Madam Deputy Speaker, we in the DA associate ourselves with the sentiments that are expressed in the motion that appears on the Order Paper.
The late Cheryl Gillwald and I became members of the Senate together in 1994. Those of us who were fortunate to be Senators will attest to the fact that it was a place in which close personal friendships developed despite political differences. The Deputy Minister of Basic Education, hon Musa Zondi, hon Bishop Tolo and many other people in this House and, indeed, people outside of this House - like Jackson Mtembu - were members of that club.
Cheryl Gillwald was a member of that club, and she and I shared many common interests. We were both social reformers. Our children were the same age, and we shared notes on the trials and tribulations of raising teenagers. We loved the breathtaking beauty of the Eastern Free State. Cheryl was a very passionate person, and I remember having intense arguments with her about how the legacies of apartheid could be most effectively overcome. We debated the role of the state, the responsibility of citizenship and the balance between them. We debated the distinction between reforming society and transforming society. Now, were these debates held in the hallowed precincts of the Senate? I regret to say, no. Rather, they were held in the members' bar over drinks and far too many cigarettes. Nevertheless, they cemented our relationship and our friendship.
In 1999, Cheryl was appointed as Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development and in 2004 as Deputy Minister of Correctional Services, where we again had the opportunity to work closely together. Again, the debates raged on about how best to rehabilitate offenders and break the cycle of offending, about how to promote a system of alternative sentencing, to keep young offenders, in particular, out of prison, about how best to manage correctional centres so as to conform to the principles of the White Paper on Corrections. Again, the passion that Cheryl had for life and for fixing what is wrong came to the fore. But in the end, even she became dispirited, particularly at the high levels of corruption in that department and the seeming inability to overcome them.
So, when the opportunity arose to retire from politics, she took it and went to live abroad with her husband. But the spirit of her vitality, her vivaciousness and her passion will live forever in our memories. She died much too soon and much too young.
We extend our deepest sympathy to her husband, Charles Cousins, and to her son, Dane, as well as to her many friends in the ANC. Rest in peace. [Applause.]