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Da te: 29/01/2007
Source: The Presidency
Title: Mbeki: Launch of Africa Legacy Programme at African Union Summit of Heads of State and Government


President Mbeki's remarks during the launch of the Africa Legacy Programme during the African Union Summit of the Heads of State and Government held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

I'm very very impressed chairperson with the discipline of the Heads of State and Government who are here. They’ve been sitting here very patiently for many hours; I think the only saving grace is that everybody has made an interesting speech.

But I want to be very brief and say that:

Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), Confederation of African Football (CAF), South African Local Organising Committee for 2010, all of them looked forward to this day when it would be possible for Sepp Blatter, for Issa Hayatou to speak to the assembly of African Heads of State and Government to say, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of CAF and that's an important achievement; important also because it coincides with the 50th anniversary of the independence of Ghana.

But also to say thank you indeed to the African Union that a decision was taken to observe this year as a year of African Football on our continent. I must say thank you very much to Chairman of the African Union President Sassou-Nguesso and chair of the commission, President Konare, for making it possible indeed for this ceremony to take place this afternoon.

Let me also say again, our humble thanks and many thanks and our profound thanks to President Sepp Blatter, President of FIFA, who indeed as he has just explained took it upon himself to make sure that the FIFA World Cup at last comes to the African Continent.

Thank you very much for that.

I must also say that I'm very glad that we have with us the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago because indeed as he indicated, the Caribbean supported our candidacy and one of the things that we have said again as both Issa Hayatou and Sepp Blatter have said is that we have to make absolutely certain that this 2010 Soccer World Cup benefits the African Continent but also benefits the African Diaspora. That is why I'm saying indeed I'm very glad indeed that Prime Minister Patrick Manning is with us here because in the planning and the things Sepp Blatter was talking about the legacy, the impact it must have on us as Africans we have always defined those Africans as Africans on the continent and Africans on the Diaspora.

So what therefore has been decided is that we should have this Africa Legacy Programme so that indeed in the manner that has already been described, we work in a systematic manner to ensure that the 2010 Soccer World Cup does indeed make a lasting impact on the continent and leaves the peoples of our continent and the Diaspora indeed with a lasting legacy.

So, in a sense today we also launch that African Legacy Programme which will improve football infrastructure on the continent, help with our administration and governance, help in other elements to make sure that indeed football, important as it is, also helps with regards to other matters including economies of our country, mobilises the youth, both in football and sports in general, and does all of these things that need to be done to make sure that we observe a campaign for "Sport for all" on our continent.

Before I sit down, I must say that we are quite certain that when the World Cup takes place in South Africa in 2010, it will be possible for everybody to see that perhaps FIFA has never had as successful a World Cup as FIFA will have on the African Continent in 2010.

So we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of CAF, we launch the year to observe to the African Football, we launch the African Legacy Programme so we proceed on our way to 2010.

There will be two results in 2010, one of them will be surely that our African peoples are better then than they are today, thanks to the role that football will play and secondly the World Cup will stay on the African continent.

I thank you.

Issued by: The Presidency
29 January 2007

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