E Molewa: Gala dinner to honour World Boxing Championship fight

19 July 2006

Programme Director,
MEC for Sports, Arts and Culture, honourable Ndleleni Duma,
Executive Mayor of Merafong Local Municipality, Clr D D van Rooyen,
Mayors and councillors present,
Manager of World Sport Promotions, Mr T Strydom,
Representatives from Goldfields Mines,
Members of the boxing fraternity present,
Members of the media,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen:

I am extremely delighted tonight to have been invited to this gala dinner in
honour of the World Boxing Championship fight between our own Thomas Mashaba,
the defending champion versus his South American challenger Wayne Cabrera from
Argentina.

In a few weeks’ time, Laila Ali the super middleweight champion and daughter
of US heavyweight boxing legend Muhammad Ali will be slugging it out against
Gwendolyn O’Neal in Cape Town in the Western Cape.

In the midst of the boxing mania that is happily gripping our nation, we
remember fondly Laila Ali’s father, the greatest Muhammad Ali’s immortal words
about boxing and championship when he said:

“Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have
deep inside them; a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last minute
stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the
will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.”

Indeed, in the form of Thomas Mashaba we have a man who resembles the
qualities that Muhammad Ali said must be found in a champion. A man from very
humble beginnings, a mineworker and a persistent fighter, Mashaba possesses
both the skill and the will to be a champion that he is.

We are further delighted that on Friday, this champion of ours will be
defending his title in front of his home crowd as a proud resident of the
Merafong Local Municipality. We therefore urge all the people of Merafong to
come in numbers to support this son of the soil so that we ensure that the
champion’s belt remains here at Merafong.

This is clearly one boxing event that holds a greater significance for the
local community of Merafong and indeed the entire North West province. We are
extremely proud to be hosting this international fight.

Although the province has hosted in the past and continues to host numerous
fights of international status, Mashaba’s title defence fight is much more
important to us because it represents our sports developmental approach of
taking sports to the people. On Friday, we will add to what Sun City and the
Carousel have done for our province by including Merafong in that hall of
fame.

As we all know with this fight will come an incredible spotlight of
international media and attention, all keen to discover the talent and
enthusiasm for boxing that can be found in our province and in Merafong in
particular.

As the SABC2 beams live this major international fight to million viewers
across the country on Friday we are certain that we will be encouraging and
motivating many other young and upcoming boxers to focus on their talent, train
hard so that they can realise their goal of becoming world champions like
Thomas Mashaba.

We say today and we will say on Friday that it is possible, it can be done
and this is a magnificent way of showing our commitment to revive sports
activity and boxing in particular that takes place in our mining communities.
We need to unearth this talent, nurture it and showcase it to the sporting
nations of the world.

That is why I must express my special gratitude and salute Mr Strydom and
the World Sport Promotions for bringing this international bout to our
backyard. On Friday Merafong will be alive with possibilities and the whole
world will see the sporting talent that emanates from this mining town.

More importantly, this fight will once more demonstrate our commitment to
work with Merafong as a collective resource to build our locality and together
address whatever challenges that face us as a province and as a nation.

Our experience and admiration for sports has always been its ability to
break down whatever barriers, to bring diverse people together in healthy
competition and instil a desire in all of us to succeed in whatever we are
doing.

I am therefore certain that this spirit of a winning nation will permeate
not only Merafong but also the entire nation as we watch this son of the soil
defending his title in front of his own people and in the glare of the
international world on Friday.

Whatever the outcome of the fight we will have won as Merafong, we will have
won as North West Province for having utilised sports once again to unite our
people behind the reality of a nation in the making, thirsty for a win in
whatever endeavour we embark upon.

In no small measure this fight will contribute to South Africa’s proud
history on the world boxing stage. The country's boxers have won close to
hundred world titles from light flyweight through to heavyweight and South
Africa continues to churn out fighters ready to challenge for world crowns.

I am certain most of you are familiar with such names as Thulani "Sugar boy"
Malinga, Cassius Baloyi, Lehlohonolo "Hands of Stone" Ledwaba, Mzukisi Sikali,
Masibulele "Hawk" Makepula, Mbulelo Botile, Gerrie Coetzee, Brian Mitchell,
Johnny du Ploy, Peter Mathebula, Dingaan Thobela, Baby Jake Matlala.

All the boxers I have mentioned demonstrate that our boxers have achieved a
lot since boxing opened its doors to all South Africans. Areas such as the
Eastern Cape, especially around East London, have produced and continue to
produce numerous classy fighters.

In the South Africa of today boxing has rightly become a sport of the people
where race no longer matters. Today the success of every South African boxer is
a success for South Africa, a victory for our democracy and a hope for the
future of our children.

That is why we are all looking forward to hosting this major international
featherweight title on Friday. It means a lot to Thomas Mashaba. It means a lot
to the people of Merafong and the province. It means a lot to the sporting
nation of South Africa.

While it is in the nature of sports camaraderie to wish both contestants
good luck before the fight, I would like to divert a bit from the norm and
express my desire to have this championship belt remain here in Merafong.

Finally, let me once more thank all those who worked to ensure that this
international event takes place in our province and among our mining
communities. I am certain I am speaking for all of them when I say we are
looking forward to the biggest international bout that Merafong has ever
seen.

We are all winners for having secured the staging of this important fight
and come Friday we will even be victorious from the boxing ring itself.

We thank Thomas Mashaba for keeping the light of our province shining bright
and wish him luck in retaining his world featherweight boxing championship on
Friday.

Enjoy the fight and thank you for this opportunity.

Issued by: Office of the Premier, North West Provincial Government
19 July 2006