Mr Speaker, unfortunately I cannot be as poetic as some of my other colleagues who spoke today. The sudden passing away of the UCDP MP Mrs Mavis Matladi came as a huge shock to many of her colleagues and fellow Members of Parliament. It was with great sadness that the ID learnt of her passing on 2 December after a short illness.
I interacted with Mrs Matladi in the Chief Whips' Forum and I found her to be a very warm person who was very committed to the work at hand. She was a hardworking, dedicated and principled Member of Parliament, who strove to make positive contributions to South African politics and her community. At the time of her death, the 53-year-old Mrs Matladi was a Member of Parliament and president of the UCDP. She had been a member of the North West provincial legislature until the 2009 elections before joining the National Assembly. She served as the chair of Scopa in the North West provincial legislature and the Pan-African Parliament's Women's Caucus.
On behalf of the ID, I would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to all our colleagues in the UCDP, as well as to the surviving family and loved ones of the late Mavis Matladi. Her voice will be sorely missed in this House. I thank you. [Applause.]