Hon Van der Merwe, it's true that I have spoken. However, when a committed civil servant retires, you need to speak, even if it is more than once, because of the services they have rendered to the country and its institutions.
I have known Mr Mansura from television screens before I had an opportunity to work with him in 2009. I found in him a committed public servant, a person who is selfless, a person who puts the interests of this institution, Parliament, and the parties represented here first.
I have always relied on him to make sure that the majority party, as well as other parties represented in the Chief Whips' Forum, do their work efficiently. He worked like a doctor on call. Any time you would need him, you'd just call and he would respond; you need a document from him, he would produce it before its deadline.
I think that a lot has been said about what we should expect from a public servant; I think that we have theorised a lot in that regard. Hence, today we have an opportunity to use Mr Mansura's departure to actually remind ourselves of what is expected of public servants; and what we received from him. We just need to institutionalise his conduct as what we expect from a public servant.
Mr Mansura, on behalf of the majority party and Chief Whips' Forum, I would want to say that the one thing that we have observed is your willingness to impart your skills to others; your ability to work with a collective. And we have no doubt that what gave you the courage to want to leave at this stage is the fact that you are not leaving this institution in the lurch. You have imparted all that you could to others. There will be no excuses on the part of any of your colleagues for not delivering, because you have actually armed them well enough. We wish you well.
Unfortunately, Speaker, I must say that I am sure Mr Mansura will still be on national call because he cannot retire from the Public Service because the country cannot allow him to do so. We still regard you as a semiretired and promise that you will hear from us again. Thank you very much. Go well! [Applause.]