Speaker, ek wil begin deur aan my agb kollega, mnr Kganyago, baie geluk en dankie te s vir die treffende wyse waarop hy so pas hulde gebring het aan Dr Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert. Die wyse waarop hy dit gedoen het, stel vir ons almal 'n voorbeeld van hoe ons mekaar se tale en kultuur behoort te respekteer en te herken. Baie dankie daarvoor.
Die VF Plus spreek graag sy simpatie uit teenoor die familie en naasbestaandes van Dr Fredrik Van Zyl Slabbert, met sy onlangse afsterwe. Dr Slabbert het oor 'n lang tyd 'n belangrike rol in die Suid-Afrikaanse politiek gespeel. Ek het by verskillende openbare en private geleenthede met hom te doen gekry en was deurlopend bendruk met die eerlikheid waarin hy alle sake benader het.
Of jy met hom saamgestem of verskil het, het hy almal op dieselfde hoflike manier hanteer en integriteit en styl aan die politiek gebring, wat vandag dikwels kortkom. Die agb Buthelezi het reeds verwys na die belangrikheid van integriteit in die politiek en ek deel dit met hom.
Vir my is die grootste tragedie van die lewe van Dr Van Zyl Slabbert dat hy nie die geleentheid gehad het om 'n groter rol te kon speel en miskien meer aktief betrokke te kon wees in dt waarin hy sy ideaal gestel en waarvoor hy hom beywer het nie, naamlik 'n demokratiese alternatief wat na 1994 tot stand gekom het.
Sy politieke insigte en kommentaar sal sekerlik in Suid-Afrika gemis word. Hy het 'n groot bydrae gemaak en ons dra graag ons simpatie aan sy geliefdes oor. Baie dankie. (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.) [Dr C P MULDER: Speaker, I would like to begin by congratulating and thanking my hon colleague, Mr Kganyago, for the striking manner in which he has just paid tribute to Dr Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert. The way in which he has done this sets an example to all of us of how we have to respect and acknowledge each other's languages and cultures. Thank you very much for that.
The FF Plus would like to convey its condolences to the family and next of kin of Dr Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert on his death, recently. Dr Slabbert played a pivotal role in South African politics over a long period of time. We've met at numerous public and private events and I was always impressed with the honest way in which he approached matters.
Whether you agreed or disagreed with him, he always handled everyone in a courteous way that infused politics with the integrity and style that is so often lacking nowadays. The hon Buthelezi has already referred to the importance of integrity in politics and I share that sentiment with him.
To me the biggest tragedy of the life of Dr Van Zyl Slabbert is the fact that he did not get an opportunity to play a bigger role and perhaps be more actively involved in that in which his ideals were vested and that which he was striving towards, namely a democratic alternative which was established in 1994.
His political insights and commentary will surely be missed in South Africa. He made a huge contribution and we would like to convey our condolences to his loved ones. Thank you very much.]