Covid-19 claims committed and diligent MP Prescilla Mantashe
At the end of January, Parliament lost one of its Members, Ms Priscilla Mantashe. Ms Mantashe joined Parliament after the 2014 general elections as a Member of the National Assembly (NA). She served on various parliamentary committees, including the NA’s Rules Committee, the Joint Rules Committee and the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry.
The NA Speaker, Ms Thandi Modise, and the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), Mr Amos Masondo, said Ms Mantashe was a committed and hardworking Member of Parliament. She carried her committee oversight work with diligence and passion, they added, and was always driven by empathy for the vulnerable, including workers and rural communities. Her passing robs the institution of a well-versed public representative who brought a unique perspective to the oversight and legislative work of the committees on which she served.
The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry, Mr Duma Nkosi, said: “Ms Mantashe was a diligent member of our committee, who always provided valuable inputs. She had great institutional memory as she served on the committee during the previous Parliament as well.”
He added: “Issues of women empowerment, broad-based black economic empowerment and the upliftment of rural communities were close to her heart and this was clear from her line of questions during our meetings with the department and its entities. We are truly saddened to have lost such a great fighter for the poor and vulnerable communities.”