Modulasetilo, Maloko a Palamente, Tona ya Metshameko le Boitapoloso, Lefapha la Metshameko le Boitapoloso, barulaganyi ba Sejana sa Lefatshe sa 2010, baeng le ditsala, mo puong ya pulo ya Palamente, Poresidente ya naga, Rre JG Zuma, o goeleditse le go fatlhosa maAforika Borwa go reka dithekete ka nako. (Translation of Setswana paragraph follows.)
[Mrs G K TSEKE: Chairperson, hon Members of Parliament, Minister of Sport and Recreation, Department of Sport and Recreation, organisers of the Fifa World Cup 2010, guests and friends, in his state of the nation address speech, the President of the country, Mr J G Zuma, appealed to and encouraged South Africans to buy tickets in time.]
Last Friday the ticketing office centres were opened to sell tickets over the counter. People who had already applied for tickets on time went along, just to be part of the vibe. There are some other challenges, but we are sure that Mr Danny Jordaan and his team will be able to address them.
Aforika, "Ke Nako!" [Africa, "Now is the time!"]
Africa's time has come and, yes, our country is ready. With 49 days to go, we are currently in the middle of much excitement over the Fifa World Cup tournament. South Africa, with its history and multitude of cultures, is a land of possibilities and opportunities. Its biggest asset is undoubtedly its diverse mix of people, proud of their heritage, and the country's remarkable transition to a thriving democracy. We are no longer talking about a dream that is part of the more than a 100 years of Fifa's existence, but reality. It is the very same Fifa that stood fast, unwaveringly, and believed in South Africa, giving us the honour to host the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
South Africans who poured into the streets on 15 May 2004, waving flags, dancing and waving the horns that have become the musical instrument of local football fans, the vuvuzela, will now enjoy what was due to them already in 2006. That was when the controversial New Zealander Charles Dempsey unexpectedly abstained himself from voting for our country to host the 2006 World Cup, even though his confederation mandated him to cast his ballot for South Africa, rendering our beloved country one vote short.
From an industry and economics perspective, perhaps the incident was a blessing to us because, if the country had hosted the event four years ago, instead of Germany, the present global economic recession would have found South Africa in the same state as most countries around the globe. So, under the circumstances, we should say a big thank you to Mr Dempsey. Our country was able to be concerned only about maintaining momentum in infrastructure delivery following the government's further commitment to services and infrastructure delivery when the ANC again took office in 2009.
Let me once more remind comrades what Mr Nelson Mandela said when addressing his executive:
It is 28 years since Fifa took its stand against racially divided football and helped to inspire the final story against apartheid. While we were on Robben Island, the only access to the Fifa World Cup was on the radio. Football was the only joy to prisoners.
After South Africa's victory was announced, Mr Nelson Mandela hoisted the World Cup trophy and said: "I feel like a young man of 15." By that time he was only 85. Today he is 91 years old, patiently waiting for the gigantic event to kick off. Mr Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, we are left with only 49 days until the whistle blows, when Bafana Bafana will be playing Mexico at one of the best stadia, Soccer City in the City of Gold, Gauteng.
In his state of the nation address, President J G Zuma said:
President Mandela was central in assisting the country to win the rights to host this great event. We therefore have to make the World Cup a huge success in his honour.
Indeed, this will be a great success and a fitting tribute to Nelson Mandela. [Applause.]
Bagaetsho, Poresitente ya naga o goeleditse e bile o buile gore ngwaga o, ke ngwaga wa ditiragalo. [Hon members, the President of the country appealed and reiterated that this year is a year of action.]
This year, 2010, is the year of action.
Se, se bonala gape le mo ditirong tsa sekolo tsa Masekaseka Combined School, e e kwa Marapyane, Mpumalanga, se se fitlheletseng makgaolakgang mo porojekeng ya Collect-a-Can.
Ka Labobedi, 13 April 2010, setlamo sa Coca-Cola e e leng nngwe ya baetleletsi ba sejana sa lefatshe sa kgwele ya dinao, se ketikile sekgele se sa madi a a kana ka R40 000 le dithekete di le lekgolo tsa baithuti ba ba neng ba tsenetse lenaane le go ya go bogela kgwele ya dinao e e tla simololang ka 11 Seetebosigo 2010. Lenaane le, ke lengwe la manaane le maungo a sejana se sa lefatshe, e e bidiwang 2010 "Fifa World Cup Ticket Fund".
Sekolo se, se fitlheletse le madi go tswa kwa lothong a go aga mapatlelo a metshameko. Se e tla nna sekao go dikolo tse dingwe kwa Moretele, kwa Mpumalanga le naga ka bophara gore go dira ka natla go a duela.
Ke rata go akgola baithuti le barutabana ba Masekaseka gore ba tswelelepele ka tiro e e manontlhotlho e ba e dirang, e bile tiro ntle le motshameko e tlhokisa ngwana mafolofolo. Ngwaga wa 2010 e tla nna o o itshupileng mo bathong gore, ke nnete, ke ngwaga wa ditiragalo.
Go na le manaane gape a a tla rotloetsang MaAforika Borwa go tsaya karolo mo metshamekong, e bile a tla tlogelela set?haba se se ntshonyana boswa mo metseng ya bona. Manaane a tshwana le letlotlo la mafaratlhatlha le le re tlogelelang maemelafofo a a tlhabolotsweng, ditsela tse di katolositsweng, mapatlelo a ma?wa a a agilweng, diphatlhatiro le bokgoni, dipetlele tse di tlhabolotsweng le tse dingwe. (Translation of Setswana paragraphs follows.)
[This is evident in the work of Masekaseka Middle School, in Marapyane, Mpumalanga, which made it to the finals in the Collect-a-Can project.
On Tuesday 13 April 2010, the Coca-Cola company, which is one of the sponsors of the Fifa World Cup, presented a prize of R40 000 and one hundred tickets to learners who participated in the programme to watch the football which will kick off on 11 June 2010. This is one of the programmes and products of this World Cup, called 2010 Fifa World Cup Ticket Fund.
This school also received financial support from the lottery board to build sports grounds. This will serve as an example to other schools in Moretele, Mpumalanga, and the country at large that working hard pays.
I would like to congratulate the learners and teachers of Masekaseka on proctecting with this meticulous job, because work without play makes Jack a dull boy. The year 2010 will prove to the people that it is indeed a year of action.
There are also other programmes that encourage South Africans to take part in sports and will leave a legacy for black people in their homes. For example, there will be an infrastructure legacy which leaves us with airports that are developed, roads that are extended, new stadia that have been built, jobs and skills, developed hospitals and others.]
Thereis the My 2010 School Adventure campaign ...
... e e akareditseng baithuti ba le dimilone di le 12, naga ka bophara le porojeke ya Green Goal Programme e toropo ya Cape Town e setseng e e simolotse ya go tlhokomela tikwatikwe ya rona. (Translation of Setswana paragraph follows.)
[... which included 12 million learners countrywide and the Green Goal programme to clean our environment, which has already been started in Cape Town.]
Fifa is also committing itself to building Football for Hope centres that will address local social challenges in disadvantaged areas and this programme will improve education and health services for young people. This programme will also leave a lasting legacy beyond 2010.
Dintlha tse di kwa godimo le tse dingwe tse di sa buisiwang di netefatsa nngwe ya dintlha tse di tserweng kwa kopanong ya mokgatlho wa ANC kwa Polokwane ya gore moruo wa naga mo ngwageng wa 2010 o tla tlogelela set?haba boswa. (Translation of Setswana paragraph follows.)
[The key issues and others that have not been mentioned confirm one of the resolutions taken at the ANC conference in Polokwane, namely that the economy of the country in 2010 will leave a legacy for the nation.]
When our country bid to host this tournament, it was also on the basis that the tournament would leave a legacy for our country. Indeed we are proud to say that yes, it will leave a lasting legacy, the effect of which will be that South Africa will never be the same again.
As part of our oversight work as the Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation, as the chairperson has already indicated, in February we travelled to the nine cities and 10 stadia, with 130 media journalists and a Fifa delegation. Besides some minor loose ends that needed to be tied up, even a BBC journalist, on the train to attend the 50-day celebration in Kimberley, confirmed yesterday that South Africa is more than ready.
Let me go through a few of the stadiums, base camps, public viewing areas and fan parks. When you drive to the eastern part of the country, where the sun rises, in the province that is an easy drive from both Swaziland, where you can eat your breakfast, and Mozambique, where you can eat your lunch, the province that will be hosting Chile at the Ingwenyama Conference and Sports Resort, the province with the four largest economies in the country, that attracts 80% of the international tourists, you'll find a stadium that will leave the world in no doubt that this is an African tournament. The stadium is supported by 18 giraffe-shaped columns. Inside, with their black and white colours, the seats resemble a zebra hide, adding to the wild charm of the stadium. Thank you, the ANC supports the Budget Vote. [Time expired.] [Applause.]