D Peters: Federation International Football Association Local Organising
Committee Medical workshop

5 October 2007

Programme Director
Members of the Executive Council in the Province
Members of the Provincial Legislature
Member of the Fifa Sports Medical Committee
Members of the Local Organising Committee
Practitioners and activists in the sports medical discipline
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen

I rise in this historical gathering with a message of goodwill from the
people of the Northern Cape. It is common course that the Northern Cape is the
only province in the country that will not host an official 2010 Fifa World Cup
match. The gathering of today is however a manifestation that the hosting of
the event in the country needs to be benchmarked by opportunities provided to
areas and sectors that can otherwise be regarded as peripheral.

It is for that reason that we applaud the decision of the Local Organising
Committee to hols this event in Kimberley and allow us to showcase what the
province has to offer. We are aware that in the build up towards the 2010 Fifa
World Cup, numerous conferences will be held and this province out rightly
declares its continued availability to co-host these events with the Organising
Committee.

Programme Director, the involvement of the people of the Kimberley in soccer
dates as far back as the colonial wars of the early 1900s as well as and the
period of mineral revolution and industrialisation. A research that was done by
Professor Alegi, which chronicles the history of soccer in South Africa, reveal
that 'the first black national soccer association' was the South African Indian
Football Association and was founded in Kimberley back in 1903.

Through the history of our country, Kimberley has remained a key area in
both the administration of a number of sporting codes. It is therefore only
relevant on the part of the organising committee to ensure that this legacy is
nurtured and further developed to benefit the citizens of this part of the
country. Our provincial government has over the past year worked around the
clock to develop systems that define, locate and fully involves the Northern
Cape in the preparations and ultimate hosting of the 2010 Fifa World Cup. We
are glad to report to this forum that a provincial strategy has been finalised
and our priorities and expected outcomes are fully in place.

The Northern Cape province was successful in brokering a deal with Free
State province in ensuring that we participate fully in the hosting of the
world cup. Through consultations with the Free State government and the
Mangaung Municipality, Kimberley has been identified as one of the cities that
will host one of the countries that will be part of the stream that will be
hosted by Mangaung.

This deal came at a time when the Northern Cape was eagerly trying to
position itself in maximising all possible benefits that the province could
derive from the hosting of the 2010 Fifa World Cup. Amongst other things, our
province is expected to rally all its resources to ensure that the standards
set elsewhere in the country are met and all critical and ancillary services
are readily available to our visitors.

The partnership with the Free State is one that directly involves the
Northern Cape in the core operations of the World Cup and therefore needs
concerted programmes and activities. We are aware this daunting task can not be
overcome by government alone. It is for that reason that we invited our local
businesses and other stakeholders to this opening ceremony in order to allow
them to get a feel on what type of activities and standards the 2010 Fifa World
Cup will be characterised.

We have streamlined a number of working committees that are aimed at leaving
no detail unattended to. The Political Committee, which is chaired by the MEC
for Sport, Arts and Culture, continues to lead and give guidance to all
technical and support committees to ensure that the province does not lose the
hype that has already been created. At the centre of our endeavours, in
preparations to the world cup, is the legacy that this event will leave for the
province. It is our belief that since the announcement that South Africa will
host the Fifa World Cup in 2010, this province has seen an increase in the
level of awareness and participation in most sporting codes.

Due to the absence of a professional soccer league team in the province, we
have been forced and succeeded to lure important official soccer matches to
Kimberley and will continue to do so. Our plan is to bring back the golden days
of the 1970's when the Kimberley based Dalton Brothers Football Club competed
in the then professional league. To this score, the Department of Sport, Arts
and Culture has embarked on an ambitious sports development programme that is
set to move the level of competition in the province to higher standards. This
programme includes the training of coaches and coaching clinics for our
players, the training of referees and the training of club managers in the
administration of teams in the province.

We report today that this programme has already started to bear fruit as our
Under 17 soccer team has been granted the opportunity to compete with
established soccer team and produced good results. In a tournament that was
hosted in August that gave our lads the opportunity to play against Ajax Cape
Town under 17 side, Free State South Africa Games team, Karas regional under 17
team from Namibia. The Northern Cape team came out with flying colours and won
this tournament.

The Northern Cape also faired dwell during the fourth South African Games
held in Bloemfontein last moth. We are proud to brandish the bronze medal that
was capture by our lads. This and many other signs of progress will be
sustained and improved to further our competitive involvement in the South
African soccer scene.

Ladies and gentlemen, the information that we have presented to this forum
is indicative of the unlimited opportunities that come as a result of our
preparations for the Fifa 2010 World Cup. It will be a gross anomaly on our
part if we do not include the economic implications of this event. For one, our
agreement with the Free State Organising team includes the provision of at
least 20 000 beds to accommodate the hospitality needs of Mangaung.

This in itself implies a clear opportunity for our local businesses to draw
direct benefit from this state of affairs. The departments of Economic Affairs
and that of Tourism have developed a schedule of activities and a document to
ensure that the province meets required standards. Programme director, the
province is also in a process of readying itself to meet the Fifa requirements
and standards of providing base camp facilities to any country that it might
have to host as per agreement between the municipalities of Sol Plaatjie and
Mangaung.

To this score, the Executive Council in the province recently considered a
number of scenarios that will lead to the construction or upgrade of a facility
that will host practice matches. We are certain that an implementation
mechanism will be in place by the end of October and work will start next in
January 2008.

In conclusion, ladies and gentlemen, allow us to applaud the bold decision
of the Local Organising Committee to hold this conference in Kimberley and wish
them luck the deliberations that will take place. We are indeed honoured to be
granted with an opportunity to host events of this nature, and even bigger. We
urge you to indulge in the open skies, cheerful and peaceful attributes of the
Northern Cape. Veels Geluk.

I thank you.

Issued by: Office of the Premier, Northern Cape Provincial Government
5 October 2007