The Speakers’ Forum, comprising the Speaker of the National Assembly as the chairperson of the Forum, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Speakers and Deputy Speakers of nine Provincial Legislatures, noting the reported seriousness of uTata Mandela’s illness, conveys its support to him and his family in these trying times and thanks the doctors and the medical team who continue to take care of him.
The Speakers’ Forum recalls that when Madiba, the first democratically elected President of the Republic of South Africa, addressed the National Assembly in 1999, he stated: “...It is in the Legislatures that the instruments have been fashioned to create a better life for all. It is here that oversight of government has been exercised. It is here that our society with all its formations has had an opportunity to influence policy and its implementation.”
The Speakers’ Forum resolves to sustain Madiba’s legacy in upholding constitutionalism and the rule of law. Working seamlessly and vigorously for the benefit of the South African population in exercising its oversight role as envisaged in the Constitution, the Speakers’ Forum commits itself, the legislatures and National Parliament to more intensive consultation with the public in redressing the inequalities of the past and improving the quality of lives of the citizens of South Africa.
Madiba, the father of the nation, a son of the soil, a freedom fighter and a South African hero, who epitomises reconciliation in a united society free from poverty, hunger and violence remains a people’s President and an international icon whose contribution to life we forever cherish and embrace.
For more information, please contact:
Luzuko Jacobs, Spokesperson: Parliament
Tel: 021 403 3635/2124
