Parliament is mourning the deaths of two of its members this week and marking the contribution they made with motions of condolences in the National Assembly and a memorial service.
Former Member of Parliament (MP) Mittah Seperepere (nee Goieman) died on 30 October. She was an MP from 1994 to 1999, after which she declined to return to Parliament, arguing that younger people should be given the responsibility to advance the struggle for a better life in South Africa.
Before South Africa’s democracy she spent most of her life in exile and in 1989 became the African National Congress’ chief representative in Madagascar, Reunion, Seychelles, Mauritius and the Comores.
A motion of condolences for Ms Seperepere was today tabled in Parliament’s National Assembly.
Tomorrow, 10 November 2010, a motion of condolences will be tabled for Alina Rantsolase, who died last week at the age of 56. At the time of her death she was ANC caucus chairperson and whip of the parliamentary portfolio committee on labour.
Ms Rantsolase was a trade unionist for 31 years as a shop steward for the South African Commercial Catering and Allied Workers Union, then its treasurer and finally as national treasurer of the Congress of South African Trade Unions, a position she held for 10 years before becoming an MP.
The motion of condolences for Ms Rantsolase will be preceded by a memorial service in Parliament’s Old Assembly Chamber at 12h30.
Source: Parliament of South Africa
