Madam Speaker, my brothers and sisters in Parliament and all South Africans, there is dream, I feel so real, so real, all the world in union the world as one. Never could we have imagined that the lyrics to what is now known as the Rugby World Cup theme song would be so prophetic.
Our country has been in a bad way. Our people have been divided; hate was becoming the norm, leaving many people feeling more than a little helpless and vulnerable. The problem is that we as people were forgetting who we were. The times in which we found ourselves had made it hard for any of us to see the light, the flame that burns inside each and everyone of us. That flame reminds us that we are the nation of love, kindness, forgiveness, resilience, and determination, and bravery. It's the flame that burns in the South African soul that many have tried to extinguish, but have failed at every attempt. It's that flame that tells us that when we are together we are in fact stronger together.
It is that flame that causes us to always revert to our default position as a nation, which is love. It is that
flame that causes us to have the best sense of humour in the world, the flame that allows us to do the vosho to Sho Majozi, a langarm to Kurt Darren and the bus stop to Vulindlela all while wearing our Springbok jerseys and flying our rainbow national flag.
You see, I know this love to be our country is our default position because you cannot fake the utter joy that was felt by 99,999% of South Africans when Captain fantastic Siya Kolisi lifted the Web Ellis trophy. You cannot fake that 99,999% of South Africans had a tear run down their cheek when Springbok coach Rassie Erasumus gave us a master class in nation building. You cannot fake the laughter and happiness that we all felt when Faf de Klerk met Prince Harry in the Bok change room wearing a South African speedo. You cannot fake the outpouring of love that spontaneously erupted on the streets of South Africa, in our airports and everywhere that bus went with our champions on board. That is true love it's not manufactured, it's real, it's our default position as South Africans.
This is what it means to be South African. It means looking around and acknowledging the horrors that so many are faced with, but it is knowing that there is nothing wrong with South Africa that cannot be fixed with what is right with South Africa. Gathering together, one mind, one heart, one creed, every colour, once joined, never apart.
What a team...what a team! The level of determination, strength of character, sportsmanship and comradery, it was a wonder to behold. I had the extreme honour of meeting some of the team when they started their South African tour here at Parliament and I was immediately struck by two things. The first was their humbleness and patriotism, the second was the fact that none of them has quite yet realised that they in actual fact came to the rescue of a country when we were at a frighteningly low point.
This squad of gentle giants have led this country from a path of hate that some amongst us were attempting to lead us down, and brought us back together. This squad of heroes ensured that love conquered hate. It wasn't just
their immense talent on the field, it was their very nature.
The men that lead our Springbok team are in fact heroes in every sense of the word. To the hosts Japan, our sincerest thanks for your incredible hospitality, goodwill and supreme sportsmanship. To you we say Doumo Arigatou!
Other countries wanted to win the world cup, South Africa needed to win the world cup. Thank you to our Springbok heroes! Go and take your place in the hall of legends and always remember, you are your ancestors' wildest dreams. Go Bokke!
The EFF has long called for total decolonisation of our public symbols. This underlies our inability to join in the fake celebration of the Springboks because the Springbok is a sign that cannot be white washed. It stands in parallel continuity with Die Stem and trenching white supremacy in our society. That is why the rugby team in question is white dominated. It is a perfect reflection that white people have
successfully resisted change in our country for the last
25 years by definition, apartheid was always about creating a situation where black people live as though they are minority in this country when in fact we are the majority. [Interjections.]
Order... order! Hon Ndlozi! Order!
They tried to achieve this through the Tricameral Parliament and the Bantustans that is why they ask us to be happy for being integrated, accommodated and included in their white dominated associations.
People agree that rugby has not transformed and it is not about to be transform. So, what exactly are we celebrating? Are we the only ones who remember that the Springboks purity had been kept by creating an inferior team known as the Leopards in order to distinguish them from the lily-white Springboks?
Who has recognised our black rugby heroes like Majola, Mjo, Tsotsobe, Matayeshana, Charles Mgweba who scored a brilliant try for the Leopards against the visiting
British Lions in 1974? People out there are saying what is happening is racial unity on the streets but the truth is there is scores of black people out there exploited marginalised, scandalised and brutalised humanity to a white dominated team.
This is happening everyday in South Africa. Black people running behind white dominated institutions seeking inclusion, recognition and affirmation in their country of birth. Our people have done this 1995 and 1997 and in return the white dominated society has not opened itself up.
Sesotho:
Le hlotswe Mandela!
English:
He could not even make you accept change. To the white community, to this day has recognised the humanity of black people. They refuse to this day to accept that 25 years only one Makazole Mapimpi has made it from rural rugby in the Eastern Cape where there are more black
rugby players than the white people combined in South Africa.
That Siya Kolisi had to go to a white school. Otherwise, he would have not seen the light of day in the World Cup. Why must we rally behind people whom when they are together call us baboons? One of the players in this recent team Eben Etzebeth is facing charges of racial assault in a case led by the human rights.
We therefore call on black people to refuse the emotional abuse that the ANC government is subjecting us to. It's a collective emotional abuse. This racial parade is a complete emotional abuse of our people and it is emotional abuse to the people who have given too many cheeks to racism and they no longer have any other cheek to give anymore.
No racial unity until the land comes back. No racial unity until equality in black people paid the same salaries as white people for doing the same job. No racial unity until the wealth of this country is shared by all who live in it. No racial unity until a rugby team
rises that has black majority in it like the country we live in.
When you are done celebrating here, go out and celebrate Louis Botha's statue. Go and celebrate the Strydom Square. Go sing Die Stem. Go fly the apartheid flag. Send your children to Jan Van Riebeek School down the road. Do not include us.
IsiZulu:
Asizi!
English:
We are the generation of roads must fall. We are the generation of Die stem must fall. We are the generation that is refusing the emotional abuse that our parents went through. We are the generation that will say without a shadow of doubt, without any apology that the Bokke must fall. It is a white supremacist sign that belongs in the dustbin of history.
So, there is no stronger together. Our message is that black people you are on your own. There are no whites to
unite with us in landlessness, in informal settlements. Do not force black people to celebrate people who humiliate the. The Springbok must fall.
IsiZulu
Asijiki!
Hon Speaker, all of us in this House can agree that the freedom we enjoy today came at a price. We managed to negotiate our transition with little bloodshed and we stunned the world with making what was believed by many to be impossible, possible. All our people came together, united behind the principles of reconciliation. We knew then that it was indeed going to be a process.
Building on reconciling with our past and championing social cohesion - building togetherness among our diverse people - is the process of reconciliation. It cannot be described in a single event or a single moment.
We have witnessed and experienced togetherness in our World Cup victories of 1995 and in 2007, in hosting the
world, showcasing our diverse and rich history in 2010 and cherished moments of victory, despite our hardships, politically, socially and economically. Sadly, thereafter, for many years, we seemed to have lost our way.
We owe it to our national rugby team in 2019 that have singlehandedly marked the end of this year, a victorious high.
We have seen in the past few days alone how many South Africans yearned for a moment to come together and unite in their support behind our national team that waved our flag patriotically and with enthusiasm. We all could once again say that we are proudly South African.
Let us be reminded and be grateful that such moments of victory will forever be recorded in our country's history, and that we hold onto what we promised ourselves in ensuring that the process of reconciliation would be ongoing.
South Africa is indeed stronger when we come together. We are better off united than apart. We showed the world before, beyond their doubts that we are a nation committed to building a home for all our people. We know full well that we can achieve any goal we set when we lift each other up through the down times and hold each up through the good times.
Much like in rugby, we must commit ourselves to focus on the scrum, as we come together as a force against all odds we still face as a nation and as a continent.
South Africa is geographically located at the bottom of Africa as a continent. This victory, is actually teaching us, as members of this House, that we are carrying on our shoulders, the rest of our continent. Therefore, we dare not fail. We salute our team. We are behind them and this is what South Africa needs, going forward. [Applause.]
Afrikaans:
Voorsitter, ek was nege jaar oud toe die Bokke die 1995 Rugby Wreldbeker gewen het en ek sal nooit die uitdrukking op my pa se gesig vergeet nie. Ek
onthou dat ek gedink het dat die Bokke die beste span is en dat Suid-Afrika die beste land in die wreld is. Die trots op daardie oorwinning is 'n gevoel wat baie van ons duidelik steeds onthou en tot vandag toe deel.
Baie het egter in die tussentyd gebeur en die gevoel van trots op 'n Suid- Afrika, wat die beste land in die wreld was, het saam met die waarde van die rand en die inkrimping van ons ekonomie gedaal. Dit het plek gemaak, tesame met die stygende werkloosheidskoers, hemelho misdaadsyfer en stygende inflasie vir 'n groeiende gevoel van hopeloosheid, woede vir 'n regering wat nie ons land behoorlik regeer nie en 'n magteloosheid wat met armoede en swak dienslewering gepaard gaan.
Die krag van sport moet egter nooit onderskat word nie, want dit is met sport waar ons oor verskeie grense heen agter een span of deelnemer kan verenig, onderhewig aan een stel rels en met een doel voor o - om te wen.
Die manne en vroue wat ons krygers is, die wat namens ons op die sportveld of baan oorlog maak is die werklike
helde, omdat hulle juis dit doen - hulle verenig ons op 'n gelyke speelveld.
English:
Therefore, the debt we owe to Captain Siya Kolisi and his team is not a small one. We thank and congratulate him and his men. The Springboks have yet again, as in 1995, succeeded in uniting a nation that was so deeply divided that we forgot our pride as South Africans; we forgot that there is hope and strength in who we are as a nation.
The single greatest achievement of the Rugby World Cup Springbok team, aside from bringing home the Webb Ellis Cup, was showing us that we can indeed unite in our diversity.
We, as a diverse nation of different races and many different cultures, languages and religions can indeed unite in our diversity. Siya, Faf, Bongi, Eben, Lukhanyo, RG, Peter-Steph, Mapimpi, Kitshoff, coach Rassie and the rest of the team have proven that, if we work together, listen to each other, respect each other's differences
and build on our strengths rather than our weaknesses, we can win. We can be stronger together and we can make a success of this country.
Uniting a nation is however a very heavy burden to bear and though there is no doubt about the strength of the boys in green and gold, we cannot allow them to carry this burden alone.
It is our turn now to lift the responsibility of building towards a better South Africa together with Siya Kolisi and his team, just as he lifted the Webb Ellis Cup in Yokohama after the final.
The Springboks have done their part. They have executed their role brilliantly. It is our turn now, as ordinary South Africans, to take up the responsibility of nation- building towards a country that we can be proud of.
As Parliament, we can start by setting an example of mutual respect, of embracing and respecting each other's differences and working to improve on our strengths, rather than our weaknesses.
This means that statements such as: "Congratulations to Siya Kolisi; the rest go get your congratulations from Prince Harry," and whatever happened here now is not acceptable and get a red card.
Afrikaans:
Agb Ndlozi, as jy nie mooi speel nie, mag jy nie speel nie.
English:
Unlike the Springboks, history will judge you harshly.
Afrikaans:
Ons moet nou hierdie verantwoordelikheid van nasiebou oorneem. Ons moet ophou om mekaar op die baadjie te takseer en ons moet mekaar respekteer vir wie ons is. Ons moet ophou om bre aannames te maak en te veralgemeen oor wie ons dink almal is. Ons moet ons skoene as 'n trotse nasie volstaan.
Ons moet ons regering aanspreeklik begin hou vir die manier waarop hulle ons belastinggeld bestee. Ons moet verantwoordbaarheid, behoorlike bestuur en goeie gesonde
kernbeginsels op elke vlak van regering vereis. Ons moet nou aan 'n toekoms vir ons kinders bou. Ons moet nou regmaak wat gebreek is, voor dit te laat is. Hierdie is ons eindstryd, ons moet wen. Ek dank u. [Applous.]
Hon Speaker, the ACDP would like to repeat our message of congratulations to the Springboks for beating England with a wide margin of 32 to 12, to win the Rugby World Cup in Japan. This was an incredible victory, and would not have been possible without the effort of the whole team who worked together as one.
This being said, I also want to pay special tribute to three outstanding team members. Firstly, a special word of thanks goes to our inspirational captain, Siya Kolisi. Besides the fact that he is the first black captain the Springboks ever had, his outstanding leadership both on and off the field has been exemplary.
Worth noting is his advice to young aspirant rugby players, particularly those from poor backgrounds to have goals while believing that all things are possible.
Captain Siya Kolisi gave another inspiring message after winning the People's Choice Sports Star award at the South African Sports Awards in Durban on Sunday night. He is reported to have said, and I quote:
We are such a beautiful country. When we decide on a goal or dream, as a nation, we can achieve it. Our team is diverse. We've got different backgrounds and races, and we decided to fight for one common thing. We can also do it in life and business. We just have to put our egos aside and fight for what is right so that South Africa can be better.
This is why I was so disappointed by Dr Ndozi's divisive tweet where he congratulated Siya Kolisi for the victory, but said that the rest of the players should go to Prince Harry for their congratulations.
I want to appeal to Dr Ndlozi to join the nation for once and congratulate the entire Springbok team - the only team to have won every Rugby World Cup final they have played in. This amazing victory, sir, was an important
victory for South Africans. Therefore, all South Africans must rally in congratulating them.
The second person I want to mention by name is a great tactician, coach Rassie Erasmus, whose game plan ultimately outsmarted the tactics of England's coach, Eddie Jones. It was great to see how Rassie motivated and transformed our rugby team in just 18 months, to make them Rugby World Cup champions.
The third person is Makazole Mapimpi, who also comes from humble beginnings, who enjoyed a great tournament, and made history when he became the first to score a try in a Rugby World Cup final. His brilliance helped the team to victory. [Applause.]
South Africans are stronger and will be unbeatable if we continue to stand together. To the Bokke, we say that we salute you. You are our team and the Lord blesses you for all your efforts. [Applause.]
Hon Speaker and hon members, as a nation we are experiencing a wave of unity and harmony as a
result of the Springboks' win in the Rugby World Cup 2019. For this we are grateful, and may God help us sustain this atmosphere.
To Rassie, you have stayed your course and forged a team of men who had the heart and skill to bring home the Webb Ellis Trophy. Thank you. [Applause.]
To the Springboks management and support personnel we say a job well done. Without you our boys would not have been able to perform as well as they did.
To Siya and the rest of the team, you have captured this nation's imagination. Thank you for raising our hopes and making us proud.
Hon members, before our players went onto the field, President Ramaphosa gave the squad a motivational talk. Later on when I met him just before the game started we had a laugh when I said to him: "I hope that the buffalo did not intimidate the Springboks too much".
Sport, both in terms of participation and the support of our teams, can help to generate revenue, create jobs and create social cohesion. We must learn from countries like Australia.
Hon members, we would therefore be well advice to create a sports agency to co-ordinate the various sports codes in terms of facilities, especially in rural areas and townships as well as identify the latent talent and developing the potential of our sports men and women. This task cannot be left in the hands of the bureaucrats.
We say thank you to Japan and her people for hosting a successful Rugby World Cup. Having being in Japan for the final I was touched that the Japanese people learned Nkosi Sikelel' Afrika - a truly remarkable feat of a model nation. [Applause.]
Another phenomenon that struck me is the absence of dustbins but there is absolutely no litter. Each person takes responsibility for their own rubbish - they take ownership. This is a trait that South Africans can study and emulate.
Their motor industry is based on homemade goods. How I wish that we could create jobs by making parts of that industry as we have the raw materials.
Finally, just one thought; I would behove South Africa to enter into bilateral agreements with Japan to train entrepreneurs and owners of small, medium and macro enterprises, SMMEs. I thank you. [Applause.]
Speaker, in the early 90s utata uDumile Qeqe built a stadium in Zwide, Port Elizabeth with hope that he would mentor and guard future stars and also keep children away from mischievous acts on the streets.
Little did he know that one of the children who used to train at his tracks would rise to be the standing captain of the Springboks.
Rugby has been accepted as part of the culture and identity in many townships across our country. In that light, I would like to direct our attention to the national women's rugby team that needs sponsorships and transformation in policies that still lean more towards
men. They need to get support as far as media attention and broadcasting is concerned, and more than ever they need support of this House.
The development of women's sports must be a matter of national priority where our teams are able to be capacitated enough to compete with other national teams.
Continued investment in women's sporting codes may as well assist in many gaps identified in South African communities. We have an opportunity again to celebrate in the 2021 women's Rugby World Cup which will be hosted in New Zealand.
The ATM therefore stands to say that Babalwa Latsha who is a captain of the Springboks rugby team, just like Siya Kolisi, can make the country proud again in 2021. For you who may not know, the women's rugby team is predominantly black as per demographics of our country. We congratulate the Springboks, thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Speaker, I stand here before you a very proud South African. Indeed our Springboks have made us proud and I think we should all rally behind them.
Hon Speaker, we must admit that the odds were against the Springboks; many countries had written us off before the world cup.
I must also admit that I know nothing about rugby other than it's a game of bashing each other. But yes indeed this was the one time I watched, and for 80 minutes I was not willing to get off my seat - supporting the Springboks. I think 57 million people rallied behind our Springboks and we need to be proud of that.
Yes, I think hon Ndlozi is correct when he says: "Black people you are on your own" because, hon Ndlozi, the clothes you wear come from white companies, the car that he drives come from white companies, the money that he steals come from the poorest from VBS bank - the community's pension money. [Interjections.] So, yes indeed the blacks are on their own. There is no doubt about that.
The one thing that we all forgot on this day was hatred. We forgot about race and gender and we all came together as a united South Africa standing together behind our people. [Applause.]
Let me remind hon Ndlozi, behind the very successful captain that you are talking about, let me give you the name of Hilton and Kendra Houghton. Yes, indeed they are whites that believed in him, identified him and worked with him into making him the leader he is today.
Let me also tell you that Paul van der Burg and Rassie Erasmus also played roles in the success of our captain and the Springboks team. Let us leave race out of this but celebrate a victory as one united nation. [Applause.]
We have seen this is the previous Rugby World Cup; in the Cricket World Cup and the African Cup of Nations how our success has united us all as South Africans. Let us take advantage of that and let us go forward with the difficulties and the differences we have.
There is an opportunity by these sports men and women of ours, not forgetting the South African net ball team who can unite us and bring us into one nation with one purpose which is to create a better life for all of us.
Congratulations to the Springboks, the entire team, to their families and their friends in the role they had played in the success of Springboks and making us South Africans proud. Thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Madam Speaker, let me also congratulate our rugby team on making South African three times champions, in 1995, in 2007 and this year, 2019. The boy's victory affirms our commitment to social cohesion and nation building. The spirit of sportsmanship and togetherness is purveying the whole of South Africa. Amabhokobhoko has just become the pride of our nation.
As we chanted and stood in unison, we marked an important era in our nation. This victory has left an indelible mark on our minds - an excellent and remarkable achievement. We shall always enjoy. It is true therefore that the thing of beauty is a joy forever.
It is a lifetime pride for South Africa. We are coming very far with the racial sport. We are here today, and that should be appreciated. We have unity of purpose, the determination to transcend race without losing our uniqueness and to savour the moment without being petty. We demonstrated to the world our unique stature and resilience as the Azanian people - a victory that has made even the criminals to be excited and forget about killing and raping.
We cannot underplay the role of sport as an overarching unifier of the nation's blueprint. We celebrate South Africans who have not dignified the doomsayers' divisive rants - a sign that the majority of them are committed to a nonracial enterprise. It is fitting to say, Viva Siya, Viva Rassie, Viva Mapimpi, Viva Amabhokobhoko, Viva South Africa! I thank you. [Applause.] [Interjections.]
It is in circumstances such as this that I remember the second President of our country - I here refer to the democratic South Africa's President Mbeki, who stood on this very platform, and Madiba was seated there and Mbeki said, "I am an African." The majority of
the people throughout our country and beyond the seas rose and clapped hands because he further went on and uttered these words that he had a dream and that dream was to take us back to 1955 when the people of our country said that we are Africans; we are united; we may be white in skin colour; we may be black in skin colour, but we are Africans from South Africa.
In this Springboks match that we had, there are other African people in skin colour that were able to score. It was not only Siya but then if you look at De Allende, you look at Kolbe, you look at Mapimpi - those people were able to deliver tries, and we of course rose and said that we are Africans. There it was not only those of us who are pitch black, or those of us who are lighter in skin colour - all of us rose and said, "We are Africans."
I therefore want to say that we as leaders - as the representatives of the people of our country, we need to be united just like all the people of South Africa were united and say that we are Africans; we are one; let's move forward and achieve that which we have fought for, that which we died for, that which we went to jails for,
so that indeed we can rise like we are seated here as one
- we are Africans.
So, "Springbokke", we want to thank them for everything. They have helped us to arrive where we are at this stage. Thank you. [Applause.] [Interjections.]
Sepedi:
Sepikara, Mopresidente wa maloba, Mna Mandela, o ile a bolela a re ...
English:
Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire; it has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand.
Sepedi:
Ke tsopotse.
English:
Kolisi Siya le yena o be a kitima le naga ya Afrika-Borwa a dut?e a goelet?a a re, ke a tsopola ...
"Stronger Together."
Sepedi:
Ke tsopotse. Se se ra go re, tau t?a hloka seboka di ?itwa ke nare e hlot?a. Mokgatlo wa badimo le batho - e lego ANC, le wona o ile wa bolela go tloga kgale wa re ...
English:
"Together we can take South Africa forward."
Sepedi:
Se ke seo mokgatlo wa ANC o be o tloga o se labalabela. Dibeke t?e mmalwa t?eo di fetilego naga ye ya Afrika- Borwa e tlogile e bont?ha gore tau t?a hloka seboka di ?itwa ke nare e hlot?a. Go ?oma ka seboka ke gona go ka re i?ago pele. Mang le mang yoo a ka bago a phapharegilego borokong mat?at?i a mmalwa ao a fetilego, o tla ba a bone gore batho ba Afrika-Borwa ba ile ba ikgafa. Ba bangwe dikeledi di be di rotha, e le ge ba bona naga ya gabobona ye mpsha ka lebaka la seo Amabhokobhoko a se dirilego.
United we stand, divided we fall. If we carry on with the spirit that was displayed in the last few weeks when the Springboks were displaying their quality scrum, we would take this country far. Together we can build this country.
Sepedi:
A re lebogi?eng Amabhokobhoko re re pele ke mo re yago. Re a leboga. [Legoswi.] [T?wahlelo.]