Somlomo, ngithokoze bengilotjhise namalunga wePalamende woke. [Thank you, Mr Speaker, and greetings to all Members of Parliament.]
Speaker, I was shocked to learn of the death of one of the freedom fighters, Frans Ting-Ting Masango, after a very short spell in Parliament.
The last time I spoke to the late Ting-Ting Masango was on 6 May 2009 during dinner at the hotel. We had a short discussion - I can remember him asking me if we were the only two Masangos in Parliament. I said to him that this is a 100% increase because last time I was the only one! [Laughter.] We ended by saying that we still have five years to talk.
Akekho-ke phakathi kwethu obekazi ukuthi kuhlekuhle sikhuluma ngeenyanga ezimbalwa, hhayi iminyaka emihlanu njengokuba besicabanga. (Translation of isiNdebele paragraph follows.)
[Neither of us knew that we were actually talking about a few months and not five years, which we initially spoke about.]
He started as a freedom fighter during the 1976 uprising when he led from the forefront as one of the student leaders in Pretoria.
After the execution of Solomon Mahlangu, he left the country in 1979 and went into exile in Mozambique. He received military training in various countries like Angola, East Germany and Russia. He was a news reader in Angola for Radio Freedom.
In 1985, the late Ting-Ting and his comrade Jabu Masina, Neo Potsane and Joseph Makhura were sent back to South Africa by their commanders to carry out military operations. Unfortunately, after a short time in the country, they were arrested by the apartheid regime police on 13 September 1986.
They were well known as the Delmas Four. Their trial was also called "the silent trial" because they did not participate in the trial for the reason that they did not recognise the jurisdiction of the court.
They were sentenced to death by a judge called Marius de Klerk and spent 18 months on death row before being released in 1991. He was given amnesty in 1999 by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for political offences committed during apartheid.
The late Ting-Ting Masango joined the SABC in April 1992 as a bulletin compiler and a news reader for Ikwekwezi FM, formerly known as Radio Ndebele. He resigned from SABC after this year's general election after being elected as a Member of Parliament.
Umswa wakwaMrhali nakuyindima uyilimile, kusele kithi bona sithathe lapho atjhiye khona siragele phambili.
Somlomo ngithanda ukuswaphelisa ngokutjhiriya ihlangano yakhe ye-ANC, ngithi anikalahlekelwa nodwa. ITshwane namaphethelo nayo ilahlekelwe. Isitjhaba samaNdebele naso silahlekelwe. ISewula Afrika nayo ihlahlekelwe. Ngithi dudu emndenini wakwaMasango, akwehlanga olungehliko. Kumufi ngithi lala ngokuthula Mrhali, Mkungu, Dumako, Phondwelibomvu, nanyana lingakahlabi lihlabile, silahlela somlilo esaphuma kwaMabhoko, masunguban'ekosi! Ngiyathokoza. [Iwahlo.] (Translation of isiNdebele paragraphs follows.)
[The man from the Mrhali clan has played his role and now it is upon us to take over where he left off and carry on.
Mr Speaker, I would like to convey my condolences to the ANC and say that you are not the only ones who have suffered a loss. The whole of Tshwane and its surroundings have suffered a loss. The Ndebele nation and the whole of South Africa have suffered a loss. I would like to convey my condolences once more to the Masango family. To the late member I say rest in peace, Mrhali, Mkungu, Dumako, Phondwelibomvu, nanyana ngakahlabi lihlabile silahlela somlilo esiphuma kwaMabhoko, masunguban' ekosi! [Clan Praises.] Thank you. [Applause.]]