Chairperson, the work done by the NCOP in 2011 was a tremendous job-well done, in spite of our varying political affiliations.
This is also the time of the year when one spends time in reflection.
Unfortunately, our Chairperson is not here, and we did not get the opportunity last night to thank him for his leadership and for the respect that was always displayed. His role in the supervision of the NCOP programme is phenomenal, and he has always had this wonderful open-door policy, which we appreciate. He has also had a very good attitude towards the many new members who joined in the last year. Deputy Chair, there is a majority "ruling" by the DA, supported by all the other political parties of this Council, that we appreciate the work that you have done this year - the majority rules!
To hon "Point of Order" Ntwanambi, we thank you very much for your guidance this year and for a job well done as Chief Whip of the Council. I wanted to make an exception of hon Ntwanambi because she has a heavy schedule, and she has sometimes done her work under very difficult circumstances.
To our committee chairpersons, House Chairpersons, and everybody else who has held a title in the NCOP, thank you very much. I think we have achieved our goals, and we can all be very proud of what we have achieved.
To other members of the NCOP, I think there is a wonderful camaraderie among us all, and we do respect each other, irrespective of where we come from and what political parties we support, except when hon Tau forces ANC nonlogic on us and we do not share the vision that he seems to have! [Laughter.]
I want to thank the NCOP staff and all the staff members of the political parties for the supporting role they have played this year in making what we have done possible and in achieving the goals that we have been mandated to achieve.
I would also like to ask everybody to drive carefully - it is the holiday season.
This is a Council with camaraderie and respect for one another. We are now entering the festive season, and in many cases we will have families that will spend the festive season without the loved ones that they have lost. We will be thinking of you with the same compassion that we had during your time of difficulty, as this is a hard time to go through.
However, we also wish you all a very happy holiday season and the very best for 2012. We hope that we can beat the programme that we had for 2011 and make the NCOP even better than what it was in 2011. I thank you. [Applause.]