Hon Deputy Speaker, hon members and relatives of the late Yolanda Botha, on behalf of the DA I wish to convey to you all our condolences on the passing of your former colleague and family member.
I did not know Ms Botha personally, but I am told that she was a dedicated and hardworking member of the ANC and of the parliamentary caucus. She served as chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Social Services and had a good understanding of the needs and challenges encountered in this field of work about which she really cared. She encouraged members of the portfolio committee to increase their knowledge by arranging workshops to improve their skills and expertise so that they could make meaningful input into legislation. She was opened-minded and worked well with all members of the committee, taking on their good proposals for the benefit of all. Her last days were marked by suffering from ill health.
To her family who suffered with her and to her friends and colleagues, our condolences on your loss. May she rest in peace.
Deputy Speaker, on behalf of the EFF, we also rise to deliver our condolences on the passing of our former colleague, Ms Yolanda Botha. At this very sombre moment, when we have to cast our minds back in reflection on her contribution and role in the struggle for building a democratic, nonracial, nonsexist country, the EFF expresses its condolences to the family of the deceased. We further express these condolences to the people of the Northern Cape, where she was born and brought up.
She served in the provincial legislature in various positions and also served in this very House as a member of the Portfolio Committee on Social Development and Social Services.
The EFF notes the sterling work that she did in uplifting the socioeconomic conditions of the people of the Northern Cape and notes that, as we reflect on her contribution, at the mere mention of the Northern Cape province, both the good and the bad of that province come to mind.
According to an African proverb, at a sombre moment such as this, when the deceased person is being bid farewell, all that we are called on to do is to refer to positive aspects and the contribution of the life of the deceased person. We want to bow our heads in memory of our deceased colleague, Ms Botha, and wish her family and colleagues well. Thank you.
Hon Deputy Speaker, hon members, yet again this House finds itself losing one of its members to the ravages and scourge of cancer.
On Tuesday, I moved a motion on World Cancer Day. Many of us know of loved ones who have passed on from cancer, among those our colleagues Ms Botha and Dr Mario Oriani-Ambrosini. There can be no doubt that this dreaded disease will affect us all, personally or through family, friends and colleagues.
Ms Botha sadly passed after having been diagnosed with metastatic melanoma, a form of skin cancer, which had spread to her brain. In this context, I would like to urge the hon Minister of Health to introduce better public education, especially to parents, on the dangers, causes and risks of skin cancers, as most of these can be prevented if diagnosed in their early stages.
Hon Deputy Speaker, we have an opportunity and, I dare say, a duty through the Bills before us, such as the Medical Innovation Bill, to take the fight to this dreaded disease and we sincerely hope that innovative draft legislation such as the Medical Innovation Bill finds its way into law in South Africa soon.
Ms Botha was an active parliamentarian and she added value to the institution and the country, particularly in the areas of social development, in which she served as chairperson of the portfolio committee, as well as being a member of the Portfolio Committee on Science and Technology.
I met Ms Botha in 1995 when she served as Senator Botha in the first Senate of the Republic of South Africa - Senator James Selfe will know that. I choose to remember the good that Ms Botha did, which was plenty. In the words of Shakespeare's Antony: "I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones." I don't agree with that, hon Speaker, because the good should also live on after us.
In a similar context, I recall a senior hon member on the right side of the House, who is not here today, referring to the private matters of a member on the left side of the House. In my view this was unfair and uncalled for. I remind this House of John 8 and I quote:
And they brought unto Him a woman taken in adultery ... [saying] "In the law Moses commanded us that such should be stoned." ... They continued asking Him. He stood up and said unto them, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.
On behalf of our leader, hon Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, and all of our Members of Parliament and members of provincial legislatures, I extend our deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Senator Yolanda Botha. May her soul rest in peace. I thank you.
Hon members, I just want to draw your attention to the fact that the family of Ms Yolanda Botha and that of Frans Nkoana are in the gallery here with us. Welcome, family members. [Applause.]
Deputy Speaker, hon members of the House, the NFP notes with great sadness the motion of condolence tabled for the late hon Botha, a valued member of the ANC and a colleague of this hon House, who passed away on 29 December after a long illness.
We have not as the NFP had the good fortune of knowing hon Botha or working closely with her, but listening to the tributes paid here today, we understand that she was a person who dedicated her life to public service and made a great contribution to the struggle against the social injustices of the past.
As the NFP, we wish to extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of hon Botha, to the ANC, her political home of many years, and to this hon House for the loss of a dedicated servant of the people. I thank you.
Deputy Chair, on behalf of the UDM we extend our heartfelt condolences to the family, the ANC and friends of the late member of the NA, Ms Yolanda Botha.
The late Ms Yolanda Botha served the people of South Africa in various positions as part of her contribution to the making of a better society for all to live in. At the time of her untimely departure, she was continuing her service to the nation as a dedicated member of one of the challenging and overworked portfolio committees, the Portfolio Committee on Social Development. It is clear from her choice of committee that her passion for the care of the most vulnerable was primary in discharging her political responsibility to the nation. Her contribution to the work of the committee and the nation is surely being missed already.
To the family, we hope with time you will be able to close the chapter and keep her in your minds for how good she was among you. You know best that indeed she played her role and did the best she could to discharge her family responsibilities. We say to you, keep loving her so that she can always be part of you. It is when great souls die that, after a period, peace blooms slowly and irregularly. Indeed, it will never be the same but we all know that she existed and we know this because of her work. May her soul rest in peace. I thank you.
Hon Deputy Speaker, it is indeed with sadness that we in the NA once again lose a colleague to cancer. Cancer is a complex, life- threatening disease that affects millions of South Africans and this requires us to do more.
Yolanda, or Ms Botha, was one who cared for people and if she was standing here today, she would also have said that we need to do more. One in four South Africans is affected by cancer through family, friends or oneself directly. Only those who have nursed the loved one to the bitter end will know the hardship and the frustration of trying to get care and support for the patient, and what effect it has on the family and the loved ones.
Cope would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to hon Yolanda Botha's family, friends, and colleagues in the ANC. I thank you.
Deputy Speaker, the ACDP recalls hearing shortly after Christmas about the death of Ms Yolanda Rachel Botha, a fellow Member of Parliament in the NA and a member of the ANC in the Northern Cape. We understood from reports that hon Botha died in Kimberley after having been diagnosed with metastatic melanoma, a skin cancer that spread to her brain.
Ms Botha matriculated from Carlton van Heerden High in Upington in 1964 and obtained a BA degree at the University of the Western Cape, followed by a Higher Diploma in Education in 1989. These achievements alone made her a role model. My impression of hon Botha was that she was a dedicated, hard- working and determined woman. She was a former chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Social Development and a member of the Portfolio Committee on Science and Technology.
It was very sad that despite pleading not guilty, Yolanda died with a cloud over her head, facing charges of fraud, corruption and money laundering related to leases for government buildings. I bring this up only because it is an important reminder for all of us - and even more so for those who take on the responsibilities of government - to be meticulous in their dealings and super alert to questionable practices and potential pitfalls.
The ACDP notes the Minister of Social Development, Bathabile Dlamini's praise of hon Botha for her deep understanding of the plight of the poor and her unwavering desire to play a role in achieving an equal society and eliminating poverty. The ACDP extends heartfelt condolences to the family of Yolanda Botha, her friends, colleagues and members of the ANC for their sad loss. Thank you.
Hon Deputy Chair, it is with great sadness that I offer my sincere and heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the late hon Botha and also to the ANC.
It is especially difficult to deal with this loss given the calibre of the public representative, the late hon Botha, something that is a scarce commodity in the modern day. Hon Botha was well known as a selfless activist and a leader of the poor of the Northern Cape. Others draw inspiration from the life of hon Botha, and she gave us a model of how to build a caring society with an unwavering desire to achieve an equal society. We will forever cherish your contribution as long as we live. We will remember the fact that you laughed without fear, and the joy you derived from serving our people. Thank you.
Deputy Speaker, Ministers and hon members, once again, on behalf of the ANC, we want to extend our sincere condolences to tannie Gesina Botha, the mother of the late Yolanda; her brother, Jean-Jacques Botha; her daughter, Jacqueline; and her son-in-law, Quinton. We laid our beloved Yolanda to rest a few weeks ago. We recall her selfless dedication to the struggles of the working class and the poor.
The Minister of Basic Education, Comrade Angie Motshega, in her capacity as president of the ANC Women's League - the late Comrade Yolanda was a member of the National Executive Committee for many years - described the late Yolanda Botha as a beautiful soul who dearly loved her family.
She further said that whenever she was in the area of Kimberley, she knew that she could come and go from her house, because that was how welcoming Comrade Yolanda was. She was not just a comrade but a friend, and we served the organisation together. To the ANC she was really an organiser who would sort out organisational matters without any difficulty. She took her work seriously and had the brains, the skills and the commitment. She was such a beautiful soul, and she loved her family. Indeed, as the ANC, we agree that she was a beautiful soul who bestrode the narrow world like a colossus.
We have fond memories of her as a loving, compassionate, kind reliable, dedicated, firm character and a true cadre of the liberation movement. [Applause.] As we recall the role she played in the movement and in society broadly, we must understand that history and our strategic vision place critical responsibilities on all of us in the here and now. She clearly understood her role and responsibilities in the revolutionary struggle and we can say without a doubt that she never betrayed our cause. She never divorced herself from the daily struggles of the masses. Comrade Yolanda believed clearly that in order to study, sum up and apply the revolutionary experiences of the past, we must cultivate a culture of selflessness and, first and foremost, be there for the people.
Comrade Yolanda always encouraged revolutionary discipline among all our cadres at all times. She was totally committed to collective leadership and democratic centralism as a hallmark that distinguishes the ANC as a liberation movement compared to other parties. Self-criticism, introspection, correcting shortcomings and admitting mistakes are the proper ingredients that Comrade Yolanda believed made a true revolutionary advance and improve herself or himself in order to discharge one's revolutionary tasks effectively.
Comrade Yolanda Botha participated in the underground liberation movement in Cape Town, where her father later became the first branch chairperson of the New World Foundation at the Lavender Hill branch. After the unbanning of the ANC in 1990, she was entrusted with the responsibility of becoming the first branch secretary of the extension branch of the ANC in Upington. This was in 1993.
Comrade Yolanda Botha lived the life of an activist until her death. She was actively involved in broader community and education struggles. She was an educator by profession and understood the nobility that went with the profession. Comrade Yolanda understood the importance of education in the lives of our children and in the reconstruction and development of our country. She was part of the revolutionary intelligentsia. She was uncomfortable with armchair critics, naysayers, a negative perspective and doomsayers. She believed that all of us had a contribution to make to the wealth of this country.
She was loyal to the profession and respected her job during all her years as an educator. She and many others taught us that there was nothing wrong in being an educator and a trade unionist at the same time. It is no wonder that she was active in union politics as a teacher and as a member of the National Education Union of South Africa, Neusa. Comrade Botha was one of the progressive educators in this country, who established what is now the largest teachers' union in the country, the SA Democratic Teachers Union, Sadtu.
As a trade unionist, she taught us that trade unions are not and cannot become political parties. She taught us that to maintain the distinction between trade union politics an overall revolutionary leadership was imperative. She further taught us that a trade union cannot carry out this dual role and that if it attempted to do so, it would change its basic character and risk committing suicide as a legal force. In addition, the very nature and purpose of a trade union disqualifies it from carrying out the role of a revolutionary vanguard, which is the task of a party. She was totally committed to the unity of the tripartite alliance and would always make herself available for the activities of the alliance. As a result of her hard work, dedication and consistent service to the people, she was entrusted with the responsibility of being the youngest senator in 1994.
She served in the highest structures of the ruling party, the ANC, in the Northern Cape as a member of the provincial working committee, as a member of the provincial executive committee, as an official and as a treasurer for many years. She was deployed to Parliament as a Member of Parliament. She always performed her duties with diligence at all times. As a former chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Social Development and member of the Portfolio Committee on Science and Technology, she was proud that the World Bank recently declared South Africa number one in Africa and number five in the world in the provision of child support grants in an efficient, effective and robust manner. [Applause.]
Let me repeat and paraphrase: She was very excited and happy recently that the institution called the World Bank, after its international survey, regarded South Africa, in terms of social development, as one of the best in Africa and number five in the world in the provision of grants.
Today, as the ANC government, we have a record of outstanding achievements in terms of changing the lives of our people for the better, and Comrade Yolanda Botha played an active role in that regard. As a former member of the ANC, she was proud of the following achievements and would always celebrate these achievements: Firstly, that the ANC government, over the period under review, has built more than 3,5 million houses; secondly, that the ANC government allocated free basic services, water and sanitation and electricity to the poor; thirdly, that more than 15 million people have access to social grants; and fourthly, that more people have access to education, which is a remarkable achievement in a short space of time.
In conclusion, the best tribute we can pay to all our fallen heroes and heroines is not to be complacent but to be vigilant at all times. We have to redouble our efforts and resolve to accelerate the pace of addressing the triple challenge of poverty, unemployment and inequality. We need to resharpen our revolutionary firmness and courage in the struggle for our democratic South Africa.
Finally, we who remain behind dare not fail her. We will remember her for being a loving, caring servant of the people. May her soul rest in peace.
Laat haar siel in vrede rus. Dankie. [May her soul rest in peace. Thank you.] [Applause.]
That concludes the speaker's list on this matter. I take it that there are no objections to the motion being adopted. Can members please rise to observe a moment of silence in memory of Ms Y R Botha? The presiding officers associate themselves with the motion. The condolences of the House will be conveyed to the Botha family.
Debate concluded.
Agreed to, members standing.