Somlomo, namalungu onke ePhalamende, ngiyanibingelela ngenkulu inhlonipho.
Ubaba uPhungula wazalwa ngomhlaka 15 kuMashi ngo1932, eNhlazuka ngaseRichmond, ezalwa yintombi yakwaShange. Ubeshadile futhi enemakhosikazi amabili. Wajoyina uKhongolose ngo1952 eThekwini lapho aba ngelinye lamavolontiya esebenza kwa-Joko Tea. Kulapho ahlangana khona namalungu agqamile omzabalazo eSACTU, esebenza nobaba uMoses Mabhida, Steven Dlamini nobaba uMtshali okhona la kuleNdlu.
Wagqugquzela amakhosikazi ekulweni nomzabalazo wamapasi obandlululo kanti futhi wayebalulekile emkhankasweni owawulwa nokwephucwa umhlaba, eXobho yizigagayi zobandlululo. Emumva kokuhlukunyezwa kaningi ngamaphoyisa obandlululo wahamba waya ekudingisweni ngo1976 lapho khona wathunyelwa khona eRussia ukuyoqeqeshwa ngezempi.
Ngemumva konyaka wabuyela eSwazini lapho bamenza khona umkhuzi wezempi okusho ukuthi nguKhomanda ngesilungu wamabutho ayezongena eNatali ngaphansi kukaJoe Modise noJoe Slovo. KwaKhongolose ubehlonishwa kakhulu yizozonke izinkokheli zakhe ngobuciko bobuholi ayenabo. Kumalungu kaKhongolose ubehlonishwa kakhulu nalapha ePhalamende ngoba ubethi uma ebona ukuthi akuhambi kahle, asukume asho ngaphandle ukuthi ubani ophethe umhlangano futhi uma ulalela ubone ubuhlakani bakhe.
Ubengayifuni into ebheke eceleni ngisho kuthiwa uzohlomula kangakanani futhi engenasikhathi sobutofotofo nobucwebecwebe banoma yiluphi uhlobo. Okusho ukuthi ngesiLungu ... (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[Mr D M GUMEDE: Speaker, and members of Parliament as a whole, I greet you with due respect.
Mr Phungula was born on 15 March 1932, at Nhlazuka near Richmond; he was born by the maiden of Shange. He was married and had two wives. He joined the ANC in 1952 in Durban where he was one of the volunteers, working at Joko Tea. That is where he met the prominent members of the struggle, SACTU, working with Mr Moses Mabhida, Steven Dlamini and Mr Mtshali, who is present in this House.
He encouraged women to fight the apartheid pass laws and he also played a pivotal role in the campaign aimed at fighting against land deprivation, in Ixopo, by the apartheid veterans. After being traumatised by the apartheid police he went into exile in 1976, where he was deployed to Russia to receive military training.
After a year he came back to Swaziland where he was made a military commander of the MK detachment that was going to be deployed in Natal under the command of Joe Modise and Joe Slovo. In the ANC, he was respected by all of his leaders for the leadership expertise he possessed. Among the members of the ANC he was highly respected even here in Parliament because whenever he suspected that there was something wrong, he would stand up and raise it, no matter who was chairing the meeting, and when you listened attentively you would see his intelligence.
He could not stand something that was out of order no matter how much he would benefit from it and he did not have any time for luxury and material things of whatever nature. Which means in English ...]
... he was not a materialist. He was principled, disciplined and had no time for dishonesty. For parliamentary meetings he was always on time, all the time. He had respect for authority and yet had no fear of anyone. He was a brilliant strategist with a wonderful emotional intelligence.
Yebo, silahlakelwe yinsizwa ezinsizweni,indoda emadodeni! Iqhawe lamaqhawe! Siyohlala simkhumbula ngobuqotho bakhe, ngesibindi sakhe, ngokwethembeka kwakhe, ngokuzithoba kwakhe nangokuzinikela kwakhe kuyo yonke into ayenzayo. KwabakaPhungula sithi: Lalani ngenxeba; akwehlanga lungehliyo. Indima yakhe uyilimle wayiqeda, okwethu asibonge uMdali ngokwesipho sakhe esiyigugu asinika sona ngokuthi, kuthi lapha ezweni lethu elinezingqinamba ezingaka asinike igugu lokuxazulula izinkinga esinazo.
KuKhongolose sithi: Umkhonto oyigugu uwile; abeza ngemuva kwakhe abawucoshe, bawusebenzise njengaye bawuphathe njengezikhali zamaNtungwa. Siyakhuleka kuwe gosa lamagosa, qhawe lomkhonto ulale ngoxolo. Siyohlala sikukhonzile, sikuthanda qhawe lalaqhawe! Mdlovu usikhonzele koTambo, koModise, koMahabane, koDube ubatshele ukuthi basibheke, masibonise indlela ngaso sonke isikhathi. Ngithi kuwe ndlelanhle! (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[Of course, we have lost a young man among young men, a man among men! Hero among heroes! We will remember him for his reliability, his bravery, his loyalty, his humbleness and his commitment to everything he did. To the Phungula family we say: Accept what has happened as fate, God has given, God has taken. He has lived his life to the fullest, ours is to be grateful to God for His precious gift He has given us, when we had so many difficulties in our country He provided us with a treasure to solve our problems.
To the ANC we say: the precious spear has fallen; those who come after him should pick it up, utilise it just like he did and handle it with great care. We salute you, steward among stewards, hero of uMkhonto we Sizwe, rest in peace. We will always pay respect to you and love you, hero of heroes! Mdlovu please send our regards to Tambo, Modise, Mahabane, Dube and tell them to guard us and show us the way every time. I bid farewell to you!]
Debate concluded.
Motion agreed to.