Cape Town - There were tears and laughter interspersed with music and moments of seriousness as family members and political colleagues shared their memories of the late chief whip Lorraine Botha at a remembrance service for her held in the legislature’s debating chamber.
Choking with emotion and paying tribute on behalf of the family, Botha’s nephew Angelo Maistry remembered his aunt as a mother figure who thought little of driving 130km from her home in Piketberg to work in Cape Town and back every day.
Botha, who died suddenly in her office last Wednesday afternoon, was memorialised by Speaker Masizole Mnqasela as a “soft-spoken fighter for truth who served with dignity, distinction and dedication”.
Premier Alan Winde, who joined the service via videolink as he was out of Cape Town for work, said Botha was a friend, colleague and someone they had all grown to love over the years.
Botha’s opposite number on the opposition benches, the ANC’s Pat Lekker, revealed that even when they were busy disagreeing with each other on the floor of the chamber or in committee meetings, they would exchange jokes on WhatsApp to lighten the mood.
Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC Reagen Allen acted as programme director, and recalled that Botha was the chairperson of the education standing committee before becoming chief whip.
Freedom Front MPL Peter Marais said he greatly admired Botha and often shared a cup of tea with her in the legislature, joking that it was often just the two of them and that other members probably went somewhere more expensive.
EFF MPL Melikhaya Xego remembered that Botha was “obsessed with her West Coast constituents” and urged the DA to replace her with someone cut from the same cloth, while Al Jama-ah MPL Galil Brinkhuis said they often shared a lamb curry together while on oversight visits.
Legislature Procedural Officer Wasiema Hassen-Moosa said Botha had been like a mother to all at the legislature.
