S Ndebele: Funeral of P Nkonyeni’s son

28 January 2006

Programme Director
My sister and colleague, MEC for Health, Ms Peggy Nkonyeni;
Members of KwaZulu-Natal Cabinet present;
Members of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature;
The Nkonyeni family;
Friends and relatives;
Ladies and gentlemen

One of the celebrated authors of the 19th century, Mark Twain, speaking in
derision about those who fear death once said: ‘All say, "How hard it is that
we have to die" - a strange complaint to come from the mouths of people who
have had to live’

I am sure Mr Twain would spare us his scorn for failing to hold back our
sadness for we are gathered here today to bid a premature farewell to a person
who had not yet had a chance to live. A person aged 16 is, even by law still a
minor, a responsibility of parents or guardians. Yet, the cruel hand of death
has dealt us a low blow. Death has robbed the Nkonyeni family and indeed our
province, of a light that was yet to shine.

The promise of light that Monde was, is no more. The Bible tells us that Job
once said, during such difficult times “remember that my life is a breath; my
eye will never again see good. The eye of him who sees me will behold me no
more; while thy eyes are upon me, I shall be gone. As the cloud fades and
vanishes, so he who goes down to Sheol does not come up again; He returns no
more to his house, nor does his place know him any more.” [Job 7:9-10]

Ladies and gentlemen, we are all gathered here today to mourn the sudden
passing away of a young, promising boy as a result of a road accident. What
hurts even more, particularly during these times when some of our children
choose to run away from school, is that Monde met his untimely death while on
his way to school together with his siblings who were also injured. We,
therefore, have not come here to pay respects to Monde only because he was a
human being but also because he was a young man who understood that the future
lay in education.

The circumstances under which Monde was deprived of his life are totally
unacceptable. Drivers are repeatedly urged to be more cautious and courteous on
the roads to prevent and avoid such fatalities. Today, one person’s mistake has
cost our province of a future leader and a family of a beloved member.

Our government, particularly through the Department of Transport has, and
continues, to do all in its power to improve the roads and to urge all road
users, drivers and pedestrians, to play a significant role in curbing the
unnecessary road fatalities. One death on our roads is one too many. We,
therefore, proclaim unequivocally that perpetrators of these road accidents
will have to face to full might of the law. Our government cannot allow
inconsiderate road users to kill our nation.

When we look at the latest statistics of road accidents from 1 December 2005
to 15 January 2006, they are really alarming. During the past festive period
alone, 322 people died on the roads. Sixty-two were drivers and 107 were
passengers while 151 deaths were pedestrians. Obviously there can be no
sustainable growth and development when a province loses 322 people in a space
of 45 days. We are also informed that most of these accidents were due to
drunken driving, negligence and fatigue. We need a collective effort of all our
people to reverse this trend.

As I said earlier on, the province as a whole has been deprived of a
prospective future leader, in Monde. We know that this is a great tragedy to
the Nkonyeni family, particularly in light of the fact just last year MEC
Nkonyeni buried her father. I would like to assure you that the whole
KwaZulu-Natal province is equally experiencing the same pain and grief.

I know you held Monde in high esteem and had high hopes for his future. As
people of faith we should, while mourning his death, take heart from the fact
that God has not deserted us. We all join you in your pain, sithi “Akwehlanga
lungehlanga.”

To my colleague, MEC Nkonyeni and family, I would like to quote the words
said by the prophet Isaiah in chapter 43 where he says: “Fear not, for I have
redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine. When you pass
through the waters; I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not
overwhelm you; when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned and the
flame shall not consume you. Because you are precious in my eyes and honoured
and I love you, I give in return for you people in exchange for your life. Fear
not, for I am with you.”

Sithi akwehlanga lungehlanga. Lalani ngenxeba mndeni wakwaNkonyeni. INkosi
ibisiphile uMonde, manje iNkosi isimthathile. Sithi, malibongwe igama lika
Jehova.

Ngiyabonga.

Issued by: Office of the Premier, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
28 January 2006
Source: KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government (http://www.kwazulunatal.gov.za)