of the MTN FIFA World Cup Campaign,
Johannesburg
3 March 2009
Programme director
CEO of MTN, Phuthuma Nhleko
Chairperson of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), Dr Irvin Khoza
Members and directors of MTN
Members of the LOC present with us today
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen
Members of the media
It is a great honour and a privilege for me to participate in and address
this inaugural launch of the MTN FIFA World CUP Campaign. Indeed as we
participate in this MTN FIFA World Cup Campaign, we pay tribute to the millions
of our people who daily roll up their sleeves to ensure the success of the
historic African 2010 FIFA World Cup.
In this regard, we salute the workers of our country who despite their
challenges, toil day and night to ensure the readiness of our stadium, rail,
roads and telecommunication throughout the length and breadth of our country
for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
We thank the women of our country, the youth, the students, professionals,
religious communities, the sporting fraternity and all other organised
formations of our people who stand ready to open up their homes to welcome the
multitudes of the peoples of the world as they descend on our country to
participate in the 2010 FIFA World Cup events.
By our actions in among others the launch of the MTN FIFA World Cup Campaign
today, we convey without fear of contradiction an unequivocal message to the
peoples of Africa and indeed the rest of humanity our readiness to host this
most beautiful spectacle of the world the FIFA World Cup.
We do so fully aware of the massive Afro-pessimist propaganda campaigns
launched in various parts of the world against our country and its people
essentially questioning our ability to host this FIFA World Cup.
We know and know too well that whatever we have done individually and
collectively to make the 2010 FIFA World Cup a success, we have dealt a massive
blow to the wishes of those who seek to perpetuate negative stereotypes of
African people in particular and the African continent in general.
Accordingly, we reiterate our gratitude to FIFA President Sepp Blatter and
members of the FIFA Governing Body for the confidence thrust upon our
government and its people to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup on our shores and on
behalf of the entire African continent.
Once more we express acknowledge the critical role played by our own Irvin
Khoza, Danny Jordaan, Molefi Oliphant and other members of the Local Organising
Committee to bring the 2010 FIFA World Cup to our country.
Most certainly we cannot but pay homage to our Nobel Laureates former President
Nelson Mandela, FW De Klerk, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and our immediate former
President Thabo Mbeki for the sterling role they played in helping to win the
2010 FIFA World Cup bid for our country and indeed the African continent. We
dare not fail them!
In this context we look forward to hosting a conference on our shores to
highlight the role of soccer in helping to create a climate for peace and
stability in our continent.
This conference as you probably are aware will bring together among others
members of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee, Nobel Peace Laureates including
Nelson Mandela, FW De Klerk and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Members of the FIFA
World Cup Executive Committee, the Local Organising Committee and
representatives of our own government.
The launch today of the MTN FIFA World Cup Campaign must necessarily be
viewed within the context of all national efforts aimed at making the 2010 FIFA
World Cup indeed one of the great successes the world has ever witnessed. The
MTN FIFA World Cup Campaign like all other national efforts provide us with a
unique and an excellent opportunity to highlight the beauty of our country,
ubuntu and the inner warmth of our people. But most importantly it is a
statement of confidence in the ability of our Local Organising Committee, the
government and people of our country to prepare for and stage a successful 2010
FIFA World Cup.
Through its US$65 million sponsorship, its malaria-reduction partnership
programme, network coverage of the World Cup through mobile phones to millions
of people around Africa and the Middle East, MTN FIFA World Cup Campaign
correctly adds to the great momentum of the people of our country and the rest
of the African continent to make a success of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It is
indeed one of the great building blocs in our national efforts towards the
success of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
The MTN FIFA World Cup Campaign should therefore serve as a catalyst for all
private sector initiatives to unleash the creativity of our people and to
create the necessary climate of excitement and anticipation of the success of
the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It should serve to prick the conscience of all other
private sector participants to ask the fundamental question, not of what we can
gain from the 2010 FIFA World Cup but what we indeed can do individually and
collectively to make the 2010 FIFA World Cup a success and thus help bring
glory and honour to our country, our people and indeed the rest of the African
continent.
Like MTN and all other patriots, we cannot wait for 2010 to showcase to the
people of the world that "we love our country and its peoples all its peoples.
It is a varied land of snow capped mountain peaks, of deserts and sub-tropical
greenery covering vast mineral resources. Its warm seas to the east and cold
ones to the west contain also large animal and mineral resources."
"Our peoples, with their varied cultures which are continuously mingling and
interacting to their mutual enrichment, exhibit, despite their conditions, a
great love for life and a sensitive joy in the creative and human endeavours of
the peoples of the world, without exception," Oliver Tambo United Nations
General Assembly 26 October 1976.
Indeed we are impatient for the dawn of 2010 to highlight to the peoples of
the world progress made thus far in consolidating our democracy, in pushing
back the frontiers of racism and sexism while showcasing what has been done to
ensure the young of our country have the best that mankind has produced, in
which they are being taught to love the people of all races, to defend the
equality of the peoples, to honour creative labour, to uphold the oneness of
mankind and to hate untruths.
Yet the critical question we all must ask is what we can do to utilise the
opportunities that will be created by the 2010 FIFA World Cup as well as the
forthcoming 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup to push back the frontiers of poverty
and under-development that afflict not only our country, but our region and the
rest of the African continent?
Coming against the background of the current global financial and economic
crisis, what is it that we ought to do to mitigate the negative effects of this
global economic downturn particularly on the most vulnerable and poor
communities of our country?
Indeed what is it that we should collectively do to maximise benefits from
the FIFA World Cup including the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup to consolidate
the macro-economic stability of our country, which has cushioned our country
from the most devastating effects of the global downturn?
I am certain that working together we can do more in mobilising the
resources of our country to ensure that the 2010 FIFA World Cup adds to the
momentum of achieving our national objective of creating a better life for all
our people and an improvement in the quality of life for all South
Africans.
Together with FIFA, we have launched a series of 2010 FIFA World Cup Legacy
Projects in several parts of our continent as part of the recognition that the
2010 FIFA World Cup is indeed an African World Cup.
Indeed working together with the rest of the Southern African Development
Community (SADC) member states, we are looking into various projects including
UNIVISA and the possible utilisation of regional stadium for training
facilities to ensure that the 2010 FIFA World Cup benefits not only the people
of our country but indeed the people of our region and helps to add to the
momentum of regional integration as a prelude to the attainment of the
continental political and economic integration.
Let us all emulate the MTN clarion call We canât wait, lets go 2010 and
state without equivocation that together we can do more to make our country and
is people, the people of our region, the African continent and the African
Diaspora proud by making the 2010 FIFA World Cup a uniquely African event and
one of the best ever organised FIFA World Cup.
I thank you.
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
3 March 2009
Source: Department of Foreign Affairs (http://www.dfa.gov.za/)
