Mr Speaker, the ACDP is deeply saddened to hear of the sudden passing on of the late Minister for the Public Service and Administration, Mr Roy Padayachie, whilst attending the African Peer Review Mechanism meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
We join other speakers in celebrating his life as a champion of good governance who will always be remembered for his remarkable dedication and the invaluable contribution he made to our country and our democracy. To echo the words of his daughter, Trevana Moodley -
My father was a brilliant, dedicated and hard-working man who gave his life to the struggle. He believed that things should be done properly or they shouldn't be done at all.
Despite being unwell, Minister Padayachie's selfless commitment, love and dedication to his country remained his top priority right to the end, and it is little wonder that President Zuma described him as someone on whom he could depend. He said that we would always remember those traits of humility and placing the needs of the country before one's own.
Minister Padayachie's daughter, Trevana, also made a further poignant comment that we as parliamentarians should be mindful of. She said that being a child of a politician was not easy and that -
(t)here were many occasions where "we wouldn't see my dad, or he would come back home late from his political commitments."
She said her father's biggest regret was that he didn't spend enough time with his family. We appreciate that it was part of his sacrifice, but let each one of us as parliamentarians learn from this, and ensure that we spend enough quality time with our families, lest we share similar regrets.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, his wife Sally, and his two daughters Vindea and Trevana. May God grant you comfort and peace in this time of sadness, and may his memory remain an inspiration to us all. Thank you. [Applause.]