Speaker, hon members, I read this on behalf of the Departments of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and Rural Development and Land Reform. These are the two departments for which the late hon du Toit was Deputy Minister.
Today we celebrate a life well led and dedicated to our movement and to the service of our people. We have been blessed to have had within our ranks a true cadre, a man of the people and a man for all seasons, Comrade Dirk du Toit.
Comrade du Toit was a brave and honourable man, who was willing to sacrifice his own privileges under apartheid for the greater good of all our people. In his own way, and through a different route, he too understood that it was no easy walk to freedom.
He chose a journey that took him not on a separate path, but on a common road along which all freedom-loving people travelled fighting for an end to injustice, to arrive at a shared destiny of freedom and sustainable development.
He led an exemplary life, because he believed with all his heart and mind that it was not right for one human being to oppress another and that the system that entrenched racism and apartheid needed to be brought to an end. He did not vacillate, but stood by his beliefs and over the years has strengthened his resolve and sharpened his determination.
He knew that an idea emerging from an Afrikaner community could only flourish if it also became an African idea; that our different languages and cultural manifestations, together, would make us a great nation and enrich our contribution to the world knowledge and culture.
Here was a man who understood that at the heart of our quest for equality is the desire for all humankind to be free. He believed in the attainment of nonracialism, nonsexism and democracy. He embraced the struggle, not for selfish reasons, but as an act of selflessness and a bold statement of conviction to strive towards an egalitarian society.
When he joined the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Affairs as Deputy Minister, his various roles came together and crystallised. His legal insights and understanding of agriculture and land reform served us as a nation extremely well in the 10 years that he held this post.
He recognised that freedom should not be only for the farmer, but also for the farmworker and that the sons and daughters of farmworkers should also be able to emerge as farmers, entrepreneurs, as those at the forefront of our development and at the vanguard of change. He championed the cause of the poorest of the poor, knowing that our biggest challenge is to fight poverty and to restore productivity, pride and creativity of our people's labour.
I think that it should be said that he truly loved this land, that he identified deeply with our history and that the South African soil gave him the roots of his devotion to freedom. It is because of people like him that bridges are built between different people, conversations are started and debate and dialogue become affinity and empathy and result in "toenadering" [rapprochement.] and togetherness. He was truly collegial, comradely, generous, compassionate and honest to the core; qualities befitting a parliamentarian.
Let us console ourselves that after the dark days of apartheid he lived to see the results of our struggle, he lived to see our people come out in their millions to vote in the fourth national democratic elections that were conducted in peace and harmony. He lived to see the decisive electoral mandate given by our people to the ANC. Let us be grateful that we had the opportunity to be in the trenches with him. Now he has joined the ranks of all our departed warriors, heroes and heroines. Today he walks tall in the company of O R Tambo and all those who fought for freedom.
It is said that each generation should fulfil its mission and I believe that Prof Du Toit fulfilled his mission as a champion of our freedom, a promoter of human rights and a leading light of transformation.
He leaves us a living legacy to build on his work in fighting racism and inequality; in working towards national unity and reconciliation; in stepping up the struggle for human development and a better life for all and in transforming Africa and the world into a more caring society. That we have lost our comrade so suddenly is tragic.
May you, the family of Comrade Du Toit, continue to draw strength and inspiration from his words and actions. May you take comfort in the love he felt for each one.
We join the entire democratic movement in expressing our heartfelt thanks to the family for having given him to our struggle for freedom and justice and we pledge to continue his work to strengthen our democracy and to do so with the same passion, energy and love that he had for our land and for our people. We pledge to build a strong administration, to cultivate solid institutions and to make ourselves a caring and prosperous nation and people.
Lala ngoxolo, Qabane. [Rest in peace, Comrade.] I thank you. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.
Motion agreed to, members standing.