Hon Deputy Speaker, hon Members of Parliament, there are things in life that are very difficult to accept, such as death. However, I would like to start by reminding us all of what was said by a wise man like Moses in Psalm 90, verses 3 to 5:
At your command we die and turn back to dust, but a thousand years mean nothing to you! They are merely a day gone by or a few hours in the night. You bring our lives to an end just like a dream. We are merely tender grass that sprouts and grows in the morning, but dries up by evening. Your furious anger frightens and destroys us, and you know all of our sins, even those we do in secret.
Moses goes on to say in verse 9:
No one knows the full power of your furious anger, but it is as great as the fear that we owe to you. Teach us to use wisely all the time we have.
This is what Ntsiki did.
Nontsikelelo Magazi was born in 1963, on May 17, to Annah Girly Magazi and Morris Mbikazi Magazi. They named her Nontsikelelo Mavis Magazi. As the ANC and Parliament, we thank the Magazi family for lending us their beautiful, intelligent flower for all the years she spent as their beloved child as well as a dedicated member of the ANC and Member of Parliament.
Nontsikelelo Magazi became a member of the SA Communist Party at a time when it was not fashionable to do so. She also spent many years as a foot soldier in the SA National Civic Organisation. She fought for the rights of all citizens. Today we have laws that made drastic changes to improve the living conditions in our society. These were made possible by people like Ntsiki Magazi.
Ukuqala kwam ukumazi uNontsikelelo kungeminyaka esasisebenzela ukuba nenguqu. Sasifuna ukuba i-ANC iphathe kweli laseMzantsi Afrika. UNtsiki, njengaye wonke umntu okhulele phantsi kwengcinezelo yaloo minyaka, wabona ukuba akonelanga ukulwela izakhamzi zodwa. Wathatha isigqibo sokulwela amalungelo oomama waze wangena kwiqela le-ANC Women's League ngomnyaka ka- 1990.
Le ntokazi isebenze kulonyulo loorhulumente basemakhaya nakulonyulo lwesizwe jikelele ukusukela ngo-1994 ukuza kuthi ga ngoku. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)
[I first met Nontsikelelo during the years when we were working towards transformation. We wanted the ANC to be in power in South Africa. Ntsiki, like the rest of us who grew up under the then apartheid regime, realised that working for the citizens only was not enough. She took a decision to fight for the rights of women and she then joined the ANC Women's League in 1990.
This lady worked for the local government elections and the national government elections from 1994 to date.]
She served in the regional structures of the ANC and ANC Women's League. She facilitated the launch of the Progressive Women's Movement of South Africa in Gauteng. She also served in the structure that led and facilitated the local elections in Ekurhuleni in 2011. The structure was called the Regional Interim Leadership Core, Rilc.
Thina apha ePalamente silahlekelwe, ingakumbi kwikomiti yonxibelelwano. UNtsiki wasebenza kule komiti ukusukela oko wafika apha ePalamente ngo- 1999. Apha kule komiti ... [Parliament has suffered a great loss, especially within the Portfolio Committee on Communications. Ntsiki started to work in this committee when she arrived in Parliament in 1999. In this committee ...]
... we knew what all the entities that came to Parliament to make presentations on their strategic plans and budget reviews were in for with Ntsiki, when it came to corporate governance and universal access. She was passionate about universal access for the underprivileged and those in the rural areas.
Mna ke bendiqhathwa kakhulu yile ntombi yam. Ibisithi yakubona ukuba ingathi ndiyandweba indiqathe ngokundenzela iti. [She was cheating on me quite a lot. She would make me a cup of tea whenever she noticed that I realised what she was doing.]
I loved you, Ntsiki. You have really left me out on a ledge.
Lala ngoxolo ke ntombi yasemaBheleni. Siza kusala nabo abantwana, uTumi noKarabo. Bhele, Langa, Qunta, Mafu, Nombikazi, Nontandakuphakanyiswa, nguKhuboni ke lowo. [Rest in peace daughter of Mabhele clan. We will look after your children, Tumi and Karabo. Bhele, Langa, Qunta, Mafu, Nombikazi, Nontandakuphakanyiswa, that is the Khuboni clan.]
Thank you very much.
Debate concluded.
Motion agreed to, members standing.