Date: 10/04/2010
Source: Department of Home Affairs
Title: SA: Dlamini-Zuma: Extract of the address by the Minister of Home Affairs, at the memorial service of the late Deputy Minister of Health Molefi Sefularo

It was with great shock and sorrow that we learned of the passing away of the Deputy Minister Dr Paul Sefularo.

This is indeed one of the most difficult moments for most of us who have had the privilege and honour to have known and worked with the late Deputy Minister Sefularo, to accept the finality of death and that he is gone from our midst and gone for ever. This is a great loss to our country.

None among us could indeed have predicted that he so young and gifted, promising and full of love and energy could be cut short so abruptly and tradigically.

It is a life that was given to the fullness of struggle for peace, freedom and justice in our country without sparing neither strength nor effort. A life worthy of being one of the rightful heirs of the rich history and traditions of our fore bearers who took on the might of successive colonial regimes in defence of our dignity.

Nikolai Ostrovsky could have been speaking about our departed Dr. Paul Sefularo when he said ""Man's dearest possession is life. It is given to him but once, and he must live it so as to feel no torturing regrets for wasted years, never know the burning shame of a mean and petty past; so live that, dying, he might say: all my life, all my strength were given to the finest cause in all the world--the fight for the Liberation of Mankind".

Our departed Paul Sefularo can indeed not have felt any torturing regret for responding to the national call, like any other youth of his time, for the liberation of all our people and defence of the dignity of his people irrespective of race, colour, gender or creed. He could not have ever known the burning shame of a mean and petty past for he dedicated his entire life to the liberation struggle. From a tender age, he fought to uproot the Bantustan system in the then "Bophutatswana" as part of the overall struggle to rid our country of the scourge of racism and colonialism.

Most certainly his involvement among other comrades with the formation of the revolutionary Azanian Student Organisation (AZASO) and our youth movement, SAYCO cannot pass as wasted years but moments to be proud of among youths of his age who, fired by the revolutionary spirit, took up the responsibility of the defence of one's country and its people against the forces of oppression.

Yet even as he participated fully in the struggle against apartheid in all its manifestations including Bantu education, Comrade Sefularo understood the significance of education in advancing the cause of our struggle for freedom.

He understood too well that he could serve our movement and its people qualitatively better, armed with a medical qualification.

Indeed today as we solemnly mourn his tragic passing away we can say without fear of contradiction that all his life all; his strength were given to the finest cause in all the world--the fight for the Liberation of Mankind"

We remember with great fondness his participation with vigour, during the formative years of our democracy, in the process of the integration of all the numerous health departments created by the apartheid system into one single national health department.

This required discipline, dedication and utmost commitment and Comrade Paul Sefularo, as an MEC of Health had these qualities in abundance and a marvel to work with through those difficult moments during the transformation of our health system.

The creation of a new and democratic health-care system of our country required the selfless sacrifices of cadres such as Comrade Paul who would express his opinion without fear or favour in the best interests of the health of all our people.

Having participated in the development of the health-care system, as part of the collective of the Min-MEC, Comrade Sefularo would feel bound by the collective decisions of the structure and go all out to ensure its implementation in his province of deployment, the North West.

In this regard, we recall with great humility his contribution as part of the MinMEC to the success of one of President Nelson Mandela's lead projects -the Free Health-Care for Pregnant mothers and children under the age of six. This witnessed unfettered access to health-care by millions of mothers and children who had hitherto not had access to primary healthcare.

Again we remember with pride the determination of the collective, of which Comrade Sefularo was part of, in its resoluteness to reduce incidences of smoking in public places which brought us in direct conflict with the powerful tobacco industry resulting in a major court case which I am proud on their behalf to say we won.

Comrade Paul was not the one to shy away from the bitter struggles that lay ahead in the transformation of our health system. Accordingly, he was also part of the collective to develop the Pharmaceuticals Bill which created a climate conducive for the country to ensure parallel importation of generic medicine which witnessed one of the bitter struggles against the mighty and influential pharmaceuticals industry.

I am certain that Comrade Paul was fully aware that the outcome of the struggle against the mighty pharmaceutical industry carried with its immense benefits not only for South Africa but Africa and indeed the rest of the developing world. Needless to say, that this collective of which Comrade Paul was a disciplined member once more prevailed.

He has continually been part of the fight against HIV and AIDS, TB, Malaria and other infectious diseases and I am certain that he would have played a pivotal role in the development of the National HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT) Campaign about to be launched.

After two stints as an MEC in the North West Province, the province felt if befitting to deploy Comrade Paul to serve the province and the people of our country in the National Assembly in Cape Town where he served as a whip.

Though he had been an MEC twice, Comrade Paul assumed his responsibilities in the National Assembly with great humility and honour and without a sense of entitlement. He understood too well that we are all, privileged to serve the people of our country in all responsibilities assigned to us both in and out of the executive. That there is nothing belittling in any task assigned to us by the people of our country. Ours is to execute these responsibilities with honour and dignity with view to creating a better life for all our people. He was a trusted cadre and leader of the ruling party the African National Congress which he served for a long time in difference responsibilities. He was disciplined, hard working and truly exemplary.

When he was appointed Deputy Minister of Health he undertook that task with revolutionary zeal. It was as if he knew that he had very little time. He brought to the department his long experience as the EMC of Health and supported the Minister unflinchingly. He understood the centrality of health in the economic, social and cultural development of our nation.

Shortly before this tragedy he went to Cuba to discuss the integration of South African Medical Students studying in Cuba and to strengthen South Africa - Cuba cooperation in health, and also to the United States of America and United Kingdom for the benefit of our country.

Yet all these tasks required a delicate balancing act between national responsibilities and family duties. I am certain Comrade Paul could only succeed in this balancing act primarily because of the unflinching support he received from his beloved wife Kgomotso and the children.

Accordingly, as we dip our revolutionary banners in solemn memory of this great hero of our people, simultaneously we give thanks to his family for surrendering their finest son to the finest course in all the world the liberation of the people of South Africa an indeed of mankind as a whole. Our heartfelt condolences, his dear wife Kgomotso, his children Chere, Bonolo, Masechaba and Ipeleng.

The President Jacob Zuma, the government and the people of our country reach out in prayer and thought to you all during these difficult moments of your lives. We share in your pain, sorrow and grief that this death has brought to bear on you in particular and the broader Sefularo family in general.

Aluhlanga! Lungehlanga!