Hon Deputy President, hon Speaker and Deputy Speaker, hon Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, hon members, representatives of Fifa and the SA Football Association, Safa, ladies and gentlemen, today all of us, by our presence here and by our celebrations in all parts of our country and the communities in which we live, confer glory on this and show our happiness by our nation's readiness to welcome the people of the world to the shores of our beautiful land.
Former President Nelson Mandela, the icon of our nation, once said that out of the experience of an extraordinary human disaster that lasted in our country for far too long, our nation takes each day to rise on the shoulders of the world.
Indeed, I feel honoured to join the people of South Africa and the rest of the African continent in saying
"Ke Nako ya Aforika!" ["It is time for Africa!"] Lixesha loMzantsi Afrika. [It is time for Africa.] Feel it! It is here! We are ready to welcome the world. [Applause.]
We, the people of South Africa, feel fulfilled that humanity has taken us back into its bosom and that we, who were reeling from our divided past, have today been given the rare privilege to be the host of the nations of the world on our own soil.
We as a Parliament are honoured to have among us the outstanding compatriots of our nation, who spent sleepless nights preparing for the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup, and those who continue to work tirelessly to make sure that it continues to be a success.
I would like to take this opportunity to express the ANC's profound appreciation to the entire leadership of Fifa, particularly its president, Mr Sepp Blatter, a distinguished ambassador of the people of Africa, whose life is intimately attached to the soil of this beautiful country, as are the famous jacaranda trees of Pretoria and the mimosa trees of the Bushveld.
Allow me also to pay special tribute to Fifa secretary-general Mr Jrme Falcke, who has spent most of the past two years in our country. I must say that in the past few weeks I wondered whether I should not concede equal citizenship to this outstanding compatriot, who has grown to be a true South African. [Applause.]
Mr Falcke and Mr Blatter stood firm in defending our nation against those who stopped at nothing to question our capability of hosting the World Cup. They went to all corners of our country, ensuring that we defeated the prophets of doom, who never retreated in their quest to speak ill of our people and our country.
Let me also extend my profound appreciation to Dr Irvin Khoza, who is the chairperson of the 2010 Fifa World Cup Local Organising Committee, the Safa executives, and the entire soccer fraternity.
Allow me also to thank all the men and women - the workers, the volunteers and the contractors - for their tireless and heroic sacrifices in ensuring that this World Cup will truly be a success. [Applause.]
Indeed, our people have a great sense of humanity, and pride in the hard efforts and sterling work they have rendered to our nation. I say to them: Your sacrifices and commitment to our nation are truly deserving of the highest national tribute for your contribution to South African life and the history we envisaged when we fought against racial subjugation.
Since the demise of apartheid in 1994 we have committed ourselves as a nation to ensuring that our daily deeds produce an actual South African reality that will reinforce our commitment to sustaining all our hopes for a better South Africa and a glorious life for all our people.
We are humbled that our nation has yet another opportunity to stand tall on the shoulders of giant nations and display our capability to deliver a top- class tournament, and also to show our spirit of ubuntu and humanity.
As the ANC, we remain convinced that our people have shown the world that we are indeed a nation filled with pride, hope, aspiration and determination. We have men and women with endless heroism who are committed to advancing our nation to fulfilling the tallest orders of the world. I am sure that all of us say with the utmost pride that South Africa is alive with possibilities.
With just eight days to go to the kickoff of the world's biggest soccer event to be held on African soil, there is no question that our nation is ready to host a spectacular and memorable soccer extravaganza.
With the teams steadily streaming into the country, the roads and the infrastructure systems look set to transport the millions of fans who will be travelling countrywide to watch the games. Each time one walks through the streets of our communities, one is moved by the sense of joy and exhilaration displayed by those communities.
The spiritual and physical oneness shown by our people indicates the depth of the path we have travelled in order to build a nonracial and united South Africa. Many of us have seen how the World Cup has united our people and encouraged all South Africans to rally behind our national team, Bafana Bafana, and the symbols that define us as a nation.
We have witnessed our national flag displayed on the walls of shopping malls, on bridges, on buildings, on cars and in houses. We have seen some of the host cities glittering with images of our national flag and icons of our national team. Indeed, this is a clear indication that our nation has triumphed in its effort to implant hope and a common identity in the hearts and minds of our people.
We as the ANC remain committed to our covenant that we will continue to build a society in which all South Africans, both black and white, will be able to walk tall without any fear in their hearts, assured of their inalienable right to human dignity, and to a rainbow nation at peace with itself and proud of its identity and diversity.
We are also aware that South Africa is the first country in the history of the 2010 Fifa World Cup to offer an event visa. This is a true African innovation, which has been hailed by Fifa and will surely be emulated by other countries from now onwards.
The SA Police Service is spending over R640 million on the deployment of 41 000 officers specifically for the event. The vast majority of the police deployed for the World Cup will be trained officers with experience in major events. This is not only intended to ensure the safety of our guests, but to send a clear message to criminals and those who want to follow their misguided agendas that we will not tolerate any transgression that will undermine this important event. Let us show them our warm spirit of ubuntu and unequivocally say that we take the safety of our guests and their sense of security very seriously.
On behalf of the ANC and the people of South Africa, we say to the people of the world and our guests: Welcome, and we hope you will enjoy the beauty of the hills and the valleys, the mountains and the glades, the rivers, the deserts, the trees, the flowers, the seas and the ever-changing seasons that you find on the face of our native land. [Applause.] We are humbled and elevated by the honour and privilege that you have bestowed on us. We wish you a wonderful and joyous stay in our country. I thank you. [Applause.]