Programme Director
Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, His Excellency Mr Kgalema Montlante; and all Cabinet Ministers present here this evening; Deputy Minister Gert Oosthuizen and other Deputy Ministers, Excellencies and visiting Ministers of Sport from our neighbhouring countries
MEC of Gauteng, Honourable Mr Lebogang Maile, and all other MEC’s who are here to grace this important evening
President of SASCOC, Mr Gideon Sam, and all board members of SASCOC and leaders of our Federations
The Director-General of SRSA, Mr Alec Moemi AND the CEO of SASCOC, Tubby Reddy
All our sponsors and athletes
Distinguished Guests
The media
Ladies and Gentlemen; Boys and Girls
Milan Kundera one of the most recognised and fine contemporary writers in Ludvik, in the Czech Republic once wrote that:
“The struggle of people against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting”.
In this context, our struggle, then, is a struggle for the preservation of our stories, of our history and heritage. Ours is a fight against forgetting. Every nation’s memories are its national literature and heritage. Our collective memory is our collective diary that we carry about with us. The diary that makes all of us not to mistake our imaginations for our memories. We believe in this fight to preserve memories even if the existence of forgetting has never been proved in human history; but, then, understand that forgetting is a deliberate suppression of memory.
In this regard, we should never forget those who made us happy. We should not forget those who have made it possible for us to be who we are today, to be South Africans. We must resist erasing in our minds and thoughts those who, against all odds, managed to put a smile in our faces even in days of misery, discomfort and even despair. We must refuse to bury the images of those who raise the flag higher and those who sing our national anthem with dignity and passion; especially our sportsmen and women.
Ladies and Gentlemen, on 03 May 2010, just few weeks before the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Aaron “Mbazo” Mokoena took to the fields of the Peter Mokaba stadium proudly wearing number 100 on the back of his Bafana Bafana jersey in a fitting tribute over winning his 100th Cap against Guatemala in a splashing 5 – 0 victory.
Four days ago, our striking rock Porticia Modise, the top vibrant Banyana Banyana striker also wore her 100th Cap during their majestic clash with the Senegal side; South Africa winning an impressive 1 - 0 victory against the Senegalese by Andisiwe Mgcoyi in Equatorial Guinea on Wednesday, 31 October 2012.
Hence, we are gathered here this evening to mark the second year, in succession, of the South African Sport Awards in our country to celebrate courage and achievement in the field of sport. We are equally assembled here to showcase the quest to quality and excellence in performance, whilst celebrating unity of purpose that sport anchors in our national discourse for social cohesion and nation building.
Accordingly, we are here today celebrating the triumph of the human spirit under the theme, “Celebrating Sport Excellence” today; building tomorrows’ heroes and heroines. We converged here this evening to celebrate excellence and reward commitment, dedication and hard work.
Today we announce the names of the winners of the 2012 South Africa Sports Awards. The names to be announced this evening represent the Crown of the South African Jewel in sport and recreation. They represent hard work, dedication and commitment to success and excellence. We are here to unveil role models who must be followed and emulated by our youth. These young men and women we are celebrating this evening are a beacon of hope to the majority of young South Africans; whether from the fleshy high walls of Sandton or the dusty streets of Soweto. The commitment of these sport stars to achievement and excellence, have managed to convince the majority of our youth to understand that sport is cool! They have managed to make sport sexy. Our youth out there in the streets even know that sport is sometimes flamboyant and that sport has the ability to make you a better person one day.
As Professor Warren G. Bennis once said:
“Excellence is a better teacher than mediocrity. The lessons of the ordinary are everywhere. Truly profound and original insights are to be found in studying the exemplary… People who cannot invent and re-invent themselves must be content with borrowed postures, second-hand ideas; fitting-in instead of standing out.”
As for our part we are celebrating people of honour and integrity whom when called upon by their nation to raise the flag did not hesitate but raised our flag with dignity and respect. We are celebrating South Africans who make our people stay tuned on television, radio, print media and any platform to shape the future of our youth.
Ladies and Gentlemen, our youth need to be imbued with hope not mediocrity. Our youth need champions and winners not losers. Our youth need independence of mind, soul and spirit in pursuit of the RDP of the soul. They need to know that they have a bright future and that future is not in the distant horizon; but it is in what they plough today. We are determined to show our youth that their country and people value and love them. They must not abandon the flag; and must know that South Africa belong to all who live in it black and white.
When this happens in isi-Xhosa idiom we say “Umzingisi akanashwa” – which means you must have patience and perseverence to reach success.
We say this loud and clear without any fear of contradiction that their contribution in sport adds value to the economic standing of their country.
Mr Deputy President, it has become a general knowledge that sport is one of the biggest contributors towards a stable and sustainable country and economy. Sport also makes a biggest contribution in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of South Africa. Sport creates jobs for the majority of young people in our country. To-date South Africa has been rated number one sport tourism destination in the world by the International Travel Award Institute which accorded our country this accolade in 2011, in Dakar. Sport tourism in South Africa is one of the fastest growing sectors in the country and the world. With the recent hosting of mega-sporting events, sports contribution in the economy has been witnessing an encouraging increase in the history of our country. Tourists who engaged in sports tourism are high-spending, stay longer than other tourists’ categories, are high-calibre individuals and often stimulate other tourism centres. A case in point is the hosting of the Comrades Marathon every year, the Cape Argus Cycling Tours, the Rugby, Cricket and Soccer World Cups, the 1996 and 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, as well as the last Tri-Nations Rugby Cup, the T20 Cricket tournaments and many more.
This contribution of sport to the economy and its ability to fight poverty and unemployment is going to be evident when we put the sport of basketball at a professional level next year. Its contribution is going to be huge because more than two million girls will benefit directly from a professional netball premiership. Similarly we are launching the Basketball Premier League in March 2013 and through this innitiative we will create opportunities for young people to part-take in Professional basketball whilst pursuing a career at university or college.
One of the important contributions of sport towards economic growth and development is also found when a country hosts most of the popular personalities in sport. According to research carried out for the sponsors of the World Match Play; it was estimated that the presence of Tiger Woods, the worlds’ number one Golfer, in Britain and Ireland for a period of only three weeks in 2006 would boost the golf economy by 17 million pounds as he would attract tens of thousands of extra fans, boost media coverage by at least 25%, generate millions of pounds through tourism, hospitality and sponsorship, inspire people to try golf for themselves and join clubs.
Sport is the biggest contributor to nation building and social cohesion and yet it is less celebrated. This is not about money; it is about recognition. Sport is said to be a national religion in South Africa. In recent years it transcends race, class, language and geographical location. This is seen when our teams win in sport, the country witnesses a plethora of a cacophony of hooting cars, a trumpeting of Vuvuzelas, banging of dustbin lids in honour of our victory, and loud fireworks reverberates the streets of our country until our people seat comfortably enjoying their South African Boerewors braais and umqombothi.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is an open secret that the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa was a lucrative business for both FIFA and international business giants. It successfully increased the revenue base for FIFA and marginal profits for major investors and managed to improve the image of South Africa and Africa as preferred destinations for future investments and business dealings. Indeed, “with over 1.4 million visitors, figures suggest the tournament had increased South Africa's gross domestic product (GDP) by 0.93%, an amount far in excess of its cost. Some of the accolades from FIFA included: 'An unqualified success', and 'a great and proud moment for South Africa'.” According, as we alluded above, to the World Travel Award Institute, South Africa has been rated as number one tourist destination in the world since the successful hosting of these mega events such as Rugby, Cricket and FIFA soccer world cups.
Therefore, winning an aspect of a sports award must be the highest accolade for a South African Sport person. This feeling should be passed on from one generation to another generation. Our athletes deserve better than what they are receiving today. They must know that participating in sport and competing is a healthy lifestyle and a healthy living. They must know that above all it is about the nation. They must know that they are making the nation proud; and they too are our nation’s pride.
They must be aware that through their participation in sport they have become great patriots who their country and its people is proud of. They must know that because of their individual and collective efforts the sports awards in South Africa have grown tremendously. Because of their amazing and majestic performance millions of South Africans are glued on Television and other mediums. On record, 46 million South Africans have followed the South African Sports Awards to-date; which makes it the biggest awards to be watched in South Africa in the recent years when it comes to the coverage of the different awards across the country.
Ladies and Gentlemen, all our athletes are winners. All those who participate in sport are winners; and all those who have been nominees in these awards are all winners. Here we don’t have losers.
In this instance, Lloyd Dobens a writer and narrator, an expert in Deming Philosophy once said about this:
“The lifelong, reliable motivations are those that come from within, and one of the strongest of those is the joy and pride that grow from knowing that you’ve just done something as well as you can do it.”
Distinguished Guests, as we celebrate success and excellence in our country; how can we forget the role played by Nelson Mandela in mobilising and uniting all our people under the banner of the ‘rainbow nation’ until our political victory in 1994 and to make the whole world to coalesce behind South Africa in a common mission to build a truly non-racial democratic society?
How can we forget Sam Ramsamy and Steve Tshwete for their colossal contribution towards the establishment of a non-racial democratic sport system in South Africa?
How can we forget “Papwa Sewgolum. A self taught golfer who started his golf career as a Caddie and became the three-time Dutch Open Champion and a two-time Natal Open Champion. Papwa successfully invented an unorthodox grip in golf called Sewsunker which was named after him.
How can we forget the role played by ntathe Petros Mulema when he brought hope to the youth in the dusty streets of Bloemfontein by establishing the pride of that Province, the Bloemfontein Celtics – Siwelele?
How can we forget Basil D’Oliveira one of the finest cricketers South Africa ever produced in the history of cricket in this country; a player of exceptional ability who was denied to play for the country of his birth by the John Vorster regime, only because of the colour of his skin?
How can we forget “Ace” the great Ntsoelengoe, who made his mark both in South Africa and the United States and was inducted into the US Hall of Fame in 2003?
Lest we forget Erol, the “Black Bok”, Tobias who, long before 1992, sealed his place in the South African Rugby history by becoming the first black player to start a test match for the Springbok in 1981 at the tender age of 31 years.
Dare we forget the immense contributions made by many sports legends in South Africa? The unsung heroes in the caliber of tat’uDan Qeqe from the villages of the Eastern Cape who brought meaning in sport for thousands of rural and village youth?
How can we forget the boxing legend Elijah “Tap Tap” Makhathini and soccer icon Nelson “Teenage” Dladla who have been presented with the green jackets last on Friday evening at the Andrew Mlangeni Green Jacket ceremony for their outstanding contribution in the life of sport in South Africa?
How can we suppress our memory about Naas Botha and Zola Budd for their role to make sport an anti-depressant medicine during the days of a depressing Apartheid system by together bring smiles in the faces of the majority of South Africans through their sportsmanship.
How can our nation forgets Oscar ‘The Bladerunner’ Pistorius’ triumphalism in both the London Olympics and Paralympic Games?
How can our country forget the tenacity of Chad Le Clos, Cameron van der Burgh, our Rowing Quartet represented by James Thompson, Mathew Brittain, John Smith and Sizwe Ndlovu, and our beautiful girl Bridgitte Hartely in the recent London Olympics?
How can we forget the never die; never surrender spirit of Caster Semenya when she, against all odds, soldiered on the tracking fields of London to bring back silver to the country?
How can South Africa forget the greatness displayed by our Paralympic Team led by Natalie du Toit when they represented our country with pride and honour in the Paralympic Games in London?
For such a spirit and this to happen and for sport to reach these heights; how can we forget the contribution of the ‘Mighty’ Springboks for bringing two world cups to South Africa and for bridging the divide between blacks and whites in our country? What an extra-ordinary achievement?
To this end, I therefore invite your indulgence to these 2012 SA Sport Awards. Accordingly, these awards are selected from the pool of great-great sports men and women in South Africa. The nominees have been selected from all backgrounds, rich and poor; from rural and urban areas, able bodied and disabled; young men and women. They are all our boys and girls of honour, they are an embodiment of South African dream, that of being an active and wining nation.
In conclusion, in essence the 2012 Sports Awards are a prestigious group of events that recognise and reward sports teams, national sports personalities and sport administrators. They have become the widest reaching event on the spectrum of South Africa’s landscape; reaching over 3 million live viewers on television and 16 million on radio, which a unique selling point of inclusive involvement of all celebrated South African sportsmen and women as well as sports legend across the length and breadth of our beautiful country.
I therefore declare this, the 7th Edition of SA Sports Awards, open.
Nkosi Sikelela i-Afrika!
Morena boloka sechaba sa Heso!
God Bless Suid Afrika!
Uit die blou van onse Hemel!
Baie dankie mense! Geniet die naag veder.
