By Jan Gerber.
The National Assembly used its traditional farewell speeches on the final sitting of the year to bid adieu to one of its longest-serving members – the DA’s James Selfe.
Selfe, who spent the last 43 years in politics, sat in the opposition benches since the dawn of democracy and participated in the Constitutional Assembly, which drew up the democratic Constitution, which, incidentally, was adopted 25 years ago on Friday.
He will retire due to ill health on 31 December.
Opening Friday afternoon’s debate, DA chief whip Natasha Mazzone said it was ironic that his surname was Selfe, because she had never met a more selfless person.
“He has been courageous. He has fought some of the most epic battles that this Parliament has seen.”
Mazzone added he had given up a lot – particularly regarding his family – for his life in politics.
“If I’m ever considered to be even an eighth of the kind of person that James Selfe is and was and will always be, I will consider myself very fortunate.”
She said he was a hero in the DA.
“We realise that we stand on your shoulders as the giant that you are in the political sphere of South Africa.”
IFP MP Mkhuleko Hllengwa thanked Selfe for his service to South Africa.
“It has been a pleasure to work with him, and we wish him well in his untimely retirement due to poor health,” he said.
FF Plus MP Wouter Wessels added Selfe’s departure was not only a loss for the DA but also Parliament and the country.
Wessels said Selfe should serve as an example to “certain members who are currently on the virtual platform”, in reference to the EFF who earlier raised spurious points of order.
ACDP MP Steve Swart, himself a parliamentarian since 1999, added he had known Selfe for many a year.
“And I clearly remember his advice for me as a young MP in 1999: ‘Don’t spread yourself too thinly’.”
He said the ACDP tended to spread themselves rather thinly. “Maybe we should have taken his advice.”
NFP MP Munzoor Shaik-Emam said Selfe spent the greatest part of his life serving the country.
“He is the difference between being a politician and a statesman.”
Like the other MPs who spoke about Selfe, he wished him well and expressed the hope he would recover from his illness.
Al Jamah-ah MP Ganief Hendricks thanked Selfe for the opposition role he played most of his life.
“The nation owes him a lot because that opposition role has definitely strengthened our democracy.”
ANC chief whip Pemmy Majodina said: “You bow out in a very decent manner. You are not thrown out of Parliament. You go voluntarily because you have served your nation.
“We thank you, honourable Selfe, for your service to the nation for more than four decades. Your diligence will be missed, and may you take pride knowing you contributed in the drafting of the Constitution, which we are celebrating 25 years [since its adoption].”
National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said: “Allow me to bid honourable Selfe farewell. In this House, in the years we’ve been here, I’ve never heard honourable Selfe raise his voice.
“He is a very calm, humble person, that even when you differed with him, he would do so in a very respectful manner. We will be missing your contribution in this House.”
Almost all the MPs said it was a difficult year because of the pandemic and commiserated with their colleagues who died the past year.
They also encouraged each other to stay safe over the festive period.
Mazzone said it was personally the worst year in her life as her father died in April.
She thanked Majodina and ANC deputy chief whip Doris Dlakude for their support.
There were also, in general, calls for improved decorum in the House, with Majodina saying the National Assembly rules should be amended next year.
This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.