Date: 18/08/2010
Source: The Democratic Alliance
Title: DA: Lee: Address by DA Member of Paliament, during the debate on a successful hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, National Assembly, Cape Town

The 11 June 2010 marked an exciting day for Africans, an exciting time where we celebrated a universal sporting spectacle with the world - the 2010 FIFA Football World Cup. 

As the host Nation to a magnificent celebration of the beautiful game, South Africa stood proud and affirmed that we could field our capacity and strength, united in our team work and diverse skills. 

We stood united and staged a world class event, sharing in a world vision where social, cultural and religious divides were bridged. 

And so, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the South African government, Provincial governments and hosting cities, the football fraternity, and above all my fellow South African citizens for making the 2010 FIFA Football World Cup a tremendous success and deepening our sense of pride and hope as a Nation. 

At the unveiling of the 2010 FIFA World Cup emblem in Berlin, the past Secretary General of the United Nations Kofi Annan said; 
 
"As the pinnacle of the only truly global game, played in every country by every race and every religion, it is one of the few phenomena as universal as the United Nations. The World Cup is an event in which everybody knows where their team stands, and what it did to get there. Everybody loves talking about what their team did right, and what it could have done differently."

Annan further said:

"I wish we had more of that sort of competition and conversation in the family of nations. 

Countries openly vying for the best standing in the table of respect for human rights, and trying to outdo one another. States parading their performance for all the world to see. Governments being held accountable for what actions led them to that result. 

Citizens consumed by the topic of how their country could do better. With that kind of public scrutiny, good governance would not be an option; it would be a necessity. And with that sense of public ownership, countries would better ensure that their own resources are used in a way that benefits their own daughters and sons".

And so let us take what we have learnt from hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup and unveil a future hope for our Nation, a future where our actions will echo what is right and what is good - a future South Africa where we deliver in accordance with deadlines, where we deliver services to benefit all of our own sons and daughters. 

Let us stand united to ensure that we can speak out about what our government did right and what it could have done differently without fear of intimidation or harassment. 
 
Let us stand together and hold Government accountable for their actions. We must begin to demand that good governance becomes a necessity and not an option. Take control of the future of our beautiful country - of your future as South Africans, and demand that our resources are used for the betterment of all people - and not to benefit an elite minority with the right political connections. 
 
‘n Ander les wat ons geleer het, is die feit dat as ons eerbaar optree, ons die respek en agting van die wêreld afdwing. So byvoorbeeld het ons as deel van die ooreenkoms wetgewing gepasseer wat as nadelig vir ons eie sakegemeenskap geag mag word.

Speaker by nabetraging weet ons almal altyd beter en daarom is ek doodseker dat ons ongemaklik gevoel het met die totale houvas wat FIFA oor die gasheerland wat die Sokker Wêreld Beker aanbied, het. Ons moet onsself afvra waarom dit vir Korea, nadat hulle die wêreldbeker aangebied het, dit vir hulle goedkoper was om hulle stadions te sloop eerder as om dit te onderhou. Dit verbaas my dus glad nie dat Nederland en België nou in opstand kom teen hierdie versmorende neiging van FIFA nie. Op ‘n manier sal die afkeer wat ons het vir dié sort optrede, onder die aandag van FIFA gebring moet word.

South Africans, get involved in decisions taken which will impact on you, hold government accountable, and ensure that good governance becomes a necessity and not an option at all times

We showed pride as a Nation - united in our diversity during the event, and this yielded a successful World Cup - South Africa, we have to begin respecting our diversity and in doing so, so much more will be achieved. 

We have learnt numerous lessons during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but above all we have learnt that development, peace and human rights, promoting and building a true democracy and an open society is core to building a great and prosperous nation.