Deputy Speaker, let me, on behalf of Cope, take this opportunity to join the members of the governing party and the family and friends of the late Cheryl Gillwald in mourning the passing of one of the struggle's stalwarts.
The late Cheryl Gillwald was a very brave woman indeed. All who knew her would freely attest to this. Sadly, she died at the very young age of 53. Even so, she led a distinguished life and has left behind an enduring legacy, as I shall point out. She was a member of this august House from 1994 to 2006. From 1999 to 2004 she served as a Deputy Minister, first in Justice and then in Correctional Services.
What made her unique amongst politicians was the manner in which she kept her focus intact. She did not see herself above the people she served, and she did not seek to use power to shield politicians like herself. She was for the people and for the preservation of their rights and freedom. Everyone acknowledges her role in making the 16 Days of Activism campaign on No Violence against Women and Children, in partnership with civil society, the great success that it was. Even more telling was her strongly held view, expressed in 2005, that there was a strong case to scrap the criminal records of young offenders under the age of 30, so that they did not have to battle the stigma of a criminal record when trying to find work after being released from prison. She dared to say what other politicians would not even have dared to think.
The late Cheryl Gillwald also campaigned vigorously for real change in the lives of women. The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act, Act 32 of 2007, which was passed a year after she left Parliament, will remain part of her legacy.
Our admiration for her comes from the strength of commitment to constitutionality. She held the belief that the independence of the judiciary is a principle most of us would die for. It is a very important component of a proper justice system but yes, I do believe that we need to be very careful about the way we protect victims.
Finally, I wish to use this opportunity to quote the following statement by her:
I keep thinking if we can get our boy children to think it very cool to be men of peace, to be men that accord dignity to all persons, particularly vulnerable people, then that would be our success story.
She lived and worked for a dream, for constitutionality, for peace and for justice. She is gone from amongst us, but let us step into the breach. Let all who valued her as a colleague remain true to her ideals, especially now as dark clouds gather on the horizon to threaten the freedom for which she, and all those who were in the trenches, fought and sacrificed their lives.
We extend our deepest condolences to the ruling party and to her friends and family. [Applause.]