Keynote address by the Northern Cape Premier, Ms Dipuo Peters at the occasion of the opening ceremony of the Federation International Football Association (Fifa) Local Organising Committee (Loc) Medical workshop, Mayibuye Centre, Galeshewe, Kimberley

Programme Director
Members of the Executive Council in the Province
Members of the Provincial Legislature
Member of the Fifa Sports Medical Committee
Members of the Local Organising Committee
Practitioners and activists in the sports medical discipline
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen

I rise in this historical gathering with a message of goodwill from the people of the Northern Cape. It is common course that the Northern Cape is the only province in the country that will not host an official 2010 Fifa World Cup match. The gathering of today is however a manifestation that the hosting of the event in the country needs to be benchmarked by opportunities provided to areas and sectors that can otherwise be regarded as peripheral.

It is for that reason that we applaud the decision of the Local Organising Committee to hols this event in Kimberley and allow us to showcase what the province has to offer. We are aware that in the build up towards the 2010 Fifa World Cup, numerous conferences will be held and this province out rightly declares its continued availability to co-host these events with the Organising Committee.

Programme Director, the involvement of the people of the Kimberley in soccer dates as far back as the colonial wars of the early 1900s as well as and the period of mineral revolution and industrialisation. A research that was done by Professor Alegi, which chronicles the history of soccer in South Africa, reveal that 'the first black national soccer association' was the South African Indian Football Association and was founded in Kimberley back in 1903.

Through the history of our country, Kimberley has remained a key area in both the administration of a number of sporting codes. It is therefore only relevant on the part of the organising committee to ensure that this legacy is nurtured and further developed to benefit the citizens of this part of the country. Our provincial government has over the past year worked around the clock to develop systems that define, locate and fully involves the Northern Cape in the preparations and ultimate hosting of the 2010 Fifa World Cup. We are glad to report to this forum that a provincial strategy has been finalised and our priorities and expected outcomes are fully in place.

The Northern Cape province was successful in brokering a deal with Free State province in ensuring that we participate fully in the hosting of the world cup. Through consultations with the Free State government and the Mangaung Municipality, Kimberley has been identified as one of the cities that will host one of the countries that will be part of the stream that will be hosted by Mangaung.

This deal came at a time when the Northern Cape was eagerly trying to position itself in maximising all possible benefits that the province could derive from the hosting of the 2010 Fifa World Cup. Amongst other things, our province is expected to rally all its resources to ensure that the standards set elsewhere in the country are met and all critical and ancillary services are readily available to our visitors.

The partnership with the Free State is one that directly involves the Northern Cape in the core operations of the World Cup and therefore needs concerted programmes and activities. We are aware this daunting task can not be overcome by government alone. It is for that reason that we invited our local businesses and other stakeholders to this opening ceremony in order to allow them to get a feel on what type of activities and standards the 2010 Fifa World Cup will be characterised.

We have streamlined a number of working committees that are aimed at leaving no detail unattended to. The Political Committee, which is chaired by the MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture, continues to lead and give guidance to all technical and support committees to ensure that the province does not lose the hype that has already been created. At the centre of our endeavours, in preparations to the world cup, is the legacy that this event will leave for the province. It is our belief that since the announcement that South Africa will host the Fifa World Cup in 2010, this province has seen an increase in the level of awareness and participation in most sporting codes.

Due to the absence of a professional soccer league team in the province, we have been forced and succeeded to lure important official soccer matches to Kimberley and will continue to do so. Our plan is to bring back the golden days of the 1970's when the Kimberley based Dalton Brothers Football Club competed in the then professional league. To this score, the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture has embarked on an ambitious sports development programme that is set to move the level of competition in the province to higher standards. This programme includes the training of coaches and coaching clinics for our players, the training of referees and the training of club managers in the administration of teams in the province.

We report today that this programme has already started to bear fruit as our Under 17 soccer team has been granted the opportunity to compete with established soccer team and produced good results. In a tournament that was hosted in August that gave our lads the opportunity to play against Ajax Cape Town under 17 side, Free State South Africa Games team, Karas regional under 17 team from Namibia. The Northern Cape team came out with flying colours and won this tournament.

The Northern Cape also faired dwell during the fourth South African Games held in Bloemfontein last moth. We are proud to brandish the bronze medal that was capture by our lads. This and many other signs of progress will be sustained and improved to further our competitive involvement in the South African soccer scene.

Ladies and gentlemen, the information that we have presented to this forum is indicative of the unlimited opportunities that come as a result of our preparations for the Fifa 2010 World Cup. It will be a gross anomaly on our part if we do not include the economic implications of this event. For one, our agreement with the Free State Organising team includes the provision of at least 20 000 beds to accommodate the hospitality needs of Mangaung.

This in itself implies a clear opportunity for our local businesses to draw direct benefit from this state of affairs. The departments of Economic Affairs and that of Tourism have developed a schedule of activities and a document to ensure that the province meets required standards. Programme director, the province is also in a process of readying itself to meet the Fifa requirements and standards of providing base camp facilities to any country that it might have to host as per agreement between the municipalities of Sol Plaatjie and Mangaung.

To this score, the Executive Council in the province recently considered a number of scenarios that will lead to the construction or upgrade of a facility that will host practice matches. We are certain that an implementation mechanism will be in place by the end of October and work will start next in January 2008.

In conclusion, ladies and gentlemen, allow us to applaud the bold decision of the Local Organising Committee to hold this conference in Kimberley and wish them luck the deliberations that will take place. We are indeed honoured to be granted with an opportunity to host events of this nature, and even bigger. We urge you to indulge in the open skies, cheerful and peaceful attributes of the Northern Cape. Veels Geluk.

I thank you.

Issued by: Office of the Premier, Northern Cape Provincial Government
5 October 2007