Your Excellency President Jacob Zuma
Members of Cabinet
Mrs Sally Mudly-Padayachie
The daughters – Dr Vindea Padayachie-Naidoo and Ms Trevana Padayachie-Moodley
Members of the bereaved family
Representatives of political parties
Ladies and gentlemen
Members of the media
We were all in shock and disbelief as the news travelled from Addis Ababa, across the length and breadth of our country, that our beloved Roy was no more.
The dawn of this day brought great sadness and sorrow as we contemplated bidding farewell to a much loved man - a husband, a father, a sibling, an uncle, a son, a comrade, a mentor, a leader, and friend. Yet, it also brought the promise that we would be able to honour, remember and pay fitting and rightly earned tribute to a man of great character, fortitude, integrity, humility and indeed, morality.
I feel humbled to pay tribute to man who embodied all the virtues of what it meant to be a beautiful human being.
A scientist by training and having worked as a formulations chemist, microbiologist and research chemist, Radhakrishna or Roy as most of us knew him, had a keen and incisive intellect, yet he was also compassionate, humble, kind, caring and very loving while being extremely disciplined and conscientious.
In the time that I had the privilege of knowing him, I learnt that Roy would not put off until tomorrow what could be done today. He was known for working with a sense of urgency and passion. And he was a good friend to his colleagues, always taking the time to express his appreciation for our assistance and support and to assist where possible.
He was also deeply committed to his family – his wife Sally and his daughters – Vindea and Trevana. While he may not have spent as much time with them as he – or they would have liked – due to his national commitments, they were never far from his heart or mind. And we extend our deep appreciation to you Sally and the girls, as well as your extended family, for sharing this wonderful man with us, enabling him to contribute meaningfully to this country and its people.
Members of the bereaved family, ladies and gentlemen,
In remembering Roy today and in time to come, we feel robbed that he will no longer be able to impart his wisdom, his strategic thinking, engage in debates about the future of our country and its people, implement policy decisions that will undoubtedly leave this world better than when he found it, inspire us to do more than what is comfortable or to simply laugh and spend time with the family he cherished so dearly.
Sally shared with me her memories of his last remaining minutes in this earthly realm – his exuberance at having attended a very successful African Peer Review Meeting (APRM) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia during which he was able to engineer some key and very strategic inputs into Africa’s socio-economic programme.
There could have been no better or fitting end to Roy’s life. Many have said he died as he lived, in a life of service to the people. Expressing his joy and excitement at having been able to make a difference in the last moments available to him is a poignant reminder of his commitment to making sure that today is indeed better than yesterday.
Members of the bereaved family, ladies and gentlemen,
In reflecting upon the life of Roy, I am reminded of the words of another truly remarkable cadre of our people, Oliver Reginald Tambo who said, “It is our responsibility to break down barriers of division and create a country where there will be neither Whites nor Blacks, just South Africans, free and united in diversity."
As part of bringing this vision to fruition, Roy was fiercely committed to the development of the people of this country and particularly its children. Believing that indeed, as articulated by President Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” Roy became one of the architects of South Africa’s early children development policies and programmes.
It was Roy who began, not only the theoretical discussion, but also the practical expression of the importance of early learning. In the early 90s, he even travelled to other countries to investigate how this contributes to the development and sustainability of a nation.
His commitment to ensuring our children had the necessary foundation in education and skills to live meaningful, productive and liberated lives, echoed the words of Tata Mandela that “There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children.”
Directly related to this was his commitment to community development and upliftment. We will, as will all of those who lives he touched, remember him for his ardent activism to ensure that indeed, we truly created a better life for all our people. He never turned his back on the communities and the poor.
Giving practical expression to this, Roy was, amongst others, a fierce champion of small, medium and micro enterprises recognising the value their success could bring to the lives of the most vulnerable and disenfranchised.
He was also very generous and shared whatever he had. I remember an occasion where he received a donation of blankets. His spirit of generosity was so great that he shared these blankets amongst a few of us Ministers so that each of us could contribute to various communities in various provinces. In this way, his donation went much further than it would have.
However, his commitment to the contributing to sustainable development and security for the vulnerable extended beyond the borders of South Africa. One of the most outstanding examples was his efforts to bring about a negotiated, just and sustainable political settlement to the armed conflict between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the Government of Sri Lanka. As part of this he was also instrumental in forming the Solidarity for Justice and Peace Group which worked to bring an end to this long running conflict.
Indeed Roy believed that “It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur,” and in taking the “front line when there is danger.” In the year in which we commemorate the Centenary of the African National Congress, the continent’s oldest liberation movement, the loss of a comrade so courageous, noble and fearless is all the more keenly felt.
This year also marks the 18th year of our freedom and liberation from the yoke of oppression, colonialism and apartheid. Yet, much remains to be done and as we reflect on the road ahead of us, we are reminded that the passing of so disciplined and loyal a comrade to the development of South Africa and its people, is indeed a great blow to our collective will to drive the change that is required.
Members of the bereaved family, ladies and gentlemen,
The best way in which to pay tribute to Roy now, and in the future, would be to follow his example for working hard, honestly and in a non-assuming manner, caring for all people, rich and poor and serving until our last breath.
We take this moment to extend to Sally, the girls – Vindea and Trevana, Roy’s entire family, friends, colleagues and comrades, our deepest condolences at the passing of a man whose contribution to the South Africa we now enjoy will reverberate for generations to come.
May his soul rest in peace.
I thank you.
Tribute by the Minister of Home Affairs Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma on the occasion of the passing of the late Minister of Public Service and Administration Roy Padayachie at the Sahara Kingsmead Stadium, Durban
