Thank you, Hon Speaker. Hon Deputy President, the manner in which you carried yourself, and the way you responded to questions from the opposition parties during the Deputy President's question time, demonstrated the depth of respect and honour you accorded this House.
I have no doubt that your background as a trade unionist, your intellectual prowess and the many years you spent in prison cells on Robben Island, underscored by your Christian values, taught you both humility and respect for people and humankind in general. I have watched you with interest, how you responded to questions in this House in an unassuming manner, unemotional, but demonstrating depth of knowledge and respect for the opposition parties and the questions raised.
Hon Deputy President, we as opposition parties did not always agree with everything you said, but your humility and the demeanour with which you responded to questions persuaded even the skeptics to let go and agree to disagree.
The role you played in championing the supply of antiretrovirals and the call on both young and old alike to exercise restraint in order to defeat the scourge of Aids yielded positive results for the country.
Having said all of these positive things, I feel it is also true to say that our country is still faced with daunting challenges that cut across party politics and require a strong sense of patriotism from all of us.
I hope that in your new ventures, you will remain vigilant, objective and critical in monitoring and evaluating the progress made and the outcomes of the actions of those who remain behind as you depart from this House. Our country is crying out for strong, committed, unambiguous, honest and reliable leadership that our next generation can look up to and follow with pride.
I wish to take a quote from an unusual source, D F Malan, who said in his resolute defence of Afrikaner nationalism in the early 1900s:
Few are content to build, unseen and unknown, the sure and stable foundations of a building whose completion they will not see, to live for an idea, to die for an ideal whose realisation they can prepare for but which they themselves will not see.
In short, Deputy President, you must go out there and fight for the things you believe in, even if you yourself may not benefit from the fruits thereof. We believe in you.
Hamba kakuhle, Mhlekazi. Ndiyabulela, Mkhuluwa. [Kwaqhwatywa.] [Go well, sir. I thank you, big brother. [Applause.]]