The Minister for the Public Service and Administration‚ Adv Ngoako Ramatlhodi‚ has expressed his deep sadness over the death of former Democratic Alliance Member of Parliament Dene Smuts.
Smuts died suddenly in Cape Town on Thursday afternoon. She was in her 60s.
“Minister Ramatlhodi joins the nation in mourning the veteran DA MP and has conveyed his condolences to Ms. Smuts’ family‚” the minister’s office said in a statement.
At the time when Ramatlhodi chaired Parliament’s Justice and Constitutional Development Portfolio Committee‚ Smuts served as a member of the committee‚ it said.
In his message‚ Ramatlhodi said: “Her immense contribution in the foundation and development of our Constitution as the supreme law of the Republic remains unparalleled."
He added that while serving in the Justice and Constitutional Development Committee‚ Smuts had focused her energy towards a common goal of nation building‚ development and moving South Africa forward.
A friend of the family said Smuts called her daughter‚ Julia‚ complaining of terrible chest pains. By the time Julia reached her mother's house in Cape Town's southern suburbs‚ she was dead.
Smuts‚ a former editor of Fair Lady magazine‚ was elected to Parliament in 1989‚ representing the constituency of Groote Schuur in the House of Assembly‚ on behalf of the then Democratic Party (DP).
She was central during the constitution-writing process‚ ensuring that it represented liberal values. In the 1994 elections‚ she was one of only seven members of Parliament elected on behalf of the DP.
She opposed the merger of the DP with its mortal foe‚ the National Party‚ to form the Democratic Alliance (DA) in 2000‚ but relented and continued to serve as a DA MP until 2014‚ when she retired.
Smuts is survived by two children. Funeral arrangements will be announced at a later stage.
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