Parliament, Saturday, 26 December 2020 – The Presiding Officers of Parliament, led by National Assembly Speaker Ms Thandi Modise and National Council of Provinces Chairperson Mr Amos Masondo, express their condolences to the family and friends of the late Member of Parliament, Ms Nomvuzo Franscisca Shabalala, who succumbed to Covid-19 related diseases, today.

Ms Shabalala, an African National Congress (ANC) representative in the National Assembly, joined Parliament after the 2019 elections, and served in the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education and Joint Committee on Ethics and Members interest.

Said the Presiding Officers: “Despite being a relatively new parliamentarian, Ms. Shabalala swiftly familiarised herself with the workings and complex systems of the Legislature. She was diligent and hardworking, particularly in the committees she served, where she helped bolster oversight over the country’s basic education system and ethical conduct of public representatives."

The Presiding Officers said the continuing and unprecedented loss of human life due to the Covid-19 pandemic was distressing, and once again underscored the indiscriminate nature of the virus. Unless as South Africans we work together to combat the rate of infection by adhering to all the known and widely publicised protocols, this pandemic and its second wave will continue to cause untold suffering and severe hardship to families, communities and livelihoods.

The Presiding Officers of Parliament send their heartfelt condolences to the Shabalala family, friends and comrades of the late Ms Shabalala.

ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
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