Hon Speaker, Your Excellency Mr Deputy President and fellow members, I want to start off by thanking you, hon Speaker, and the scheduling committee for allowing us as members of this House to bid farewell to and say the kind of things that we have said about our two very committed countrymen. Thank you very much indeed. I hope, Mr Speaker, I will get injury time for saying that. [Laughter.]
About 14 years ago, when our Minister of Finance opened lines of communication with ordinary South Africans through the innovative "Tips for Trevor" campaign, we all admired his common touch. Minister Manuel was already the darling of struggling South Africans, for he was what we all wanted in a Minister of Finance. He was smart, accessible and tough.
Today we bid farewell to Minister Manuel and thank him for his long and distinguished service to our country. I would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of the IFP, to "talk to Trevor".
Minister, your stewardship of our country has been admirable. You deserve every accolade bestowed on you today. I remember being in the audience and listening to you in a community hall in Mitchells Plain in 1990, when you were welcoming returning prisoners from Robben Island. I was in the audience on that day and I remember admiring this young man from the United Democratic Front who had so much hair - but now it's something different.
When President Nelson Mandela moved you from being the Minister of Trade and Industry to being the Minister of Finance in 1996, you took to the portfolio like a duck to water. It was a brilliant move for our country, predicated perhaps by the World Economic Forum's recognition in 1994 that you were called "the Global Leader for Tomorrow". That tomorrow came, but you became more than a global leader. You became a household name. You spoke a language we could all understand. That is not an easy task when it comes to economics. Many flaws can be hidden in economic speak, but you never did that. You are a leader by principle, who stood your ground, even when you disagreed with your own party and government.
The IFP applauded when you insisted that government cannot afford to borrow money to meet social expenditure. We admired your honesty when you said government must stop blaming apartheid and find the real reason behind poor service delivery.
We commended you for speaking out so strongly against government spokesperson, Jimmy Manyi, who sought to change race quotas and labour laws to reflect national rather than local demographics. Unfortunately, this is back on the cards with the latest regulations to the Employment Equity Act. Manyi's "surplus" of Coloureds in the Western Cape and his "surplus" of Indians in KwaZulu-Natal will bear the consequences. Prince Buthelezi wrote to you to thank you for opposing Manyi. He said:
Our nation owes you a debt of gratitude for your honesty, integrity and courage.
Undoubtedly though, hon Minister, your greatest legacy will be the National Development Plan. You excelled in the Presidency by creating broad consensus on the NDP. You convinced us that the NDP is the roadmap for the future. Now, it will be up to your party to convince its alliance partners to come on board so that this great roadmap can be implemented.
I will remember you, Minister, for your powers of persuasion and your great dance moves. I recall how you persuaded a colleague from the ruling party and me to support a special adjustment of R2 billion to be awarded to SA Airways in 2010. You overheard us during a committee break right at the back here expressing dissent, and you convinced us right there in the washrooms that South Africa had to save its own airline for the 2010 World Cup.
Minister, you will be sorely missed in Parliament. But we trust that your intellect and services will not be lost to our country. We thank you and we ask you to keep on dancing, not to populist tunes, but to the needs of the South African populace. Thank you. [Applause.]