Chairperson, the UDM extends its sympathies to the family, friends and colleagues of the late musician Lebo Mathosa. Her death at the young age of 29 comes as a harsh reminder of the fragility of human life. Our thoughts and prayers are with her loved ones during this time of bereavement.
Lebo Mathosa shot to fame as a member of Boom Shaka and later launched a highly successful solo career. In the process, she received numerous music awards and accolades. She also appeared in numerous local television shows and nobody will dispute that she had a long and distinguished career as an artist ahead of her. As a person she was rightly acknowledged as a hard worker, who respected those she worked and interacted with. Her outgoing personality and easygoing, positive attitude, as well as her undeniable lust for life, were the qualities that endeared her to many people.
It is sad that the country has lost so many of its leading young musicians in the past year and doubly so that another of them has succumbed in a road accident. Our roads claim the lives of more than 10 000 South Africans every year. The cost to our society, our families, our industries and our social fabric as a whole is simply too high. It is time we initiated a concerted new campaign to end this carnage. It is abundantly clear that current strategies are simply not delivering results. [Time expired.]