Madam Speaker, I do intend also to speak on behalf of my comrade and leader, Comrade Pheko, who is not here. I also, on behalf of the APC, join my colleagues who have come before me to express their gratitude and appreciation for the manner in which we have interacted, firstly as colleagues and, secondly, with the administration here, in reference to Parliament and the presiding officers.
The five years for me have been an occasion of excitement, growth and learning. It is only when one is in Parliament that one can appreciate the amount of hard work that MPs have to put up with, and not the perception of people that MPs have nothing to do and are earning fat salaries.
I think it would be amiss for me personally not to express my sincerest gratitude to the ANC for having afforded me the opportunity to chair one of the most important committees in Parliament. It has afforded me an opportunity for growth and to have perspective on issues that I might otherwise not have had, had I been an ordinary member.
In the same breath, I want to thank my colleagues in the committee, from all parties. We have been able to work as a unit. I think we also were a committee, Comrade Deputy Chief Whip, where you would not be able to tell whether one was from the ANC or from the UDM, or from any other party. I wish to thank them very much, including the staff of the committee, which has some of the hardest working people around.
I wish well those who are retiring; and those of us who are coming back, we will meet again after two months. I thank you. [Applause.]