Hon Chair, hon Minister, hon Deputy Minister, hon members of this House, we wish to extend our deepest, heartfelt condolences to the family of the late freedom struggle icon, Prof Kader Asmal, in their time of bereavement.
The announcement of his death yesterday has been a sudden and tragic loss for the entire country. The 76-year-old Prof Kader Asmal was a fearless fighter for freedom and human rights. Up until the last week of his life, he was fighting for the rights of South Africans without the aim of self- enrichment.
Prof Asmal served the people of South Africa and his nation without wavering from the foundations and goals of our democracy. He added substance and value to each and every task afforded to him and stood firm in his beliefs. Just a few days ago he encouraged South Africans to stand firm against government's proposed Protection of Information Bill. His independent voice will be sorely missed. He played a vital role in South Africa's anti-apartheid movement, which led to the dawn of a democratic nation and, later, our Constitution.
Prof Asmal was an irreplaceable entity in the Mandela and Mbeki Cabinets in which he served. From being the Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry from 1994, a member of the ANC's national executive committee, and education Minister from 1999, Prof Asmal will be missed by the thousands of students, locally and abroad, whom he has inspired over the years with his enthusiasm and positive outlook.
Let me close with what Paul said to Timothy.
Paulus s vir Timoteus: Ek het die goeie stryd gestry. Ek het die wedloop voleindig. Ek het die geloof behou.
Daarmee wil ek s dat Kader Asmal regtig die goeie stryd gestry het, en dis hoekom hy suksesvol was - omdat ander mense se belange net so belangrik vir hom was as sy eie. Daardeur wil ons s: Mag sy siel in vrede rus en sy familie vrede daaruit put dat iemand sy lewe neergel het en dat ons wat agterbly in sy voetspore moet volg. Ek dank u. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Paul said to Timothy: I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.
With that I want to say that Kader Asmal truly did fight the good fight, and that is why he was successful - because other people's interests were as important to him as his own. With this we are saying: May his soul rest in peace and may his family find peace in the fact that someone has laid down his life and that those of us who are left behind must follow in his footsteps. I thank you. [Applause.]]
UMntwana M M M ZULU: Sihlalo, egameni leqembu leNkatha yeNkululeko sizwakalisa okukhulu ukudabuka ngokudlula emhlabeni kwaleyo ndodana yendoda ye-Afrika.
Siyawazi-ke umsebenzi omkhulu uSolwazi Asmal awenzele izwe laseNingizimu Afrika nabantu balo bonke. Siyakukhalela kakhulu ukuthi iqembu lakhe lenkululeko lilahlekelwe kakhulu ngokuhamba kwaleyo ndoda engusolwazi ebinokucabanga kwazi - njengoba lisho igama lithi solwazi - okusho ukuthi ebenolwazi olungaphezulu kokuthile, ekwazi ukuthi acabange ngokwehlukile kunabanye uma ecabanga ukubeka umbono wakhe njengesakhamuzi saleli lizwe.
Ngidabuka kakhulu ukuthi le ndoda iphuma kuleyo ndawo okuzalwa kuyo amaqhawe, laphaya KwaDukuza kwaZulu-Natali, lapho kukhona khona iNkosi uLuthuli njengenkosi yamakholwa endaweni yasemishini okuthiwa iGroutville. USolwazi ngiyazi-ke ukuthi ukukhula kwakhe ngo-1934 uzalelwe kuleyo ndawo, wagxoba kuleyo nhlabathi.
Futhi, ngeke sakholwa ukuthi uSolwazi Asmal waba uNgqongqoshe ngesikhathi leli lizwe lakithi liwela enkululekweni yalo, lapho asebenza khona kwikhabhinethi njengoN gqongqoshe weZamanzi njengoba sebebekile ozakwenu, waphinde waba uNgqongqoshe weZemfundo. Iminikelo yakhe emkhulu eMnyangweni weZemfundo yabonakala kakhulu. Iminikelo yakhe emikhulu lapho kwakhiwa khona iziKhungo zeSahluko sesiShiyagalolunye [Chapter 9 Institutions] yaba sobala, kwacaca bha ukuthi kucabanga indodana ye-Afrika.
Egameni leNkatha ngikhalela umndeni wakhe, abangani bakhe, iqembu elibusayo, ukuthi akwehlanga olungehliyo. Hamba kahle Solwazi Asmal. Ngiyabonga. [Ihlombe.] (Translation of isiZulu speech follows.)
[Prince M M M ZULU: Chairperson, on behalf of the IFP, I would like to express our deepest condolences on the passing of this son of Africa. We know the great work that he did for South Africa and all her people. We note that his party has suffered a huge loss with the death of a man who was a professor with a great mind - as his title implies that he had greater knowledge, and was able to think differently from others when he wanted to make his point as a citizen of this country.
I feel so saddened in noting that this man came from a place where heroes were born, the place of KwaDukuza in KwaZulu-Natal, where Chief Luthuli was the chief of the Christian community in the mission called Groutville. I know that in his early years in 1934, the professor was born in that area and lived in that place.
And, we won't forget that Prof Asmal became a Minister when this country of ours gained its freedom, where he served in the Cabinet as the Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry, as our colleagues have already mentioned, and later became the Minister of Education. His contributions in education were hugely significant. His major contributions were when the Chapter 9 institutions were established, as it became very clear that the decisions were those of the son of Africa.
On behalf of the IFP, I convey my condolences to his family, friends, and the ruling party, saying that they must be consoled. Farewell, Prof Asmal. I thank you. [Applause.]]