»First democratic parliament speaker of South Africa, Ginwala, has died.«
President Cyril Ramaphosa has paid respect to Frene Ginwala, the first democratic parliament speaker of South Africa, who passed away on Thursday after suffering a stroke two weeks prior.
Ramaphosa expressed his sympathies to Ginwala’s South African and international friends, colleagues, and associates.
Ramaphosa said on Friday, “Today we mourn the passing of a formidable patriot and leader of our nation, as well as an internationalist for whom justice and democracy around the world remained an ardent goal even in her final days.”
The president stated that among Ginwala’s many roles in her political career, South Africa is obligated to recall her establishment of the first democratic parliament, which was charged with repealing decades-old apartheid legislation and laying the legislative foundations for a free and democratic nation.
“Beyond the borders of Africa, she positioned our nascent democracy as one that had as much to offer as it did to gain from global precedents and experience.
“We have lost another giant from a unique generation of leaders to whom we owe our freedom and to whom we owe our resolve to continue building the South Africa to which they devoted their lives.”
Ginwala served as the parliament’s speaker from 1994 to 2004. She continued to serve in a number of international organizations, including UN subsidiary, as trustee of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, and as chancellor of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, after her retirement as speaker.
In September 2007, former president Thabo Mbeki appointed her to investigate Vusi Pikoli’s suitability for duty as national director of public prosecutions.
She chose Pikoli, but criticized the poor communication between government agencies. In addition, she criticized the director-general of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, advocate Menzi Simelane, whose testimony was contradictory and devoid of any factual or legal basis.
»First democratic parliament speaker of South Africa, Ginwala, has died.«