Hierdie toespraak is vir my besonder moeilik. Nie net alleen omdat agbare Mario Oriani-Ambrosini ʼn briljante parlementslid en regspraktisyn was nie, maar omdat Mario ʼn baie goeie vriend van my geword het.


Van die oomblik wat ek en Mario mekaar leer ken het in 2009, het ons besef dat ons lewensuitkyk en sin van reg en verkeerd baie dieselfde is. En omdat ons albei van die kreatiewe spel van politieke skaak hou, het ons spoedig – soos stout kinders op skool doen – ʼn bende gevorm en beplan hoe ons die skoolhoof en die stelsel kan uitdaag. In dié geval is die skoolstelsel natuurlik die uitvoerende gesag en die president. Dit het lekker geraak, want ons het saam sukses behaal om die Inligtingswet se aanname te vertraag, die aanskakel van die Gautengse e-tolstelsel in Desember 2012 te vertraag tot Desember 2013, en het derhalwe talle ander planne geformuleer.


Then Mario became sick out of the blue. It made no sense to me and reinforced a notion that many of the truly good people of this earth are taken away prematurely before their true great impact can be felt. It is almost as if something is working against goodness. I have to be honest that in my prayers I struggle with God on this feature of life. But I also take comfort that God has a greater vision that we do not always understand. If we are privileged, we get a glimpse of that plan just as Moses peered into the promised land.

Mario was a good man and he reinforced in me the notion that while Milton taught us that Paradise was lost, we can fight back and regain lost ground. Mario was indeed a fighter as many in this House will know.



Mario, as ʼn Italianer, het dieselfde vuur in hom gehad as ʼn ander Italiaanse leier, naamlik Napoleon Bonaparte. Baie mense besef nie dat Napoleon eintlik van Korsika in Italië afkomstig was nie. Tog, anders as Napoleon het Mario nie die begeerte gehad om ʼn ryk te bou nie, maar om vir menseregte te veg. Sy vurige stryd om die regering verantwoordbaar te hou se oorsprong het gelê in sy sin van geregtigheid, demokrasie in die breë en om minderhede te beskerm.

Mario was also a true Renaissance man. Coming from the country where the Enlightenment was ignited, it could not be otherwise that he fought to see that spirit of freedom of thought, creativity, democracy and liberation from the shackles of poverty be realized in South Africa.


Mario has left us before his time. He could have done so much more.


Nou hang dit van ons af om sy werk klaar te maak.

Totsiens my vriend. Ek gaan jou mis.