Almost 60 members of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation Sport Council, representing various sporting codes such as women's soccer, soccer, netball and volleyball; will depart this morning,
27 August 2010, for the Kingdom of Lesotho where they will participate in a sub-regional sport competition against Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland.
The team will return to the country on Sunday, 29 August 2010.
"Since time immemorial, sport has played, and continues to play, a vital role in the development of human kind and the promotion of peace and stability," says Mr James Mogale, Public Relations Officer of the DIRCO Sport Council.
"Sport is used as a tool to promote the spirit of friendship among different nations of the world.
"As DIRCO Sport Council, one of our mandates is to promote social interaction and mutual understanding among our staff members through sport.
'Moreover, this strategic need to forge social interaction and mutual understanding among our people goes beyond the limits of the South African borders, as we also encourage it among ourselves and peoples of other countries," concludes Mr Mogale matter-of-factly.
The theme of the sub-regional event is "Sport without boundaries: Consolidation of the African Agenda".
This, therefore acknowledges the centrality of sport diplomacy, and people to people contact in pursuing regional integration strategic intent.
For more information:
James Mogale
Tel: +27 12 351 1079
Fax: +27 12 329 0348
E-mail: mogalet@foreign.gov.za.
