The Presiding Officers of Parliament, National Assembly Speaker Ms Baleka Mbete and National Council of Provinces Chairperson Ms Thandi Modise have expressed shock at the untimely passing on of a leading South African cardiologist Professor Bongani Mayosi.

Professor Mayosi is the recipient of thecountry's highest honour, the Order of Mapungubwe, which was awarded by the President of the Republic of South Africa in 2009 for his outstanding contribution. At the time of his passing, he was theDean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Cape Town.

Speaker Mbete and Chairperson Modise say Professor Mayosi's death has robbed South Africa of one of the finest brains and passionate health experts who still had so much more to offer the nation. He left the country at a critical time of accelerating the transformation of the country's heath system in order to provide universal quality health care for all.

South Africa is indebted to Dr Mayosi for his immense contribution to the country's policy and strategy for health research, aimed at taking us towards the attainment of universal quality health access. He was passionate about knowledge production and bringing change to people's lives, and we owe it to his memory to ensure radical transformation of the healthcare system, including upgrading public health facilities, health education, producing more health professionals and reducing the cost of private health care.

The Presiding Officers expressed their heartfelt condolences to his family, fellow professionals at the University of Cape Town and across academia, as well as to friends and the rest of the nation. May his soul rest in

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.