Programme director
MEC for Arts, Culture, Sports and Recreation in KwaZulu-Natal, MEC Thusi
Our guest of honour, the Honourable Dr Farisani, Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Arts and Culture
The Executive Mayor of Msunduzi Municipality, Councillor Tarr
The Speaker of the Municipality, Councillor Baijoo and all councillors present
The Chairperson of the Council of the Natal Museum, Professor Brothers
Learners from various schools
Honoured guests
Ladies and gentlemen
Let me begin by welcoming all of you to the opening of this Soccer Exhibition that showcases our country’s proud soccer history. This exhibition will also highlight the strides made in the development of soccer for purposes of nation-building and promoting social cohesion.
This event is even more significant as it takes place just 14 days before the start of the historic 2010 FIFA World Cup, to be held for the first time on African soil.
The hosting of the World Cup in South Africa, once again, demonstrates the resilience of our people and their determination to succeed.
Many of us will recall that fateful day of 7 July 2000, when we lost an opportunity to host the 2006 FIFA World Cup by a single vote.
Consistent with our spirit of being a wining nation, although we were saddened by this development, we never accepted defeat. From then onwards, the whole country united in its resolve to support the bid for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
It was therefore a fitting tribute to the hard work and dedication of all South Africans, when FIFA President, Sepp Blatter, announced on 15 May 2004 that South Africa will host the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
In celebration, we declared that, Africa’s time has come: Afrika ke nako!
The unity and pride that has been shown by all South Africans since we began preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, reminds me of the words of the founding father of our democratic nation, President Nelson Mandela who said, “Sport is very important for building character, because when you are involved in sport your individual character comes out, your determination, your ability to be part of the team and the acceptance of the collective effort is extremely important in developing your country as well as patriotism.”
On many occasions, South Africans have proven themselves to be great sportsmen and women. Furthermore, as a nation we have witnessed the power of sport to unite us in our diversity.
This was evident when we successfully hosted the Rugby World Cup in 1995, where our national rugby team won the World Cup, the 1996 African Nations Cup, the 1999 All Africa Games and the various cricket tournaments including the 2003 World Cup and the IPL cricket.
Most recently, we saw the power of sport in promoting social cohesion when the Blue Bulls rugby team played their first ever match in Soweto.
We are encouraged that even during this weekend the Blue Bulls will be returning to Soweto.
Programme director, the exhibition that we are about to open today, further attests to the important role that we have placed on the 2010 FIFA World Cup, not just as a great sporting event, but as a tool to celebrate our heritage, showcase our country and its diversity, and to stimulate our economy.
The resources that have been put in the development of world class infrastructure, arts and culture related projects, information and communication technology as well as tourism are iconic and contribute to national pride.
Indeed, we have no doubt that the 2010 FIFA World Cup will leave a proud and lasting legacy for our country.
The involvement of schools in this exhibition is in line with the Department of Arts and Culture’s “My 2010 School Adventure program.”
On behalf of the department, I wish to express our appreciation to all the schools that have collaborated with us in ensuring that we use the 2010 FIFA World Cup to popularise our national symbols, especially among learners.
Programme director, museums play a significant role in the conservation and promotion of our cultural and natural heritage, to ensure that communities understand and celebrate their heritage.
This exhibition fits properly within the Natal Museum’s mandate to identify and preserve the country’s history and heritage. The profile and history that is told of soccer heroes and heroines from KwaZulu-Natal and their contribution to soccer in South Africa could have never been told at a better time than on the eve of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Often, we tend to look beyond ourselves for role models, heroes and heroines while turning a blind eye to the selfless contribution that our own people have made in their communities.
Highlighting and honouring the role played by our local heroes and heroines is what this exhibition is all about. The exhibition will help us reflect on what we have and appreciate ourselves so that the world could also appreciate us. Our communities have long been ignored when it comes to documenting their local heritage, thus denying them an opportunity to share their experiences with the rest of society.
This must come to an end!
Furthermore, many nations of the world have used their sporting heroes to advance social, political and economic dialogues. Countries such as Ivory Coast, Liberia, Zambia and Iraq have capitalised on their soccer heroes to pull them out of difficult political situations and to build a sense of national pride and identity.
I am glad that even at this exhibition we have some of the most respected sporting legends that have made a massive contribution to nation building in our country.
Some of them have become our sporting ambassadors, promoting our country to the rest of world through sport. We take this opportunity to say, thank you to all the sporting legends who have participated in this exhibition.
We also appreciate the initiative taken by the Natal Museum to ensure that such heroes and heroines are not forgotten during this important period in the history of our country.
We note with appreciation that the mobile display that will go around this province after the World Cup, will offer a rare opportunity, especially for our young people, to meet the soccer legends and hopefully be inspired by them.
I urge all of you to seize the opportunity created by this exhibition to use our soccer heroes and heroines to promote soccer and other sporting activities as a way of building a lasting legacy beyond the World Cup.
This legacy must include the empowerment of young people, especially from poor communities.
We trust that this exhibition will bring hope to many communities, particularly those communities that might have not seen any direct benefits from the hosting of the World Cup.
By promoting local history and heritage, this exhibition will bring direct socio-economic benefits to some of the poorest of our people.
As the Department of Arts and Culture we will therefore work together with the Department of Sport and Recreation to ensure the success of the next stage of this exhibition which involves taking the mobile display to various communities in our country.
As I conclude, I would like to leave you with the words of President Nelson Mandela who spoke in Zurich on the day our country was offered the right to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup and said, “We must accept the decision to host the World Cup with humility and without arrogance.”
Inspired by these words, let us rise above our individualism and unite as a nation for a successful and memorable World Cup.
Most importantly, let us unite behind our national team Bafana Bafana. Let us also give a warm African and South African welcome to all those who will be visiting our country for the World Cup.
Thank you.
Issued by: Department of Arts and Culture
28 May 2010
Source: Department of Arts and Culture (http://www.dac.gov.za/)
