Madam Deputy Speaker, hon members, on behalf of the DA I want to thank the chairperson of the committee and the other speakers for the tribute that you have paid to the late Cobus Schmidt. Despite him being here for only a few months, you recognised his personal strengths and attributes. It will console his family, friends and colleagues. We wish to thank you.
I first met the late Cobus Schmidt when we arrived as freshmen at Parliament in May of last year. Sharing a bench in this House, we soon discovered that we also shared numerous other interests. We were of similar age, both with a background in teaching and local government. We quickly became more than colleagues and formed a firm friendship.
We had wonderful, long debates on a variety of topics. These debates ranged from the contents of the Belhar Confession, issues regarding local government, and the importance of school sports, to the use of English versus African languages at primary school. These debates added value to our friendship.
Mr Schmidt was a devoted member of his church and represented his congregation at the Free State Synod of the Dutch Reformed Church. It was only at his funeral that we learned of his other valuable contributions to the activities of the local congregation. His funeral was a testimony to the way in which he involved himself with various communities. He was elected as a councillor in 2000 and again in 2006. He then represented the DA on the executive committee of Masilonyana Local Municipality.
Mr Schmidt was appointed as deputy principal of Reseamohetse Primary School in 1996. What a wise move by the school governing body this proved to be! With Cobus as their deputy principal, the school excelled in every imaginable terrain. The principal, Mr Moaki, is full of praises for the contribution and legacy of the late Mr Schmidt. He contributed largely to the school being elected as the top performing primary school in the Free State. This was achieved for four years in a row.
He was most successful in raising funds from the Lottery's trust fund for sports equipment. Mr Schmidt was the driving force behind the construction of the sports fields and vegetable gardens, complete with a borehole. He was also instrumental in the development of the netball and tennis courts at the school. All this speaks of excellent teamwork coming from a school management team comprised of leaders of the DA and the ANC, and with the former PAC chairperson in the Free State as headmaster. But what made a lasting impression was, above all, his empathy for learners from poorer communities.
Tydens verlede jaar se verkiesing was Cobus Schmidt die nommer-een kandidaat van die DA in die Vrystaat. Dit was gou duidelik dat hy oor al die kwaliteite van 'n goeie Parlementslid beskik het. Hy het die selfvertroue en vrymoedigheid gehad om vrae te stel, stellings te maak en aan debatte deel te neem. Ek kon dit dikwels net bewonder. 'n Mens kon nie help om te sien dat hy hom volkome in sy nuwe beroep as Parlementslid en politikus uitgeleef het nie.
Hy was bereid om baie ure se navorsing te doen oor energie. Dit was 'n onderwerp wat, volgens sy eie erkentenis, vir hom totaal onbekend was. Deur diepgaande studie en gesprekke met mense wat naby aan Eskom se hoofbestuur was, het hy gou tot die besef gekom dat die volle omvang van die redes waarom Suid-Afrika aan die begin van 2008 kragonderbrekings gehad het, nooit geopenbaar is nie.
Hy het geglo dat dit in die eerste plek nie die vertraging met die bou van nuwe kragsentrales was wat die land se ligte laat afgaan het nie. Volgens hom was die kragonderbrekings die gevolg van 'n kombinasie van swak bestuursbesluite.
Faktore soos die verlaging in steenkoolvoorrade by kragstasies, korrupsie met aankoopprosesse en die onverantwoordelike gebruik van onervare entrepreneurs vir die lewering van steenkool, het hierdie groot probleme veroorsaak.
Cobus Schmidt het dit sy taak geag om hierdie toedrag algemeen bekend te maak. Op sy sagte, dog ferm manier, het hy gesorg dat die betrokke persone verantwoordelikheid vir hierdie probleme begin aanvaar het. En so het hy 'n belangrike bydrae gelewer dat ons land se ligte sedertdien kon aanbly. Dit is dus tragies dat sy eie lewenslig so vroeg geblus is. Namens die DA dank ons sy familie, maar veral die Hemelse Vader, vir die tyd wat hy aan ons geleen is. Ons harte gaan uit na sy familie, insluitend sy ouers, maar veral na sy vrou, Karin, en hul sewejarige dogtertjie, Jani.
Wees daarvan verseker dat ons sy nagedagtenis nog lank in ons harte sal koester. Dankie. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[During last year's election Cobus Schmidt was the DA's top candidate in the Free State. Very soon it became clear that he had all the qualities of a good parliamentarian. He had the self-confidence and boldness to ask questions, make statements and participate in debates. Often I could only stand in awe of this. One could not help but notice how he completely realised himself in his new profession as a Member of Parliament and politician.
He was willing to spend many hours doing research on energy. It was a subject which, by his own admission, was totally unfamiliar to him. Through in-depth study and consultations with people who were close to Eskom's top management, he quickly concluded that the full extent of the reasons why South Africa experienced power failures at the beginning of 2008, was never revealed.
He believed, in the first instance, that it was not the delay in building the new power stations which plunged the country into darkness. According to him the power failures were the result of a combination of poor management decisions.
Factors such as the reduction in coal reserves at power stations, corruption with regard to procurement processes, and the irresponsible use of inexperienced entrepreneurs for the delivery of coal were the causes of these major problems.
Cobus Schmidt regarded it as his duty to expose this state of affairs. In his gentle yet firm manner he saw to it that the persons involved began to accept responsibility for these problems. And in so doing he made an important contribution to ensure that our country's lights could remain switched on since then. It is therefore tragic that the light of his life has been extinguished so early.
On behalf of the DA we thank his family, but especially the Heavenly Father, for the time that he was allowed to be with us. Our hearts go out to his family, including his parents, but especially to his wife, Karin, and their seven year old daughter, Jani.
Rest assured that we shall treasure his memory in our hearts for a long time to come. Thank you. [Applause.]]
Debate concluded.
Motion agreed to, members standing.