Speaker, on behalf of the Chief Whip of the Majority Party, I move:
That the House -
1) notes with profound sadness the passing away of ANC veteran Imam Gassan Solomon after a long period of illness;
2) further notes that -
a) Imam Solomon joined the ANC in 1960 at the tender age of 19 and that he became president of the Call of Islam in 1983 and was elected onto the EXCO of the Western Cape UDF in 1984;
b) at the height of apartheid repression in 1985 he went into exile and only returned to South Africa in 1990; and
c) he became an ANC Member of Parliament in 1994 and served on various Portfolio Committees, while being an MP, including Finance, Justice and Safety and Security;
3) recognises that he had an influence in Parliament and beyond that transcended party-political boundaries and that his presence made Parliament a better place and that the pride in his achievement was a collective pride that was shared across the parties; 4) believes that Imam Solomon will always be remembered as a person who stood in service of humanity and who embraced a duty of care to all those with whom he interacted;
5) further believes that as a man of faith and dignity, his contribution to our democratic process over many years leaves a hugely positive legacy for all South Africans; and
6) offers its sympathy and condolences to the Solomon family and friends.