the country has lost one of its greatest sons. He departs this world with a lot of work still to be done. He left us at a critical time with many challenges. The unemployment rate is still high. Poverty is still the same for African people. African people are still landless. The moral values of this society have declined. The rate of abuse of children and women is very high. Self-enrichment and greed have reached unacceptable levels. These are trying times indeed.
Let us use this time to reflect on the task at hand. We cannot delay the redistribution of land to the African people any more. There cannot be any excuses. We urgently need to include the values we want to project. Stealing from the public purse has to be classified as treason and should be punishable by a life sentence.
Ntate Mandela was in prison as a political prisoner. It is unfortunate that we still have 18 members of the African People's Liberation Army in jail as political prisoners. We call upon our Presidency to release those comrades in honour of Ntate Mandela.
Comrade Mandela was a great boxer and today we are also mourning the death of a great boxer, Baby Jake Matlala. May his soul rest in peace. And may Almighty God accept the souls of the many people who will be laid to rest this coming weekend.
Ka sehaeso ha morena a hlokahetse o allwa phate. [In my culture, when the king dies, he has to be accompanied by someone.]
Many people passed on as from Thursday. This shows that Ntate Mandela is a king. When a king dies, he does not die alone.
Ka mantswe ao, ke re robala ka kgotso, Madiba. Ke a leboha. [Mahofi.] [With these words I would like to say, rest in peace, Madiba. I thank you. [Applause.]]