 The passing of President Kenneth Gounder has saddened us as South Africans. We bow our heads in grief at the passing of his beloved and rightfully revered father of African independence and unity. We are united in our sadness with the Gounder family and the government and the people of the Republic of Zambia. We are also united in our sadness with the people of our region, Southern Africa, as well as our continent, to whom Kenneth Gounder's leadership was a source of enormous inspiration and resilience. President Gounder dedicated his entire life to the liberation and the service of the people of Zambia. He devoted himself and the people of Zambia to supporting liberation movements around our region, Southern Africa, in our quest for independence and freedom. And it is for this reason that I would refer to him as the father of our liberation. He was steadfast against the intimidation that his country and himself suffered at the hands of the apartheid state. He offered Lusaka at the headquarters of our movement, the African National Congress, in exile. Under his leadership, Zambia provided refuge, care, and support to liberation fighters who had been forced to flee their countries. He stood alongside the people of South Africa at the time of our greatest need and was unwavering in his desire for the achievement of our freedom. It was in honor of this remarkable contribution that the South African government bestowed on President Kenneth Gounder the Order of the Companions of Oh Artambo in 2002. President Kenneth Gounder was a pioneering champion of a decolonized, united, and prosperous Africa. He represented his country and our continent with distinction on global platforms. Today, we recommit ourselves to building the Africa of KK's vision, an Africa which is at peace with itself, Africa with justice, prosperity, and innovation. President Gounder was at our side to comfort us as a nation when we lost our leaders. We remember his moving tribute as we laid Madiba to rest in Kunu. Today we place ourselves alongside Kenneth Gounder's family and the Zambian nation as they mourn this deep loss. As the South African nation, we will never be able to repay the debt of gratitude that we owe to Kenneth Gounder. Nor will we ever forget that it was with the help of this extraordinary leader's care and solidarity that our freedom and our democracy was won. In remembrance of this great leader who made such a contribution to our freedom, we've decided to declare a period of mourning for 10 days in his memory and that for the 10-day period our national flag will fly at half-mast, starting from today. May his soul rest in peace.