Speech delivered by the MEC for Economic Development, Environment and Tourism, Mr J L (Jabu) Mahlangu, MPL during the official inauguration of the Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency (MEGA) Farewell message by the MEC for Economic Development, Environment and Tourism and Leader of government business, Mr JL Mahlangu to the outgoing speaker of Mpumalanga Provincial legislature, Mr Jackson Mthembu, Mpumalanga Legislation Chamber, Nelspruit
30 October 2009
Outgoing Speaker, Mr Jackson Mthembu
Deputy Speaker, Ms Violet Siwela
Chief Whip of the Majority Party, Mr
Siphosezwe Masango
Colleagues in the executive council
Honourable members of the legislature
Distinguished guests
Members of the media
Comrades and friends
Ladies and gentlemen
In the words of United States President
Barack Obama, and I quote: “If you’re
walking down the right path and you’re
willing to keep walking, eventually
you’ll make progress”.
Indeed we continue to be on the right
track, and willing to keep walking as
the ruling African National Congress.
Walking side by side with Comrade
Mthembu, as dedicated cadres of the
African National Congress in our journey
towards “a better life for all”, we
continued to make significant strides in
improving the lives of our people.
We can pride ourselves that despite the
challenges we continue to face, the
lives of our people are better than
yesterday, and we are quite certain that
they will even be better than today,
come tomorrow. This is a commitment that
we will see to the grave, and nobody or
anything will derail us from fulfilling
that.
It is however unfortunate, that our
gathering here this morning, is to bid
farewell to you Comrade Mthembu, as the
member of this house, and also as the
speaker of the legislature. Despite your
short stint, we surely will miss you
from within our ranks, but we take
solace from the fact that your
outstanding capabilities will be used at
a national level for the benefit of our
people. As a province, we are humbled
and honoured by the confidence shown in
us by the national leadership of the
ruling African National Congress (ANC),
by appointing “us” to become the
movement’s nationwide voice.
I say “us” because Comrade Mthembu as a
child of this province will be
representing the province while doing
duty for the ANC. As a result,
appointing one of our own to this
strategic and challenging positions,
symbolise confidence in the capability
of the ANC in the province; that of
being able to nurture and produce
dedicated cadres of note, such as
Comrade Jackson.
My experience of working with the
outgoing speaker, paints a picture of a
person who was, and continues to be
dedicated towards the noble course of
our movement; that of ensuring that we
continue to unshackle the poor from the
bondages of poverty. It paints a picture
of a selfless cadre who is at all times
prepared to sacrifice his family’s time,
to push the agenda of his political
home. Though bidding one’s comrade and
compatriot farewell is not a nice
experience, we take solace from the fact
that he is leaving the province to
represent us at a national level
We appreciate and cherish the fact that
we have been chosen, through the
appointment of Comrade Mthembu, to
become the national voice of our caring
movement, the African National Congress.
As one of the inaugural members of this
house, Comrade Mthembu made significant
contributions towards shaping our
legislature and government back in 1994.
We will forever cherish his
contribution, and believe that his
departure from the provincial political
landscape is not a loss but a gain to
the province. He remains a loyal and
committed member of our movement and I
believe he will continue to devote this
energy towards supporting our course of
bettering the lives of the people of
this province.
As I close, American Poet and Linguist,
Henry Longfellow once said, and I quote:
“Perseverance is a great element of
success. If you only knock long enough
and loud enough at the gate, you are
sure to wake up somebody”.
On behalf of the Premier, Mr David
Mabuza and the people of Mpumalanga, I
congratulate you on your appointment as
the national Spokesperson of the African
National Congress. We surely will miss
your valuable contribution in the
provincial administration and in this
august house. Working together we can do
more to continue to realise the
commitments we made in the Freedom
Charter. We are the only hope for our
people, especially those who cannot fend
for themselves, and as President Jacob
Zuma warns, “we dare not fail them”.
So long Comrade Jackson, so long!
Remember that the struggle for a better
life for all continues.
Issued by: Department of Economic Development, Mpumalanga Provincial Government
