In Suid-Afrika is sport nie net speletjies nie. Van die hewigste openbare debatte oor die toekoms van Suid-Afrika is, ironies genoeg, juis oor sport en sportgebeure gevoer. Ek dink dit is omdat daar soveel simboliek in sport opgesluit l. As die Springbokke teen Engeland of die Britse Leeus speel, word die Anglo-Boereoorlog oorbaklei, en gelukkig het ons die laaste rondte gewen.
Maar dit is juis daarom dat hierdie debatte nie ligtelik opgeneem moet word nie. Wanneer ek vandag van u afskeid neem, is dit my wens dat ons die debatte sal voortsit, dat die debatte gesond en lewendig sal bly, maar dat ons altyd sal onthou dat dt wat hier ges word, 'n reuse impak op die mense daar buite het.
Ek wens u elkeen alles van die beste toe. Mag God Suid-Afrika en al sy mense sen en mag Hy elkeen van u se paaie voorspoedig maak, en mag ons nog baie wonders in hierdie land van ons sien. Ek dank u. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)
[Mr W D SPIES: Chairperson, "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika" must be the best-known Xhosa lyrics. It represents a call from the people of South Africa for God to bless the continent. My mother-in-law performed mission work in the Eastern Cape for years and she told me that this song by Enoch Sontonga, which later on would become South Africa's national anthem, had even been incorporated into the isiXhosa psalm and hymn book. So she knew the lyrics well, long before the song received official recognition. South Africa is indeed a land of many miracles. I do believe that many of the miracles that have taken place here in South Africa over the years were due to the very fact that South Africans do pray on a daily basis for God to bless our country.
South Africa's national symbols are very precious and that which they symbolise should be protected with everything we have. When a national anthem for South Africa was decided upon in 1994, a combination of Nkosi Sikele' iAfrika and Die Stem was agreed on. The symbolism taken from this was the fact that in South Africa there is room for all its communities and the full picture of our history.
When President Zuma, in his state of the nation address, congratulated the Springboks, and Bafana Bafana, and the Blue Bulls on their respective achievements in sport, he revealed a touch of what is possible, namely that there is room for all of these symbols. This shows that acknowledgement of one is not necessarily tantamount to disregard of the other. It entails a South Africa which leaves room for both the Springboks and Bafana Bafana; a South Africa which leaves room for a Butana Komphela and for a Pieter Mulder; for an Afrikaner as well as for an African. Here in particular another potential miracle is inherent.
That is why it was a pity that the organisers of the opening ceremony of the Confederations Cup Tournament only played a shortened version of the national anthem, from which a section of Die Stem had been omitted. We are grateful that this incident will not repeat itself.
The successful completion of the Confederations Cup Tournament and Bafana Bafana's brave performance made people realise for the first time that South Africa can indeed make an enormous success of next year's Soccer World Cup Tournament. We believe that this is possible and we wish the Minister, Deputy Minister and local organising committee well in this regard.
Chairperson, five years ago - in this very sports debate - I made my maiden speech in this Parliament. Today I am delivering my last speech in the same debate. I will retire as an MP on 31 August 2009, Deo vilente. In days to come I will continue the struggles I have fought here in other forums, namely in civil society. The hon Komphela will hear from me again!