The next speaker will be the Chief Whip of the NCOP who will be speaking from her seat. Will you please raise your hand so that the camera crew can see you? There she is. Can you see her? Proceed, hon Chief Whip.
UMBHEXESHI OYINTLOKO WEBHUNGA LESIZWE LAMAPHONDO: Sihlalo, Somlomo, Sekela Mongameli naBaphathiswa, malungu eziNdlu zombini zePalamente, lusapho lakwaMandela nelakwaSisulu naye wonke umntu olapha, namhlanje sizekukhumbula kwaye sibhiyozela ubomi bentsika exhathise ngayo i-ANC kunye nabantu boMzantsi Afrika. Siyazi ukuba siseza kuqhagamshelana naye ngejelo lomoya ekunye nezinye iinkokeli zomzabalazo wethu.
NjengoKhongolose, nabemi boMzantsi Afrika sizingca ngokuba ukhe wabelana nathi sonke ngobomi bakho. Sibulela ngakumbi ngendlela olilwe ngayo idabi lokuphelisa ucalucalulo nomkhethe kwilizwe lethu.
NjengoEnoch waseBhayibhileni, wena wahamba noThixo, nangoku awufanga, undulukile. Ingathi unguSimon wakudala yena wathi uyamndulula umkhonzi wakho enoxolo mnini ntozonke ngokwelizwi lakho ngokuba amehlo am ayibonile inkululeko yoMzantsi Afrika. Awanelanga kukuma phezu kwentaba yeNebho njengoMosisi koko usingenisile eKanana. Usebenze ngomzimba ongenamikhinqi, wathi isahlulo samandla akho wasipha uHelen Joseph, uRuth First, uLillian Ngoyi nezinye iinkokeli. Khange ube namona, uyidumisile le nkonzo yakho i-ANC. Ube yi-ankile yombutho wesizwe, wayintsika yoMkhonto Wesizwe. Usifundisile ukuba njengoko kubhaliwe, zesingabi nambutho wumbi ngaphandle kwe-ANC, yona yasikhupha ematyotyombeni yasifaka ezindlwini. [Kwaqhwatywa.] Wena wenza into enkulu, eyokubuyisela isidima somntu ontsundu, wathi abo bebephelelwe sisidima, ingakumbi abacinezeli bethu, wababuyisela sona futhi wabafundisa ukuba singabantu sonke.
Sopitsho, wena ubululanyelwe nayinkohlakalo yolwandlekazi lwe-Atlantiki, nelanga laseDrakenstein alikutshisanga, imimoya yeKapa yakomeleza! Yiyo loo nto amakhosikazi eli lizwe lethu lihle kangaka esithi "Phumla ngoxolo, ukwenze konke!" Abantwana bethu balufumana felefele unyango, siyalingana akukho lucalucalulo ngokwesini, imfundo iyafikeleleka kumntu wonke ngaphandle kocalucalulo. Yonke le nto uyenze ungenamona, nanzondo, udumisa umbutho wethu.
Kubantu boMzantsi Afrika uMadiba uthi "Yivani ezi ndaba, sinalo ibali lobomi obungcono elibubungqina bokuba yi-ANC kuphela umkhululi wabantu kwidyokhwe yengcinezelo nobukhoboka. [Kwaqhwatywa.] Yi-ANC kuphela enika ithemba lokuba nawe wena usahluphekileyo le mini iyeza nakuwe." [Kwaqhwatywa.]
Njengoko kwezinyanga zokugqibela ubuwedwa esixovulelweni, mawakwamkele ngovuyo amaqabane akho, oo-Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu, Joe Slovo, Albertina Sisulu, Lillian Ngoyi nabanye endingabakhankanyanga. Nesebe lakho selabulungisayo ubulungu bakho kuKhongolose wangasentla.
Isithsaba sakho sikulindele ngaphesheya, Madib' omde, wena Sithwalandwe! Intonga yakho yobugorha, nomkhonto wakho ziya kuhlala kwezi zakhiwo zale Palamente zibe ngumthombo wamandla nakwabanye oomongameli be-ANC belixa elizayo njengoko eli lizwe lethu lingasayi kuze liphinde liphathwe ngabanye abantu. Amandla! [Kwaqhwatywa.] (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)
[The CHIEF WHIP OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES: Chairperson, Speaker, Deputy President, Ministers, members of both Houses of Parliament, members of the Mandela and Sisulu families and everybody present here, we are here today to commemorate and celebrate the life of a pillar of the ANC and of the people of South Africa. We know that we are going to communicate spiritually with him and other leaders of our struggle.
As the ANC and the people of South Africa we are all proud to have shared your life. We are particularly grateful for the manner in which you engaged in the fight against discrimination and injustice in our country.
Like Enoch in the Bible, you walked with God. You are not dead, you have departed. You are like Simon the biblical figure, who said:
Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen the liberation of South Africa.
You didn't just stand on the mountain of Nebo like Moses, but you led us into Canaan.
You worked tirelessly, and you gave a portion of your energy to Helen Joseph, Ruth First, Lillian Ngoyi and other leaders. You were not envious, but you sang the praises of your congregation the ANC. You were an anchor to the ANC and a pillar of uMkhonto weSizwe. You taught us that, as written, we must not belong to any organisation other than the ANC, which took us out of shacks and put us in houses. [Applause.] You did something wonderful; you restored the dignity of a black person as well as the dignity of our oppressors, and taught them that we are all human beings.
Sophitsho [Madiba], you brought calm even to the stormy waters of the Atlantic Ocean, survived the high temperatures of the Drakenstein, and the strong winds of the Cape made you strong! That is why the women of this country say, "Rest in peace, you have done it all!" Our children get free medical care; we are all equal and there is no gender discrimination; education is accessible to all without discrimination. All of this you have achieved without being envious, without bearing grudges and in the name of our organisation.
To the people of South Africa Madiba says, "Listen to this message; we have a story of a better life, which is a proof that only the ANC is the liberator of the people from the yoke of oppression and slavery. [Applause.] It is only the ANC that brings hope to those who are still living in poverty, that their time will come too." [Applause.]
Because in the past few months you suffered alone, let your comrades, such as Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu, Joe Slovo, Albertina Sisulu, Lillian Ngoyi, etc, welcome you with joy. Your branch has already facilitated your membership of the ANC up above.
Your crown is awaiting you, Madiba, Sithwalandwe! Your stick of bravery and your spear will remain in the precincts of Parliament and be a source of strength to future ANC presidents as this country will never be ruled by other people again. Power! [Applause.]]