Cape Town - ANC Member of Parliament Nomvuzo Francisca Shabalala has died due to a Covid-19-related illness on Saturday.
The presiding officers of Parliament, led by National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise and National Council of Provinces Chairperson Amos Masondo, have offered their condolences to Shabalala's family and friends.
Shabalala, an African National Congress representative in the National Assembly, joined Parliament after the 2019 elections and served on the portfolio committee on basic education and the joint committee on ethics and members' interest, they said in a statement issued by Parliament.
“Despite being a relatively new parliamentarian, Ms Shabalala swiftly familiarised herself with the workings and complex systems of the legislature. She was diligent and hard working, 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," they said.
The presiding officers sent their heartfelt condolences to the Shabalala's family, her friends, and comrades.
African News Agency (ANA)