Speaker, Deputy President, Ministers, and our people in the gallery, to us as the ANC, and as the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa, this is an exciting chapter that we are closing today. It has been a long walk by Madiba to be where we are, at times against difficult odds - at times we would wonder what kind of country we are that nobody was willing to give us a fair chance!
It has taken a painful and concerted effort by the people of this country, led by Nelson Mandela, for the world and the nations of the world to finally give us a fair chance. Today we are celebrating the fruits of a democratic country. Today we are celebrating this important event, the 2010 Fifa World Cup, because we have been given a fair chance. That is the only thing that we needed: a fair chance. [Applause.] History tells us that on 15 May 2004 at 12:21, the exact same time in South Africa and Switzerland, the president of Fifa walked into a packed auditorium, opened the envelope, and in that envelope was fair play: South Africa had been given the honour of hosting the 2010 Fifa World Cup. [Applause.]
At the press conference at the World Trade Centre in Zrich, in that auditorium, the vuvuzela was blown and our own "national anthem", Shosholoza, was the order of the day to demonstrate that when we as South Africans are happy, we sing. When we as South Africans are in pain, we sing. That is how we express ourselves as a country and as a people.
Having been given this chance to say something, I would like to convey the following message, Deputy President. Nelson Mandela stated: "South Africans should treat this decision with humility and without arrogance because we are, after all, equal." [Applause.] The message that we as a Parliament are conveying today to Tat' Nelson Mandela is that we are demonstrating the greatest humility ever in accepting the message that he has given to us. With the greatest humility, we are saying to the nations of the world that because they have given us a chance, we will accept them. They will never, ever in their lifetimes forget South Africa. [Applause.]
A dream of the nation has come true. Stadiums are ready; airports are ready; roads are ready; accommodation is ready; above all ... ... Nyambose, baza kulala ngoxolo bevule iminyango. [Nyambose, they will sleep peacefully with their doors open.] Security is ready in this country. [Applause.]
It is so wonderful today to be an African. It is so nice today to be an African, because we pride ourselves on working diligently on the little job that we have been given as a country, and we have surprised people many times because as a people, as a nation, we always come together when there is a problem that is confronting us as a nation, as South Africans.
I would like to say that at the time, four years ago, when South Africa was given the honour of hosting the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup - and I want to say this today as we close this chapter - there was never a dissenting view from the opposition in regard to its being right that the tournament was given to South Africa because it was judged and adjudicated on a fair basis. Therefore, we in South Africa, all of us, must come together and make sure that this Soccer World Cup is a success. [Applause.]
Regarding the members of the portfolio committee, I don't want to mention the mighty ANC, so I will talk about the very important humble people of the opposition.