Speaker, I must start by saying my voice is not good today. I have the flu, and I ask for your indulgence.
This is a special day for our dear friend, father, teacher and son of the soil regarding his 24 years of dedicated service to his country. [Applause.] Hon Ellis has earned all of the above.
Hon Ellis joined Parliament in 1987 as a member of the Progressive Federal Party. It was after several years as a teacher, deputy headmaster and headmaster that he decided to join Parliament as a public representative.
Hon Ellis has earned the respect and friendship of many members of the House because of his warmth and humility. [Applause.] What we have learnt from hon Ellis through his conduct is that one who looks for a friend without faults will have none. Hon Ellis embraced all of us with our limitations and our strengths. He never looked for perfect friends, but he encouraged all his friends to strive for perfection.
The teacher in him is always evident. He is always full of encouragement and is accommodating. He is also firm and decisive. That is the father in him. We want to say to you, sir, we will be able to pay back the loan of gold, but we will die forever in debt to you for your kindness.
Today, we celebrate 24 years of patriotism. That is why hon Ellis qualifies to be called a son of the soil. [Applause.] In our engagements with you, sir, we have seen love for your country and its people. In times of difficulty, you were able to see the whole forest, not only the trees. You have been a leader of great vision and wisdom. You always think like a man of action, and act like a man of thought.
We came here in 1994, not only as representatives of our people, but also as products of our divided society. There were high levels of mistrust amongst us. We thank people like hon Ellis and many members of this House for giving leadership.
We now have friendships across political parties. The House is now beginning to be a microcosm of the type of society we want to build: a society where people are judged according to the content of their character, not according to race, colour, class or belief. [Applause.]
Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while and leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never the same again. Hon Ellis has done that. This House will never be the same again. [Applause.]
Your presence has contributed to the change we see today. You taught us that being in opposition does not equal being disloyal to one's country. [Applause.] You have been a member of the opposition for all your political life in Parliament, but you have been a patriot to the core.
In this diverse democracy, we have a diverse electorate that elects diverse leaders. That is what makes us a country of miracles. To sustain this miracle, we need courageous people.
We have said many things behind your back, sir. [Laughter.] This is the only day we have to come clean and ask for your forgiveness. [Laughter.] [Applause.] One of the things we have said about you is that you are a difficult opponent. Your knowledge of parliamentary procedures and practice makes you a challenging opponent to deal with. Your knowledge, skills and confidence make you a good return on investments. [Laughter.]
I want to take this opportunity to say to leaders of all political parties that the more we keep people in the system for an extended time, the more our democracy gets a good return on its investments. We have seen that with hon Ellis. Twenty-four years of experience has produced a rounded politician. We cannot have a democracy of 20 years with the average experience of members being five years. We must try and keep the good inside the system for longer to sustain our democracy. [Applause.]
If we had a single flower every time we thought about you, sir, we could forever walk in our gardens. [Applause.]
As citizens of the world, we would like to give you an Irish blessing:
May you always have work for your hands to do, May your pockets hold always a coin or two, May the sun shine bright on your windowpane, May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain ... May the hand of a friend always be near you, May those you love bring back love to you. May you always have walls for the winds, a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire, laughter to cheer you ... May songbirds serenade you every step along the way. And may happiness fill your heart each day your whole life through. We would like to thank the Progressive Federal Party, the Democratic Party and the DA for giving us the opportunity to serve this nation with you. We would also like to thank your wife, your three sons and your daughter for sharing you with us; your father, Thomas Henry Ellis, and your mother, Dorothy Margaret, for giving birth to such a son. [Applause.]
This is the time to spend listening to the album of your son, John, especially that song that says Aluta continua. [Laughter.] Thank you for making us laugh, not a laughing stock.
Elizabeth Bowen wrote, and I quote:
Goodbyes breed a sort of distaste for whomever you say goodbye to.
Goodbyes are not forever. Goodbyes are not the end. They simply mean we will miss you.
When you buy a car with your hard-earned money, going for a new Mercedes- Benz with quality features, we will say, "Mr Ellis is indeed a good buy." [Laughter.]
I am not so sure! [Laughter.]
We meet to part and we part to meet. I thank you. [Applause.]
Speaker and hon members, only two hon members of the DA, that I am aware of, have been afforded the honour of a farewell debate in this House, that being Douglas Gibson and our previous leader, Tony Leon.
Now we pay tribute to hon Mike Ellis who today read his last and final motion without notice in his inimitable way. There was a slight glitch, no doubt influenced by the sumptuous luncheon we had with the Speaker that he so graciously hosted in hon Mike's honour today.
The fact that Parliament has granted this honour to the Deputy Chief Whip of the DA is a fitting honour indeed. This House always, and quite rightly, pays its respects to deceased Members of Parliament, but very few are recognised for their contributions while they are still here.
My friend, you can leave Parliament with your head held high, knowing that you have made a difference and that this whole House recognises this.
Hon Mike Ellis and I have spoken at length about his retirement and I have anticipated his departure for some time. This, however, did not prepare me for the day I received his formal letter of retirement.
We all know exactly what it means to be a Member of Parliament, what it took to get us here, the personal sacrifices it takes to be a Member of Parliament, and just how lonely an existence it can be for all of us, especially our family members.
When I think that Mike Ellis has done this for 24 years and that he has commuted from KwaZulu-Natal to Cape Town literally thousands of times, and that he can probably drive blindfolded from the parliamentary precinct to Acacia Park, I realise just how committed and dedicated his public representation and service has been.
Mike Ellis made his maiden speech in the old South African Parliament in the old House of Assembly Chamber on 26 May 1987, when he was serving his constituency of Durban North at the time. When the previous government's grip on political control was waning, he witnessed the death of apartheid and the birth of democracy. He helped bridge the divide between the past and the present. This was confirmed today by the Speaker at the luncheon. Those were heady political times indeed.
His maiden speech dealt with education, and especially the circumstances that prevailed so cruelly to compromise the education and futures of black South African children who went, or in the case of many, did not go, to school in rural communities.
I quote from his speech:
This is the point that concerns me most of all. It has become quite clear to me that there are many children certainly in rural areas of Natal who receive no education at all and others who receive very little education of any real worth.
He concluded the debate with the following words:
We have to improve, firstly, the level of literacy among the people in this country. But we need to extend this as soon as possible to a system of primary and secondary education available to all children in South Africa, which will enable them to improve their quality of life in regard to all aspects of the South African economy and society.
Unenkathalo lo mfo. Oko kucacile kumazwi kobekekileyo uMagwanishe. Siyabulela Mhlekazi. [This man has a sense of responsibility. This is evident in the words of hon Magwanishe. We thank you, sir.]
As a former educationist and a headmaster, he knew the importance of education, and the fact that we still grapple with a legacy of poor apartheid education, and the current postapartheid education travails, is testimony to his keenly crystallised insight in this regard all those years ago.
He was never an MP who merely criticised the government of the day, but rather made constructive contributions regarding what needed to be done to ensure a better life for all; this long before the slogan was coined by another political party.
Mike Ellis has been a proud parliamentarian and a loyal party servant. His first sentiment in his maiden speech in this regard was to recognise that his election was thanks to his political party, and I quote:
I regard it a great privilege to address the hon members of this House. I regard it too as an honour to represent my party on these benches. I therefore thank the PFP for nominating me as a candidate to the recent election.
Hon Ellis was always a very proud "Prog", but never sanctimonious. He has developed a comprehension for and friendship with most of his colleagues from other ideological persuasions. At the recent swearing-in of our newest and youngest member, it struck me that hon Geordin Hill-Lewis was born in the year that Mike Ellis was elected to Parliament. [Laughter.]
This confirms that in politics, too, the circle of life turns on an axle that grinds surely and is both incessant and insistent. There is something poetic about the fact that as the youngest DA MP enters Parliament, the longest serving member leaves. [Applause.]
Parliament is made up of a myriad of different personalities, many with their own idiosyncrasies. Some are great orators, others policy fundis, and others great constituency representatives. Mike Ellis has been one of those rare people in politics that can best be described as a character.
Mike, you kept Parliament vibrant and us amused. There is hardly a senior government member and, indeed, few even in the opposition ranks that haven't been lampooned by you in your inimitable way. You have driven many a Speaker, present company included, almost to dementia. Chairpersons and party leaders continue to be exasperated with your characteristic repartee and deft riposte.
Mike Ellis also lacks no self-confidence, as we all know. I asked him recently, when he played cricket for the parliamentary cricket side, whether he was a good batsman or a good bowler. He replied: "I was an all- rounder." [Laughter.]
Those of you who know anything about cricket will know that most people who call themselves all-rounders are neither good at batting nor bowling, except the real all-rounders, the true all-rounders, like Jacques Kallis. [Laughter.]
And Mike Ellis! [Laughter.]
In politics, Mike, you have been a true all- rounder. In the days of serving in a caucus of seven, he was the DP spokesperson on housing, education, health, transport and social development simultaneously. He tells me that they had to run, literally, from one portfolio committee to another as they passed hundreds of pieces of new legislation to replace obsolete laws. This all stood you in good stead and moulded you into what you are today - an all-round parliamentarian of renown.
If you know Mike Ellis, you will know him as a man's man, a ladies' man ... [Laughter.] ... a kind man and a man that loves fun. We will miss your pranks, jokes and even your singing. Mike loves music, so I thought I would end this tribute with a few words from a song by Billy Joel entitled Piano Man to encourage you to go and enjoy your well-deserved retirement. The words go as follows and I promise you I won't sing them:
There's an old man sitting next to me Makin' love to his tonic and gin
He says, "Son, can you play me a memory I'm not really sure how it goes But it's sad and it's sweet and I knew it complete When I wore a younger man's clothes."
I'm sure, Mike, that you have a vast reservoir of memories that will remind you of your tenure here in Parliament and, especially, of when you wore a younger man's clothes.
And Billy Joel continues:
And the piano sounds like a carnival And the microphone smells like a beer And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar And say, "Man, what are you doin' here?"
Parliament's pension scheme has put some bread in your jar, my mate, and now it's time for us to say, "What are you doin' here?" Tony Leon always said: "If you want a friend in politics, better you get a dog."
I want to say today that the Chief Whip of the DA, hon Ian Davidson, and I are lucky to have had Mike as a friend and so are many, many, many of you. May you now have the time to do the things that you weren't able to do at your convenience in the past 24 years at your leisure.
Siza kukukhumbula Mnumzana. Ndiyabulela. [Kwaqhwatywa.] [We will remember you, hon member. Thank you. [Applause.]]
Mr Speaker, I was elected in the same year as the hon Mike Ellis. Those days we were on opposite sides and being a backbencher of the then ruling party under a very strong Whippery, we were encouraged not to make friends with the opposition Members of Parliament. [Laughter.]
We, as young MPs, were treated like mushrooms: We were constantly kept in the dark and fed with the wrong stuff! [Laughter.] In those dark days, hon Mike Ellis made an impression on us. As an open-minded, concerned South African, he was a fair and popular opposition MP and gave us all hope.
It was the former leader of the opposition, Sir De Villiers Graaff, who, after one of his young newly elected MPs asked him, "I don't understand politics, sir. Why are you so friendly with the ruling MPs? Are they not the enemy?", replied, "You don't understand politics, my son. Those sitting opposite you are your opponents and those sitting next to you are your enemies." [Laughter.] [Applause.]
Can I correct the hon Leader of the Opposition; it was not Tony Leon, but Sir Winston Churchill who said, "If you want a friend in politics, get yourself a dog". I want to tell Mike Ellis that I am getting myself a dog and I will call it Mike. [Laughter.]
So, hon Mike Ellis, I cannot vouch as to how many enemies you had in your own ranks, but be assured, the majority of this House are your friends. [Applause.] Let me add: a friendship well deserved - we shall miss you. We shall miss you every time when you are not here to stand up and take a point of order or to try and ask a question or make a joke about your friends on the opposite side, especially to hon Blade Nzimande. [Applause.]
Let me say goodbye with a quote from Madiba:
A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.
And you've got both!
Let me say also say thank you to the Deputy Chief Whip of the ANC; I think his speech was exceptional and a fine tribute. [Applause.]
Let me also conclude with the Irish proverb: May the roof of your house, Mike Ellis, never fall in and those within never fall out.
Hamba kahle. [Go well.]
Mooiloop, ons gaan jou mis, en jy vir ons. [Go well; we will miss you and you will miss us.]
Speaker, Parliaments are rarely blessed with people like the hon Mr Mike Ellis. They fall into a class of their own. There are only a few of them, or maybe one every ten years.
They are well known for sharp interjections and numerous points of order. They make us laugh and make us happy. They become part of the furniture of Parliament. They have no enemies. They are appreciated by all members. Above all, some Members of Parliament are very intelligent people, make excellent contributions and perform their parliamentary duties with distinction - such as my dear friend, Mike Ellis.
When Mike leaves us today, Parliament will never be the same again. Mike, in saying goodbye to you, we are also saying that we will certainly miss you, but I want to emphasise that after today you are free. You have toiled as a school principal and an educator of our youth for many years; you have served your country with distinction for 24 years as a Member of Parliament. You are now 65 years old; you are very old, I am only 74 years old!
Mike, Parliament and politics are now behind you. You can sleep late, spend time with your family, spoil your grandchildren, and read the books that you always wanted to read, but had no time to read.
You can travel and see the places that you always wanted to see but never had the money to see; you can waste your pension on it. Mike, you can also spend time with friends to reflect on the serious challenges that are facing mankind. You may even want to write your memoirs. Above all, Mike, after today, you are free.
Colleagues, I must refer to the magnificent speech by Mr Magwanishe. I cannot remember when last I heard such a compassionate, deep speech which shows a man with so much depth. I really, really appreciated that.
In conclusion, Mr Speaker, I will personally miss him because there is only one Mike Ellis and no replacement. Go well, hon Mike Ellis, knowing that you have devoted your life to serving with distinction as an educator and as a Member of Parliament. Fly away after today, Mike, spread your wings and fly with enthusiasm into your new life of freedom. Totsiens, ou Mike. [Goodbye, old Mike.]
Speaker, hon Mike Ellis has been trying for a number of years to get me to wear a tie. So I thought that it would be fitting to give him that satisfaction today. [Applause.] Hon Ellis has been an institution in this institution. He has served in these benches since 1987 and has left an indelible mark on Parliament.
He was part of the so-called ``Magnificent Seven'' Democratic Party caucus in 1994, and his contribution during that first democratic Parliament helped to lay the foundation for the DA's growth into the powerful political party that it is today.
I first met Mike in the one place you would expect to meet him, namely the opposition bar. He was then, as he is now, an extremely approachable person who is always willing to share his wealth of experience and strong opinions with whomever requires them.
As a young MP, as I was then, it was reassuring to have an encouraging and fatherly figure like Mike Ellis around. Whenever I used to sit in that chair waiting nervously to give my speech, the hon Ellis would often give me words of encouragement. In later years, these words became less encouraging and more like light-hearted attacks. However, I do feel honoured to have been given the privilege of verbally sparring with the complete master in the use of wit.
Mike, as you retire to growing orchids and watching birds, you can do so in the contentment that you have made a mark on all of us here and that you have written yourself into history as a central figure of this democratic Parliament. Hamba kahle, Mike. [Goodbye, Mike.] Thank you. [Applause.]
Speaker, I don't know Mr Ellis as well as the other people have indicated here, but I feel I must give him a handshake because of what has been said about him here.
The UDM joins the rest of the House in bidding farewell to the outgoing Mr Mike James Ellis. The UDM salutes you for your contribution to the important project of nation-building. Since the start of your political career in the eighties, you have played a very important role in our democracy.
We wish you well in your future endeavours and thank you for your services to the nation. As I have said before, I have not really known you as much as these other people have known you ...
...maar ek gaan u groet. [Applous.] [... but I am going to greet you. [Applause.]]
Speaker, it is appropriate that we pay tribute to our colleague in the respectful way we are doing it today. Firstly, I would like to associate myself with the speech made by our colleague, the Deputy Chief Whip, Mr Magwanishe. I really think that was a very good speech. Well done! Thank you for that and I associate myself with the content thereof. [Applause.]
It is absolutely true that for all of us there will come a time to arrive here and a time to go. Our colleague Mr Ellis has decided that it is time for him to go.
I will miss a number of things with regard to Mr Ellis. One of those things that I will dearly miss are all the little interactions he had with our colleague, Mr John Jeffery, from time to time. Those of us who attend all the different meetings in committees of Parliament will know exactly what I am talking about.
Some of us who have been here since 1994 would also remember that the heydays of Mr Ellis, in terms of being a very effective politician, were specifically after 1994, when he was like a bulldog going after the then Minister of Health, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma. Some of us will remember that, and I think fondly of those days.
The hon Leader of the Opposition referred to a song and used the song to refer to Mr Ellis. I want to do the same and I am going to do it for a simple reason.
A very famous band, Smokie, has written a song in honour of our colleague. Unlike the hon Leader of the Opposition, I am going to try to sing it if you will bear with me for one second.
I will give you an additional second.
It goes like this:
We don't know why he is leaving or where he's gonna go. I guess he has his reasons but we just don't wanna know 'cos for 24 years we've been working next door to Ellis.
I want to conclude: They say a stranger stabs you in the front, a friend stabs you in the back and another stabs you in the heart, but best friends only poke each other with straws. Mike, go well, we will miss you. Thank you.
Speaker, a young lady who works in our offices reminded me last week that Parliament would be bidding farewell to hon Mike Ellis today. "Gee, Parliament will miss him!" she said. I was intrigued that she even noticed, and I agreed that the sittings in the House would certainly not be the same without him.
I asked her if she knew that hon Ellis was a school principal in his previous life. Clearly impressed, she said: "Cool, he must have been a fun headmaster!" "Really", I exclaimed, "I imagine him giving those kids a really hard time and finding it somehow amusing."
"Mischievous" is a word that comes to mind when I think of hon Ellis. I have, however, used other words at times. One thing about hon Ellis is that he does not discriminate. He dishes it out to any and everyone, sharing the love equally and generously. [Laughter.]
Mike, I found out some time ago, has at least one famous singer-songwriter- guitarist son. My eldest son, who was much younger at the time, had several of his band's CDs, and my youngest two boys who play in gospel rock and heavy metal bands today were also influenced by their music. They wouldn't admit it, of course, because they are way more hardcore.
On parliamentary business at the European Union and in Tanzania, I had the "pleasure" of hon Ellis's wicked - which means "twisted", by the way - sense of humour at closer range. You really don't have to understand someone to enjoy them. Unpredictable conversation and at least one great Italian dinner! I owe you.
The ACDP wishes you success and happiness in this new phase of your life; God bless! [Applause.] Time is short, so I gave you the edited version. I would give the copy that I really wrote, but, being a school teacher, you might correct it. Thanks. [Applause.]
Mr Speaker, I would like to break the tradition on just one issue. I want to go across to the Deputy Chief Whip of the Majority Party and thank him for a truly wonderful speech. May I do that, sir?
Indeed, although the floor-crossing period is over, but you can cross over. [Applause.]
It felt quite good on that side of the floor, sir. [Laughter.] Mr Speaker, this has undoubtedly been one of the most emotional moments in my life and I didn't expect it, to be quite frank with you.
However, it is certainly a privilege to have been given this farewell tribute and I thank you, sir, in the first instance, for the honour because, certainly, the prerogative lies in your domain. The fact that you have granted it certainly does mean a great deal to me.
I also want to say that I am aware of the fact that you are in the Chair while this is happening, and that, too, means a great deal to me. I have been really and truly deeply touched by everything that all members from all parties have said. It is truly a remarkable occasion.
It may seem strange, Mr Speaker, as I mark today, the end of my 24-year career as a member of the South African Parliament, when I acknowledge that I commenced my service and time here as an accidental politician. It really is a fact. I am an accidental politician, although, hopefully, the accident hasn't been too bad. [Laughter.]
I was first elected to Parliament at a very different time, in a much darker phase of our turbulent history. But my election, as members have mentioned today, as the MP for Durban North on 6 May 1987 was of both personal and political significance.
Back then, I was the headmaster of a Durban school and the president of my teacher society, deeply concerned about the perilous path on which South Africa was headed. But, quite frankly - and I have to admit it - I had no real personal ambition or understanding as to how to alter its course.
Like a bolt from the blue, I was approached by the Progressive Federal Party to be its candidate in the forthcoming polls. I realised then that I could no longer be a bystander in the unfolding events of our times, and I did take the plunge. But, Mr Speaker, it is worth recalling that, although the ANC in those days was a banned organisation, its presence and prospects were even then at the centre stage of our politics.
The ruling National Party fought a vicious campaign against the liberal Progressive Federal Party on the slogan "Reform, Yes - Surrender, No". But the Progressive Federal Party was swept aside as the official opposition in that election of 1987, as white South Africa shifted sidewards - or rightwards, perhaps - and I entered Parliament as the only new Progressive Federal Party MP to gain a seat from the then ruling party. Mr Speaker, can I say to the members of this House that those were indeed very different times.
The inconvenient truth, as it were - inconvenient for some, certainly - of my election back then is simply that there were always corners of white South Africa that were prepared to stand and vote against the forces of apartheid. And I want to say to the House today, even 24 years later, I am certainly very proud to have had the opportunity to be the voice of such voters. [Applause.]
The Parliament I entered over two decades ago really bears little resemblance to the Chamber I leave today. The rule of white men appeared to be immutable in 1987, but in reality it was the very eve of the most sweeping and transcending change, which was to commence just three years later, when F W De Klerk, an unlikely iconoclast, would inaugurate an era of change and negotiation.
Since my arrival in this House - or in Parliament at least - my political party has undergone three name changes; from the Progressive Federal Party to the Democratic Party, to the DA. I have served under no fewer than four leaders: Colin Eglin, Zach de Beer, Tony Leon and Helen Zille. But I can, with candour, recount that my entire political and parliamentary career has been in pursuit of a single and overwhelming ideal: to help establish a nonracial democracy based on the inalienable right of the individual to achieve a better life.
Quite frankly, how successful or otherwise I and my parliamentary colleagues in my party and, perhaps, in this House as a whole have been in its achievement is a matter of debate. But what is beyond doubt, debate or question is the need for all of us to keep on trying.
In a sense, the most challenging time of my parliamentary career was also the most rewarding. At the very moment that South Africa achieved its democratic rebirth on 27 April 1994, my party very, very nearly ceased to exist. In fact, it is well-known in my party that I won my seat by 0,001%, and my colleagues, for many years, referred to me as 001. [Laughter.] What are you laughing at? That's true. [Laughter.]
So, for five years, between 1994 and 1999, I was just one of the seven Members of Parliament in the Democratic Party, trying to carve out the role of an opposition party in an Assembly where no fewer than 94% of all MPs belonged to parties represented by the Government of National Unity.
There were epic fights, tough battles - and, certainly, some reference has been made to that today - as we defied the push for consensus in the opposition in the belief that any worthwhile democracy needs a vigorous opposition to hold its government to account. And this, I believe, has been vindicated time and again.
Strangely enough, it was no less a person than our founding democratic president, Nelson Mandela, who legitimised this goal when he told us "to hold a mirror to the government". There certainly have been times when not everyone has enjoyed the reflection in this mirror, but that is beside the point.
It was in those epic times, when I, along with six colleagues, juggled half a dozen portfolios and the duties of a Whip, that I learnt the truth of the injunction: In the furnace of great events you find the fire of passion within yourself.
There were then, as today, many people inside and outside of Parliament who presumed that the presence of a majority conferred a monopoly of wisdom on government. In fact, as we all know, to be legitimate a government needs a majority, but, to be right, a government needs to listen and to learn from all viewpoints.
I believe that this South African Parliament has learnt an enormous amount and we have developed enormously in this regard in the past years, and it has been for me a major benefit. However, after 1999, when the Democratic Party grew fivefold and became the official opposition, I found that my duties as Deputy Chief Whip of the Opposition became the dominant factor of my parliamentary life. It is perhaps worth remembering that in this period of a heightened cold war between Thabo Mbeki and Tony Leon, and a freezing of relations between government and the opposition, the Whippery of all parties still managed to keep Parliament on the rails and to keep the management of it in reasonable shape.
I believe that this is a tribute to many MPs from all parties who, uncited and unheralded, managed to disagree with each other without being disagreeable and often ensured that the needs of the institution were placed above the wishes of the party. That for me has been one of the focal points of my entire career in this Parliament. [Applause.]
However, Mr Speaker, a farewell speech such as this one is also an opportunity, not simply to say thank you and goodbye, but to reflect on some of the remarkable people who have crossed my path here and sustained me in the victories and vicissitudes that are the hallmark of any political life.
If I look at my own party, first of all, it is a privilege and an honour to have shared benches with great people such as Helen Suzman, Colin Eglin, Tony Leon, Douglas Gibson, Dene Smuts and more recently people such as Ian Davidson and Athol Trollip. I have had the privilege of working closely with the best, and here I do want to single out, if I may, Tony Leon, in particular - a man of great intellect, great courage and enormous ability, who kept alive the liberal voice in this country at a time when most thought it had already died. And today Tony still remains a very close friend of mine.
When I do look back on the last 24 years of my life, there are many people in the opposition benches whom I have come to admire and for whom it has been for me an enormous privilege to have been in Parliament with. Obviously, at the head of the list would be Mr Nelson Mandela. But there have been many others that I have had the pleasure of working with in Parliament, people like Cyril Ramaphosa, Trevor Manuel, Naledi Pandor, Tokyo Sexwale, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, and you, sir, Mr Speaker, one of the first Whips in this Parliament. And it would be absolutely wrong of me not to mention, of course, Blade Nzimande. [Applause.]
You know, Mr Speaker, Blade and I go back many years to when he was the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Education from 1994 to 1999. We worked hard, we fought, we had great fun. But, Blade, I do have a special relationship with you and it's nice to say it today: Thank you very much for everything. [Applause.]
I have worked very closely with the Chief Whips of all parties, including my old friend, Koos van der Merwe, Corn Mulder and others, and with a wide range of senior party leaders. I have also interacted with many frontbenchers and backbenchers, all of whom have made a massive impact on my life. You are my life, and I have really appreciated it. Thank you very much for that. What a remarkable privilege it has been to serve my country in this Parliament.
To my own parliamentary leader, Athol Trollip, and to my own Chief Whip, Ian Davidson, you are remarkable men and true leaders. To have worked with you and to regard you as my friends is indeed a massive privilege. To the Whips in my party, especially Sandy Kalyan, who has served on the Chief Whips' Forum with me with distinction, and to all the members of my caucus, for whom I have the greatest respect, thank you very much indeed. I really appreciate the great working together that we have had for the last two years and, with many of you, for a lot longer than that.
To the Chief Whip of the Majority Party and to the Deputy Chief Whip of the Majority Party, who made a wonderful speech today, I want to say to you, Mr Deputy Chief Whip, as a fellow Deputy, you and I have developed a very special relationship.
To the Whips of all other parties, with whom I have worked so closely for so many years on the Chief Whips' Forum, inside the Chief Whips' Forum and outside it, thank you for your camaraderie, thank you for what we have been able to achieve on behalf of Parliament, on behalf of the members. And, of course, I cannot simply ignore Ben Turok as I see him sitting there. Ben, we've crossed swords many times, but well done, sir, and thank you. [Applause.]
To the Whips in general, I believe we have achieved a great amount on behalf of our members. To the Speaker, to you sir, to the Deputy Speaker, to the House Chairs, our interactions have been interesting and lively. I want to thank you, in particular, for the leeway you have given me at times with some very frivolous points of order and for your good humour and dedication to your tasks.
To all of you ladies and gentlemen, to all the members of this House across all party lines, it really has been a privilege working with you and I will miss you all. To the Secretary to Parliament, the Secretary to the National Assembly and all the staff associated with this august House, I thank them, too, for their support, assistance, advice and friendship.
I have enjoyed it all with all of you. So, to all associated with Parliament, thank you for a truly wonderful 24 years. I wish you all, individually and collectively, every success for the years ahead. Thank you so much. [Applause.]
The presiding officers also wish to take this opportunity to wish you well, Mr Ellis. This Parliament will certainly be all the poorer for your departure. But all of us, collectively and individually, will be richer for having known and worked with you.