Greetings to YOU;
To my fellow South Africans,
visitors to our home,
our friends at Fifa,
and to you, our new friends in every corner of the world who have joined us in your living room, in your car, at your computer or mobile phone: reading, listening, watching, participating with us in our celebration of the beautiful game in Africa.
I have lived the dream of millions this past month; I have met some of the greatest sportspeople of our time, watched matches with celebrated politicians, engaged with many of the most gifted and creative people of our time. I have been overwhelmed by the spirit of joy in our land.
Roger Cohen of the New York Times wrote this week: “This is the first magical World Cup.” He wrote: “Those who stayed away out of fear missed an uplifting event … The stadiums got finished, the airports, the roads, things worked… The naysayers overlooked something invisible, (the) race-blind South African spirit.”
But we know it. We as South Africans live it. The land that grew from apart-hate is now the land that teaches the world about unity. We dare not lose that. It sets us apart, makes us teachers, brings success.
We may not have won on the playing field, although Bafana Bafana did us proud, but we have won in every other way.
I have watched incredible games by sportsmen who have shown courage and a deep love for their countries as they give their all at our beautiful stadiums.
But most of all I have been impressed by YOU.
I have been impressed by you, the stadium worker who has kept our stadiums clean and working efficiently.
I have been thankful for the hard work from you, the police officer who has spent long hours on the roads, in shopping malls, in airports and rail stations, in stadiums and suburbs protecting our visitors, caring for our people. I have noted with appreciation a 24% drop in crime.
I have seen how you the roadworker, the flight attendant, waiters, hotel staff and the toll plaza cashier have worked harder for longer hours without complaint. I appreciate how you have welcomed visitors, helped them and given South Africa and the world your best.
It is with gratitude that I have noted workers withhold actions, in this wage negotiation season, to put South Africa first.
Bosses who let tens of thousands of staff take part in World Cup celebration marches on 9 July helped start this feeling of unity, peace and joy that has remained in our land this glorious month.
There are 43m thank you’s I need to extend in South Africa and 6,5bn across the world. I can’t shake each hand, embrace every person, bow before each to honour and thank you as I would like to, but know that as I speak now, I speak only to YOU.
I am proud of the open hearts and African warmth you have extended to visitors to our home.
It has been a blessing to read, hear and see the praise heaped upon this African nation by the media. Fellow Africans take heed; the world embraces us when we show our best side. This should be our motivation; the fuel for us to conquer every adversity.
We cannot lose the precious gifts and important learnings of this World Cup.
The lessons are many. Most of all we learnt that it is not how great your reputation, nor how powerful your nation, it is how disciplined you are, how hard you are prepared to work as a team.
I have thrilled to the exuberance of soccer fans as they walk through our streets wearing flags as capes, or singing their patriotism as they march to stadia. If these are football fans, we want more of you to visit; we love the positive energy you have brought to our country.
Most of all their every action says, I am a citizen of a nation that makes me proud. I want everyone to know how much I love my country and how much I want it to win with everything it does. Their love humbles every politician.
In soccer there are no boundaries. The only conflict takes place upon a field; some get hurt but no one dies, no anger is allowed to remain. At the end shirts are exchanged, hands are shaken, opponents pay tribute to each other. What a great lesson that is for the world.
Fifa you have given us a great gift. You gave South Africa the incentive to start and complete massive infrastructural projects that will propel our nation forward.
When we lagged, you were tough with us. You allowed no excuses; you expected only the best from us. You pushed us to reveal how disciplined and good we as a nation can be.
We proved it to ourselves in 1994 when we had a peaceful, negotiated end to three centuries of racial domination. We took our enemy’s hand in ours and said, “let’s work together, this nation is deserving of a great love. Our personal enmities are nothing compared to what South Africa deserves.”
There is no colour in our love for South Africa. It is pure. It is selfless. Our love for our home demands that we should be greater than we believe we are, better than we think we can be.
Sometimes it takes a sport to remind us of how great we can be. Don’t forget. Don’t stop now. Stay vigilant over this peace, this joy, this unity - protect it. We cannot ever again forget how great we as a nation are. And that what we love most is not just the mountains and the landscape, what we love most is the people. Each other. This is our wealth.
Siyabonga. Dankie. Grazie! |
