Chairperson, hon members, hon Minister and Deputy Minister, indeed, today is a day that we really need to stand still and ask ourselves the question: Where would we have been without people like Mama Albertina Sisulu?
Indeed, a name is the most important foundation of any life. The meaning of a name greatly influences a person's future endeavours and character. Mama Albertina Sisulu was deserving of her name, as she embodied brilliance, intelligence, nobility and fame. She is said to have been a cheerful and humble child, who was the light in her family home and her light has always shone on South Africa and the world.
Although her death has come as a great shock to the entire nation, we can never forget her self-denial and the sacrifices that she made in the role she played to win South Africa its freedom. There is no prize in the world that can match this.
South Africa was and is her family, and she deserves her legendary title: Mother of the Nation. Sacrifices did not come easy, but Ma Sisulu was in the true sense a woman of integrity and wisdom and a mother of understanding. As King David said to Abigail in 1 Samuel 25:32 to 33:
Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands.
The Sisulu family have made great strides and played a vital role in South Africa's history. They have become a landmark in South African politics.
In 1987, Mama Albertina's immortal words touched many women around the country and around the world when she said, and I quote:
Women are the people who are going to relieve us from all this oppression and depression. The rent boycott that is happening in Soweto now is alive because of the women. It is the women who are on the street committees, educating the people to stand up and protect each other.
Those words started a revolution that today continues to see the empowerment and achievements of women in South Africa, especially in the South African political spectrum. Her words were the cornerstone of the emancipation of South African women.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the surviving family, especially the late Albertina's son, Speaker of Parliament, Max Sisulu, and her daughter, Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Lindiwe Sisulu, and all the other people in the family in their time of bereavement. The late Mrs Sisulu not only gave birth to humble and respectable children, but also to our new democracy so that today we can stand here and speak on her behalf and have sweet memories of her. We strongly believe that the Sisulu legacy will live on through them. Mama Albertina's sweet and gentle ways will always live in our memories. She will be sorely missed. May her soul rest in peace! I thank you. [Applause.]
UMntwana M M M ZULU: Sihlalo, malungu ahloniphekile ale Ndlu, abahlonishwa oNgqongqoshe abakhona kule Ndlu, egameni leqembu leNkatha yeNkululeko yeSizwe, umholi wayo nabantu bonke bakwaZulu nendlu yonke kaMpande, sizwakalisa okukhulu ukudabuka ngokuhamba kukaMama uSisulu emhlabeni.
Noma sasizilindele izinsuku ezinjengalezi ukuthi bonke abantu bayohamba ngoba indlela yethu sonke ukuba sihambe kanje. Uma seyifikile indlela kuye kungajwayeleki ngoba kusuke kuyindlela yeminyaka. Lo Mama ubengumama ongumngani kubo bonke abantu - uma uzwa ngabaziyo - umama obengumama wesizwe uqobo.
Lowo mzwabalazo azabalaza kuwo engumuntu wesifazane umyeni engekho, lokho kukhulisa izingane, nalokho kubheka wonke umuntu waseNingizimu Afrika owayesemzabalazweni ngaleso sikhathi; ngithi lezi zinsuku zifike kabi iminyaka imincane kule minyaka eyishumi nesikhombisa izwe lakithi lakhululeka ngoba uhambe engasazibonanga zonke izibusiso.
Ubaba uSisulu wayekhethile, ngoba kuyafuneka ukuthi kube khona umama onozwelo lomyeni wakhe. Kuyafuneka ukuthi ube khona lowo mama onozwelo lomndeni wakhe. Kuyafuneka ukuthi kubekhona lowo mama olithandayo izwe lakhe ngendlela uMama uSisulu enze ngayo. Ngoba, uma ubheka konke ukuhamba kwakhe kule minyaka engamashumi ayisishiyagalolunye nambili ngibona ukuthi kube yindlela ende ngoba kusho ukuthi ubencelisa wonke umuntu okhona eNingizimu Afrika.
Ngithi-ke egameni labantu bakwaZulu, egameni leNdlunkulu yonke yesizwe samaZulu ngizwakalisa ukudabuka ukuthi uMama ahambe ngalolu hlobo noma besazi ukuthi wonke umuntu ulindwe yindlela yokuhamba kodwa kukhona izinto osuke ungazilindele ukuthi zizokwenzeka. Ngiyabonga. (Translation of isiZulu speech follows.)
[Prince M M M ZULU: Chairperson, hon members of this House, hon Ministers who are in this Chamber, I would like to express my condolences on the passing of Mrs Sisulu on behalf of the Inkatha Freedom Party, the party's leader, the people of KwaZulu-Natal and the whole house of Mpande.
Even though we are always mindful that everybody will one day depart from this world because this is how we are going to go, when that time comes we always struggle to come to terms with it. This woman was friendly - you hear this from the people who knew her well - she was a real mother of the nation.
She was in the struggle alone as a woman in the absence of her husband. She raised her children alone and took care of every South African who was in the struggle. She did not live long enough to receive all her blessings; she had only 17 years of freedom.
Mr Sisulu chose the best wife, because a woman must show sympathy for her husband, her family and her country like Mrs Sisulu. I think she lived for 92 years in order for her to nurture everyone in South Africa.
On behalf of the people of KwaZulu-Natal, and the Zulu royal family, I would like to express my condolences on the passing of Mrs Sisulu. Even though we all know that this day will come one day, we are never prepared for it. Thank you.]