Mr Speaker, I certainly do not claim to have known Adv Malahlela particularly well. Our paths seldom crossed in Parliament and we never served on the same committees. Nevertheless, I do remember him as a keen and enthusiastic young man who, as the motion indicates, served in a number of different portfolios during his years as a member of this House. As we know, he arrived here as a young man of 29, following a very successful academic career and having been extremely active in the ANC Youth League, where, as the motion indicates, he cut his political teeth in the early 1980s.
He was very active in this area and within his alma mater, the University of the North. There can be little doubt that as a result of these experiences he was well prepared for the rigours of Parliament when he arrived here in November 2002. He often spoke on youth matters in Parliament and certainly was very passionate about the subject. Indeed, he was a passionate young man in many respects and that same passion showed in his speeches here in this House.
While I may not have agreed with him on all he said, I do not doubt the sincerity with which he said it. I say this because, not having known him particularly well, I took the trouble to read some of the speeches he made in this House between 2002 and 2009. They were indeed fascinating in what they revealed about him.
He certainly was an eloquent young man, and he used his eloquence to praise the things he loved. He was extremely proud of his parents, background, province and university. He was well aware of the history of his party, the ANC, and what it had fought for all those years. All of this, Mr Speaker, was made very clear in all he said in this House. I can well accept the words of the motion read out by the Deputy Chief Whip of the ANC:
Joe Malahlela was a gifted, hardworking, friendly and humble servant of the people.
Consequently, Mr Speaker, although I did not know him well, I stand here today and say that without a shadow of a doubt his death, at such an early stage of his life, is indeed a loss to his party and to the country. On behalf of the DA, I offer my condolences to his family and friends, to those he worked with, both here in Parliament and in the Public Service Commission, and in particular to his party, the ANC, whom he served as a very loyal servant indeed. Thank you.