Speaker of the National Assembly (NA); Honourable Mr Max Sisulu
Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), Honourable Mninwa J Mahlangu
Deputy Speaker of NA, Honourable Ms NomaIndia Mfeketho
Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP,Honourable Ms Thandi Memela
His Excellency, the President of the Republic, President Zuma and Deputy President Kgalema Montlante
Chief Whips of the Majority Party in the NA and NCOP, Honourable Mathole Motshega and Ms Nosipho Ntwanambi
The Leader of the Opposition Parties, Honourable Ms Lindiwe Sisulu
Premiers and MECs present here today
Honourable Members of Parliament (MPs)
All Athletes and Sports Administrators present here this morning
All Sports Federations represented here this morning
Distinguished Guests
Fellow South Africans
Ladies and Gentlemen
We would like at the onset to affirm that the year 2012 has been a happiest year for the sport fraternity in the Republic of South Africa. It has also been a happy year for the African National Congress (ANC), the majority party in this August House, the Parliament of the Republic, because in this year, the ruling party is celebrating 100 years of its existence. Also this year our country is celebrating 18 years of the existence of the peoples’ democratic parliament, an activist’s parliament since our people marked their first democratic vote in the 1994 democratic and free elections. As our country is celebrating the centenary of the ANC; sport and recreation fraternity is celebrating the centenary of 6 medal achievements.
Therefore, we are all gathered in this August House of our people at the request of the Speaker of the National Assembly of Parliament of the Republic of South Africa and the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) to welcome and celebrate the great achievements of our sportsmen and women especially our Olympians who took part at the 2012 London Olympics between July and August this year.
We are also assembled here this morning to celebrate the colossal sacrifices of our people and the dedication of all our sportsmen and women whilst at the same time celebrating sports excellence that has been displayed by all our athletes who represented our beautiful country in the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
In the same token, this House is assembled to congratulate all the efforts of our athletes and provide words of encouragements to all the 2012 Olympians whilst at the same time providing courage for the next generations of athletes who will take South Africa forward towards the Rio de Janeiro Olympics 2016, the 2020 Olympics and beyond.
Thus, Mr Speaker and the Chairperson of the NCOP, I would like to humbly take this opportunity to thank both the Houses of Parliament for hosting this important gathering on behalf of the people of South Africa to say their unreserved tribute to all our athletes and Olympians.
Speaker and Chairperson, the year 2012 marks one of those years in the history of South Africa where our country and our people have made tremendous strides in sport and recreation. This year our country and athletes have done exceptionally well in their codes across the board. They have excelled and raised our sporting bar to new and higher heights in the history of the Republic.
Our athletes and all our national teams have, against all odds, made our people proud and our country a winning nation. We are therefore gathered here this morning to pay homage to these martyrs and also celebrate their dedication, commitment as well as excellence and achievement in South Africa and across the globe. Indeed, the year 2012 in general and the month of August in particular will go in history as one of the epochs to remember especially the achievements in sport and recreation, the 2012 London Olympics included.
Honourable Members, we are joined in the gallery by our Olympians who represented our country at the 2012 London Olympics. Together with them are the sons and daughters of our soil who accompanied them to the Olympics as their support team. In the same gallery we must welcome the presence of our Netball National Team who has just won the recently launched Netball Diamond Challenge.
These girls, Ladies and Gentlemen, have just defeated Malawi, the number one African Netball nation and one of the top netball countries in the world. Also in the gallery we are joined by our Sport Legends particular the rugby veterans from the Western Cape Province who are here to grace this important event in the history of our people’s democratic parliament.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Olympic Games celebrate the spirit of sportsmanship. The games are also a medium to spread the message of unity and peace amongst the countries of the world. At the Olympics, ambitious sports persons face the ultimate test of performance. What makes Olympic Winners achieve their goals? How does their passion fuel them to scale new heights? The answers to such questions can be found in the inner-souls of the Olympians and their experiences. If you have never participated in any Olympics or any sport tournament, you will never know what these athletes go through.
Honourable Members, to qualify my statement; let us borrow from the words of Oscar Pistorius, one of our 2012 Olympians when he was preparing to take part in the 400m semi-finals. Oscar finished last in his 400m semi-final but won the hearts of everyone at the 2012 London Olympics. Whilst at starting point he said the following sentiments:
“Just standing here in the starting blocks, hearing the crowd I was just standing, smiling, getting cramps in my cheeks. I have always been an athlete who wants to push myself as hard as I can and look up to the guys I run against. I don’t have any regrets. Just being out here in front of this crowd with 70 000 people, it felt like 170 000 people. It has been an unbelievable experience for me.”
These feelings by Oscar, represents the feelings of thousands of athletes who participate in the Olympics and other sport tournaments before, during and after the events. The pressure these young sportsmen and women go through before, during and after the competitions is overwhelming. Their participation in these tournaments is like representing their nations in periods of war and battle; and the only thing they think of is to win perhaps and bring glory to their nations.
Whilst winning and national glory becomes the major barometer a particular generation of Olympians is judged upon by their countries, it is not the major indicator for many of our sportsperson’s achievements. Without doubt Oscar Pistorius has truly inspired the next generation of athletes, whether they made it to the Olympics or not. He is a true South African patriot. He is a fighter. He is a martyr.
As Mr Pierre de Coubertin, Founder of modern Olympic Games argues it:
“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part, the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well”.
Hence, we are gathered here this morning to pay tribute to the 125 Olympians who took part in the 2012 London Olympic Games. We want to unequivocally say to all of them well done. You fought well. You made our country proud. We are all proud of you!
Honourable Members, this strong group of athletes who are occupying this House Gallery today are the men and women who represented this country in the 2012 Olympic Games. During the weekend after South Africa and the world celebrated the 94th anniversary of the birthday of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela on 18 July 2012, these gallant fighters reached the soil of the United Kingdom. At their arrival in the foreign land the songs of the people of South Africa vibrated the Wall Street welcoming Team South Africa to the United Kingdom for the 2012 London Olympics.
At the same time the South African flags were raised high and hoisted in the South Africa House in London and on the Mandela Statue at Trafalgar Square. This was a sign of the heroic presence of the sons and daughters of the soil of South Africa.
At this hour of destiny, in both Cricket and Golf, the 'Madiba Magic' resonated once more in the minds of our sportsmen and women. As Oliver Reginald Tambo once said to the youth of our country during the dark days of apartheid:
“At this hour of destiny, the country and your people need you. The future of South Africa is in your hands; and it will be what you make of it”.
Of cause, at that hour of destiny, on the British soil, Ernie Else won his 2nd British Open Championship by one stroke showing his majestic character when he outclassed Adam Scott after World number 13 Scott suffered an extraordinary late collapse on an incident-packed final day. These were greetings that welcomed Team SA in the foreign land, extraordinary welcome of a 'winning nation' nation. Within the same British soil, Hashim 'Mighty Hash' Amla broke a record at The Oval by securing three centuries (300) and making '311 not out' whilst in the same vein Graeme Smith was bagging a milestone century in his 100th test as Proteas took the overall control of the 1st test against England on the third day during the same weekend.
To celebrate this historic victory, our sport legend Gary Player dubbed our triumph in both Cricket and Golf in the following manner:
"South Africa is the only country in the world, with the exception of USA, to win all the majors Postwar with 24 Majors. Ernie Else and Proteas win was motivated by the Mandela Fighting Spirit".
Regrettably, it was also on the same British soil that one of our own, the Three Time Cricketer of the Year, Mark Boucher, the son of our soil, got injured in his eye during a warm-up match against Somerset at Taunton when a bail hit his eye. However, when Mark touched the South African soil to undergo surgery at the end of August. His doctor announced that Mark was in a stable condition and that he can see movements, but, he urged the nation to be patient because Boucher's recovery looks promising. We wish him a speedy recovery.
Ladies and Gentlemen, as a result, when hosting the send-off banquet for all our Olympians and Paralympians we reminded them that their send-off is a "twin honour and is blessed” because it coincided with the Nelson Mandela’s birthday and therefore must serve as further motivation for the team to perform for Tata Madiba ... All our athletes are therefore blessed with the well-known inspiring 'Madiba Magic' that motivates all sportsmen and women of South Africa to perform at their best".
These triumphant moments and majestic performances on the British soil confirmed our words to Team SA on 18 July 2012 when we said they must in the field of sport give our nation's message to the Queen that 'South Africa is a country full with possibilities'. We gave them a mandate to go to London not as 'Subjects' of the 'Crown' and a 'Delegation of the Colonised and Oppressed Africans', but, as 'Equals' in the global affairs, including in sport. Today these off-springs of our forefathers who made 'Deputations' to the 'Queen', many years ago were going, to the Great Brain to represent South Africa (once a Colony of Great Britain) as a free country and a dignified people.
Hence, our excellent performance as displayed by our sportspersons in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in July and early August should serve as a motivational factor for all our athletes to know that South Africa is indeed a 'winning nation'.
Honourable Members, our Olympians represented the country exceptionally well in London. South Africans made the biggest waves in the pool of many developing and developed nations. Our country led the pack of African countries in the Olympics coming back home with three gold, one silver and one bronze medal. Chad le Clos won gold in the 200m Butterfly, and silver in the 100m Butterfly, switching places with American world champion Michael Phelps, when butterflying to glory.
Cameron Van der Burgh won gold in the 100m Breaststroke whilst Bridgitte Hartley won South Africa’s first Bronze medal at the Olympic Games in the women’s Kayak Single K1 500m race. South Africa won a third gold medal in the men’s Lightweight four rowing event putting our country ahead in the medal standings of all African nations by the first week in London.
Caster Simenya showed lots of class by finishing second, whereas she nearly caused us heart attacks at the beginning of the race, she managed to earn a deserved silver medal. She still has a bright future in athletics and a long way to go. We must also remind ourselves that Caster has had to endure lots of unfair pressure in the past with those questioning here gender. Nevertheless, Suzaan van Biljong made the final in the 200m Breaststroke breaking the African record, and our sprinter Anaso Jobodwana made it to the finals 200m race and he too is showing much promise for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
South Africa is indeed a winning nation. Like Jesse Owens puts it:
“We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort”.
South Africa has passed the 2012 Olympic examinations with flying colours. In the 2012 London Olympics Africa was represented by 53 Nations. In the end only 10 African countries took home medals, two of them for the first time. South Africa led the African medal table. Our country has again emerged as a ‘winning nation’ once more after dashing the dreams of the so-called leading nations in sport and recreation. In the plunder of confusion South Africa has outscored countries like Argentina, Trinidad and Tobago, Lithuania, Norway, Finland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Turkey and many more to become number 21 in the world.
South Africa is number one African country in the 2012 London Olympic medal tally. We are number five in the Commonwealth of Nations medal tally. Indeed we are a sporting nation to be reckoned with in the world nations of sport. These are the moments of triumph and victory in the history of sport and recreation in the Republic.Indeed,2012 London Olympics will go through the annals of history and be remembered by many generations to come as our athletes gave Nelson Mandela a gracious birthday present, whilst giving all the women of South Africa a befitting happy women’s day present.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I have instructed the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) to compile a comprehensive report of our campaign at the 2012 London Olympics as well as all the activities of Team South Africa in London. The report will include the performances of our team at the Paralympic Games which takes off today. We will thereafter table such a report to this House for consideration. The contents and recommendations of the report read together with the National Sport and Recreation Plan (NSRP) will assist South Africa to prepare well in advance for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Honourable Members, it must, however, be noted that our participation in all previous Olympics everything we have achieved thus far was done in the absence of an integrated and coherent plan to identify, nurture and develop our athletes. The recently approved National Sport and Recreation Plan with the schools sport program as its bedrock will ensure that much more sporting talent will be identified and developed which will make us more competitive in future international competitions.
The sport and recreation plan is a broad based strategy that will ensure that South Africa will be competitive in the next Olympics and other events in future.
A fundamental prerequisite for the successful implementation of the National Sport and Recreation Plan is sufficient funding and in this regard we will lobby all sectors of society to join us on this road especially our government and the private sector to invest more in the future of our sport. We have embarked on this difficult road ahead as we endeavour to conquer the world in sport, but the building blocks are in place and we must continue on this positive road to international success.
After tabling the NSRP to this House, SRSA and all other stakeholders will embark on the country wide road shows to engage all our communities on the contents of the NSRP and popularise the plan among our people whilst at the same time creating awareness. At the centre of the road shows will be to entrench the sport plan in the heart of all our people especially the sport and recreation sector. We will do this through a robust school sport programme for therein lies the latent talent and future Olympians and Champions of South Africa.
We therefore urge all our municipalities and provincial governments to come to the party as soon as possible as we urgently want the much needed sport and recreation facilities like the swimming pools, tennis courts, cricket ovals, rugby and soccer fields as well as netball and basketball courts especially in our disadvantaged and neglected communities in particular our rural areas and townships.
Honourable Members and the House, this week we are playing host to the Basketball without Borders 10th Anniversary Matches. Our intention, in this regard, is to extricate basketball from the doldrums and return it to its former glory. We encourage all our people to attend the clinics in all the areas which will be announced soon. Next year we will officially launch a national College and University Basketball League in South Africa and these leagues will create vibe and access as well as opportunities for our youth seeking to advance their sporting and academic careers.
As we celebrate the centenary of 6 medal victory today and at the same time celebrating the centenary of the ANC, these are the memories we lest to forget.
Thank you.
Speech of the Minister of Sport and Recreation South Africa (SRSA), Honourable Mr Fikile April Mbalula (MP), on the occasion of the Joint Sitting of both Houses of Parliament (NA and NCOP) to welcome and congratulate to 2012 London Olympians, Parliament o
