Issued by: Gauteng Provincial Government
GOOD LUCK DINNER FOR SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM
KEYNOTE ADDRESS - PREMIER TOKYO SEXWALE 17 JANUARY 1996
Honoured guests, Ladies and gentlemen.
The dignity of a nation is built upon the quality of life it offers its citizens and the respect its citizens show towards each other. In the past, until recently, South Africa faired badly on both counts, but today that is no longer the case.
The quality of life of most South Africans is steadily starting to improve. The people of this nation are learning to respect each other regardless of past differences. In this respect sport, the international ambassador, has played a critical role in this newfound unity.
First it was the cricketers who caught the imagination of the country at the 1992 World Cup and with a committed and pervasive development programme that has taken the game to the streets of the nation.
Then came Amabokoboko who won the World Cup and unified the country behind rugby, which was perceived as the sport of the oppressor, but which is now rapidly transforming into the sport of all South Africans.
Similarly, our athletics team acquitted itself admirably and made us all proud at the recently held games in Zimbabwe.
And now in the same tradition of a nation of winners, Bafana Bafana have again bound the nation with the spirit, tenacity and sheer brilliance of their recent performances.
Yet, it is not just performances on the field that have unified the country, it is the camaraderie between the various sports persons that has trumpeted the greatness of the rainbow nation.
The sheer hunger for unity of a people long, long divided, is exemplified by the sight of Marks Maponyane cheering on Amabokoboko; of the surprise appearance of Francois Pienaar and the boys at FNB Stadium on Saturday to support Bafana Bafana; of Clive Barker and Neil Tovey at Centurion Park as our cricketers clobbered the English; and of course the sight of Hansie Cronje hailing his team's magnificent double victory over the English as secondary to the performance of Bafana Bafana.
THe message which all these sports heroes and heroines are sending to all of us South Africans is a simple one: "In the past we may have been passive victims, of the strategy of apartheid do divide the nation. However, today we stand as active victors of national unity. Let no-one attempt to undo what we have done."
This unity of spirit and generosity of thought is a tribute to our remarkable sportsmen and women, to our visionary sports administrators, to our Sport Minister, whose tears in Australia symbolised the joy of the nation. This unity of spirit is epitomised by South Africa's secret weapon on and off the field, a giant amongst giants, nation builder number one - President Nelson Mandela.
The decades of mindless oppression and segregation deprived all of us South Africans the opportunity to meet each other on the playing fields and elsewhere. The failure of this strategy as a huge mistake has been realised over the past twenty months of our new society where sport has acted as a vital vehicle and provided South Africans the opportunity to clasp hands across the massive divides which hitherto separated all of us.
What a shame it is indeed that some of the African continent, who should have known better, seem not to be learning the lessons of history. The Nigerian rulers have forbidden the soccer enthusiasts of that nation, not only from seeing their team compete amongst the best on the continent, but even prevented them from seeing any of the games or hearing the results thereof. They claim that the Nigerian team would be unsafe in South Africa - even though their team had visited our country before without any insecurity. Our message to that regime is: "In the current situation in your country, the Nigerian soccer fraternity and people have more to fear from the swift and merciless Nigerian hangman who operates outside democratic norms, than from excited fans and the brilliance of Bafana Bafana in democratic South Africa - where the nation has unity of purpose."
Our thanks also goes to the media who collectively and individually have played a prominent role in enabling sport to unify the nation and to win back our dignity by their positive dissemination of sporting news.
Thank you to everyone here tonight who contributed so generously in supporting this function tonight, in the name of our national soccer team.
In the same spirit, we make a call on all the people of our country to make an effort to fill the various stadiums where the current soccer matches are being played, irrespective of whether our national team is on the field or not.
Special thanks also goes to all the sportsmen and women of this country whose attitudes on and off the field of play, has been inspirational. It is your creativity, enthusiasm, dedication, mutual respect and above all, discipline, which serve as instructive lessons for the nation. These are the kind of attributes and attitudes that will continue to make ours a great nation on the sports fields, concert halls, in the work place and on the world market place.
Above all, our special salutations, congratulations and good luck goes to our truly honoured guests here tonight - our one and only national soccer team, the rainbow warriors, Bafana Bafana. Continue to make us proud through your skill and dazzling footwork, through your brilliance and discipline under the excellent captainship of Neil Tovey and the knowledgeable barking of Clive Barker. Together with your managers and administrators, you are a winning combination.
A note of apology. This goes to our visiting participants from throughout the continent. Forgive us that quite often, your excellent skill and performance is met with a deafening silence. Take heart from the fact that you are playing before a people who, until recently, were divided for about three hundred years; who today would seize the slightest opportunity to display their intense national pride and unity; some of whom until the recent past, like ourselves, would have cheered-on any foreign squad playing against any South African team.
Take heart from the fact that you are therefore playing a part in the building of a great nation. To Tony Yeboah, George Weah and others, our peoples' silence does not imply lack of appreciation for your talents. On the contrary, it signifies the total abandon of our rejoicing in being able to support our national team with uninhibited fervour. Such a feeling is new to us, therefore do not feel snubbed. We are delighted to host you in our new country.
Thank you