Hon Speaker, hon Deputy President, hon colleagues and hon Members of Parliament, it is always a bit sad to say goodbye to a colleague. Even though the Deputy President is the Deputy President, he is also a colleague of all of us in this House.
The one specific word that stands out for me when I describe the hon Deputy President is the word "dignity".
In Afrikaans praat ons van waardigheid. [In Afrikaans we refer to it as "waardigheid".]
In all the posts where the Deputy President served - while he was Acting President at one stage, while he was President at a later stage, and while he was again Deputy President - it was always with dignity, "waardigheid".
South Africans could always be very proud of the Deputy President and the way that he, as Deputy President, carried himself. Those of us who are interested in sport will know that in every sports team there is from time to time a specific individual, someone who, when things get rough on the field - be it rugby or soccer - is a safe choice to pass or kick the ball to. From my perspective, Deputy President Motlanthe was that person. When things got rough, and when we were entering into the "rapids", he was a safe player on the field.
On behalf of the FF Plus, and all our colleagues in the House, if may do so, I would like to extend our sincerest and best wishes to the Deputy President in his retirement. We in this House will miss him. Thank you very much. [Applause.]