Deputy Speaker, hon Ministers, hon Deputy Ministers, and hon members of the Assembly, South Africa has been shocked profoundly by the sudden and tragic passing of the hon Minister Collins Chabane.
When we awoke to the news of the accident on Sunday morning, it seemed quite impossible that something so terrible could have befallen one of our esteemed colleagues in this House, but as the painful fact continued to make headlines, it became clear that a time of mourning was before us. Now, in this House, we have the opportunity to stand and honour Minister Chabane, to praise his commitment to governance, and to express our appreciation for all he did in the service of this country.
On behalf of the IFP and particularly those in our caucus who worked with Minister Chabane during his most recent tenure as Minister of Public Service and Administration, I express our condolences to the Chabane family, both here and his extended family, to His Excellency the President of the Republic, to our colleagues in Parliament, and to the ANC. Minister Chabane was an asset to South Africa's Cabinet, and his contribution to the governance of our country will be missed.
Having served as the Minister in the Presidency for Performance Monitoring and Evaluation as well as Administration, Minister Chabane understood the challenges of government and what was required to meet them. He served his country both before democracy and since, playing the role given to him by his party. He was faithful to the ANC and must be commended for his loyalty. He paid the price for his commitment to the struggle. In 1994, he began serving in the Limpopo legislature and entered Parliament in 2009. I shall miss his participation in the debates of the National Assembly where, despite being on different sides of the House, we respected one another and worked well together. I will miss his humility.
We in the IFP are deeply saddened that a road accident has claimed yet another valuable life. This happens all too often on our roads and brings tremendous pain to our country.
Today we pay tribute also to Minister Chabane's two protectors who lost their lives in this accident. We express our condolences to their families and to their colleagues in the SA Police Service in this terrible time of loss.
May the hon Minister Collins Chabane rest in peace. [Applause.]