Somlomo, ngexesha sonke besixakekile yimigidi neziyolo zokuphela konyaka, kuyimitshato kuyinto nje yonke, umama uMavis Ntebaleng uye wathatyathwa kuthi; kwasuka kwee shwaka kwangathi kudala. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[Mrs Z B N BALINDLELA: Mr Speaker, at the time we were all busy with end-of- the-year traditional ceremonies, celebrations, weddings and everything, Mrs Mavis Ntebaleng was taken away from us. She departed as quietly as she lived.]
In 2009, she took her seat in this august House as a representative of the UCDP. She was party leader. In addition, as my neighbour in our offices, we were friends - very funny friends ...
... ngoba umama uMaNtebaleng ebengumntu ongangxamiyo xa ehamba, engagxanyi koko eyintokazi ekwakusithiwa ngela xesha ngu ... [... because Mrs Ntebaleng was a person who used to strut carefully when walking, a person who, back in the day, used to be called ...]
... kyk hoe mooi ... [... look how nice ...]
... ngoba ebehamba ngokuzithanda engcambaza kwaye kubonakala ukuba yinzwakazi yokwenene. [... because she used to walk in a very confident manner and you could see that she was indeed a lady.]
I bear personal testimony also from working with her in the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Scopa. She was a remarkably focused woman. She loved her work and, more than that, she understood very clearly that what she was doing in Parliament was for the poor and the marginalised people who had sent her here. She had a mission and this was so powerful that whenever I met her I was overawed by her passion and commitment.
She loved her people so dearly and she loved Setswana. She tried to teach me Setswana but my tongue was a bit stiff ...
... ndiqinelwe lulwimi noko andakwazi, kodwa ndandimana ndimhlekisa ngezinto endandimana ndiziva ziculwa ndithi, "Uyayazi laa ngoma ithi tlakantshintshi, tlakantshintshi, rhatina dinela." Ndizama ukuzenza ngathi nam ndiyasazi isiTswana. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[... I couldn't speak well because my tongue was a bit stiff, but I used to make her laugh with the songs that I used to listen to. Do you know the song that says, "Tlakantshintshi, tlakantshintshi, rhatina dinela"? I was trying to act as if I knew Setswana.]
She was a wonderful teacher, an activist, a politician, a leader, a mother and grandmother. Not only will the political party she led miss her, as we who knew her will, but her husband, her two girls and her son will miss her even more. Her two grandchildren will miss her sorely. She doted on them so much. There will also be a considerable void for her parents and three siblings.
For me, too, there will be an emptiness whenever I go to a Scopa meeting. Her familiar smile greeting me will never again light up the committee room. Her sense of purpose to get things done, however, will remain with me and I will strive harder than before to remember that we, as a country, must get full value for our rand. We cannot allow leakages that compromise services for the poor and the marginalised people of our country.
I want Mme maNtebaleng to know that we say ...
... robala ka kagiso, mme Matladi. Re tla nna re go gopola. [Legofi.] [... rest in peace, Mrs Matladi. We will always remember you. [Applause.]]
Ndiyabulela, Somlomo. [Thank you, Mr Speaker.]