Programme director
Minister Angie Motshekga and Edna Molewa Social Development
MECs here present
Honourable Members of the Provincial Legislature
Executive Mayors and Mayors; Councilors here present
Members of the African Natioanl Congress Wowens’ League (ANCWL) National Executive Committee (NEC)
Our esteemed traditional leaders and healers
Leaders of business and federations
Our guests from other province
Ladies and gentlemen
Comrades and friends
All protocol observed
Some 100 years ago, women were grappling with issues such as the right to vote, development of skills and equality in the work place. Less than 20 years ago, South African women were still facing the same issues. This, coupled with laws that ensured the downtrodden status of women in this country, such as the pass laws, contributed further to women in South Africa being moved to the background.
The events 9 August 1956 turned all of this around to focus the attention on the plight of women in South Africa.
From all over the country, women gathered and stood together against a government, in the true spirit of sisterhood a display of the power of women when they stand together as a united force. Little did our grandmothers, our mothers and our sisters realise the ripple effect their actions of that day would have in the future.
Indeed, the roles that women have played to advance the lot of all mankind cannot be over emphasised. Women have been there when the whole international community needed peaceful. A case in point is Amina Lawal, who’s plight united thousands of women around the globe.
Back home, a world-renowned lawyer, Priscilla Jana, advanced the cause for the total emancipation of the majority of the oppressed.
Indeed, we have had outstanding personalities whose everyday lives were marred by constant harassment, arrests, torture and jail terms, before the dawn of the democracy.
Programme director,
Since the birth of the first democratic dispensation in South Africa in 1994, government has been toiling endlessly to correct the injustices of the past and to restore the rights of women. The ideal was set for at least 50% representation of women in government leadership. We also notice this situation spilling over into the private sector, where more and more women are taking the reins in big corporate companies.
However, the legacy of oppression still weighs heavily on women – for some, especially in their own homes, where patriarchal and sometimes antiquated rules are still upheld. While South Africa boasts one of the most progressive constitutional legislative frameworks for women’s rights in the world, there still exist compromises with regard to land, the sexual offences law and the customary law on inheritance and succession.
Programme director,
The freedom we have fought for so hard for the women in this country are under threat yet again, due to serious violent crimes against women and the fact that women cannot walk around freely at night, fearing the worst of attacks.
We therefore need to place more emphasis on ridding our communities of crime and allow us to take back this freedom.
One of the ways we can certainly rid our country of crime, is to get our people actively involved in sport. We need to create this culture of getting everyone active and participating and off the streets where they get exposed to alcohol, drugs and criminality. The 2010 FIFA World Cup is already proving to be an event that is getting our people excited to participate and become active.
It is an event that is uniting our people from all walks of life behind our national team and behind the thrill of hosting the world, right here in our country and our respective provinces. Furthermore, this World Cup is not just a South African World Cup. It is a southern African World Cup. There is no label of classification on this event – it is not for a particular race or gender group.
I think this is also becoming evident as the Football Friday campaign is becoming more and more popular, as people from all walks of life and all ages are showing their support for Bafana Bafana and for the Sporting Spectacular itself.
However, we are still living in a male dominated world and in sport, it is no different. In the past number of years, we have seen South African and southern African women advance to great heights in their sporting careers and they have become household names in their respective sporting codes. I am referring to athletes such as Hestry Cloete, Caster Semenya, Penny Heyns, Esther Phiri, Natalie du Toit and Maria Mutola.
It is saddening, however, that some of these women’s achievements have come with a lot of controversy in the media that overshadowed the true accomplishments. It has become evident that local and foreign media give very little coverage to women’s achievements in sport. In fact, the achievements of women in sport, far exceeds the coverage thereof.
We hear a lot about the aforementioned women, but who has ever heard of female golfer Tandi Cunningham or table tennis champion Zodwa Maphanga? These women are a case in point of sportswomen who do not receive the attention and the publicity they deserve – especially those who excel in so-called male dominated sports.
We therefore call upon the media to assist in this regard and to enhance the coverage of women in sport and to refrain from looking for only the negative or the sensationalist in every story!
Programme director,
Hence, our participation in this weekend’s tournaments, under the theme “Advancing women participation in the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup and beyond” are meant to put women in sport on the map. These tournaments, that are bringing together women from all over the country for this weekend’s celebrations, is just one of the many ways we will be ensuring that women take their rightful place in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. In this true display of sisterhood, we are ensuring that the spotlight is redirected to women in sport. It is our way of ensuring that the legacy of the World Cup leaves the desired ripple effect even to the periphery of the country.
Indeed, while we are celebrating here this weekend, women are still living in abject poverty and many are being abused. Women in this country have faced real hardship and yet, they have helped shape the history of this country. Today, women are required to excel in their professions and at the same time take care of their families. These are the women we want to assure that the legacy of the 2010 FIFA World Cup will bring with it hope for the future and improvement in our daily lives.
Already we know that this meeting of worlds in the southernmost part of Africa, will further cement trade agreements and we look towards our sisters on the African continent to strengthen those ties with their sisters from other countries. More benefits will hail from women entrepreneurs in the hospitality, tourism, transport, catering, clothing, arts and crafts sectors.
I wish to hail our “Vakhegula vakhegula” teams who are participating here this weekend. They are a shining example for all of us that age is irrelevant when it comes to remaining healthy and active lifesyles. I am convinced that – at their ripe old age - they can still out-play even the youngest of female opponents!
Programme director,
It is time for the women of Africa to come to the fore and like the true soldiers of the past, to march ahead of the pack. We already have Ria Ledwaba and Manto Madlala in the forefront of the football arena. We need more pioneers to get involved to ensure that the voices of women are represented in sport. May we hear of a lot more of them in the future!
Furthermore, we wish to once again point out that sport remains a uniting factor and this is once again an opportunity for us to create social cohesion, as women from all different cultural backgrounds gather here this weekend. We reiterate that, in history, women from all racial perspectives have taken hands to create better lives for themselves and for their sisters. We are convinced that we can keep doing so by coming together in events such as these.
A special word of thanks and welcome to all who joined us this morning, during this evening’s festivities and tomorrow’s continuation of our celebrations. Especially those who have travelled so far. I hope to see each and every one at the Women’s Fun Walk tomorrow morning at 08h00, from the sports grounds opposite Mankweng hospital.
Forward, sisters, to the 2010 FIFA World Cup! I thank you!
Source: Limpopo Department of Sport, Arts and Culture
Province
