Hon Chairperson of the NCOP, His Excellency the President of the Republic, the Deputy President of the Republic, hon members and distinguished guests, as I rise to address the House, I wish to express an apology on behalf of the Premier, Dr Zweli Mkhize, who could not join us today. Mr President and hon members, today we have come to celebrate, not to mourn. Let us find another day to mourn and discuss other issues. [Applause.] This is indeed an important debate.
First and foremost, I want to salute all public servants who worked tirelessly to ensure that this country hosted a most successful World Cup showpiece.
We must also acknowledge the contribution of our communities in the political, economic and social arenas because it is a result of their dedication and support that we were able to host an incident-free soccer tournament. Bafana Bafana did not proceed to the next round, but the warmth and hospitality shown by locals has had a lasting impact on the minds of all visitors.
We pay tribute to the LOC for their dedication and commitment. Similarly, we must acknowledge the contribution of former President Thabo Mbeki and his Cabinet Ministers for working tirelessly to bring to the country the 2010 Fifa World Cup. [Applause.]
We remain indebted and shall forever be grateful to Nelson Mandela for his unique and exemplary leadership as the father of our rainbow nation. As we reflect on the successes that we scored during the World Cup, I urge all of us to keep a little of the Madiba spirit in our hearts and do good for others as a tribute to the hero of our times. We are overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response and interest that has been shown by our guests to this country. We are receiving positive feedback from ambassadors, consuls general and other dignitaries that we hosted. The most recent positive feedback came from the Australian Minister for Sports, Kate Ellis.
Indeed the World Cup enabled us to draw new interest in business and capital to this country. We presented to the visitors our ambitious plans to ensure that this country takes centre stage on the international trade front. The South African government took a decision to use the Fifa World Cup showpiece to showcase unity, our warmth and, most importantly, our commitment to the concept of the rainbow nation.
Members of this Parliament will recall that different leaders of our government, at the national as well as provincial levels, led delegations of officials from government, tourism organisations and investment agencies on visits to different countries. These visits form part of a comprehensive programme aimed at promoting South Africa to international markets as a sporting and investment destination. Our message to the international countries was very clear: South Africa was ready to host the World Cup.
It is not often that countries find themselves in this kind of convergence of positive measures of public mood, especially in a disparate society such as ours, with all kinds of fissures defined by race and the urban and rural divide. We'll use this convergence to move to a higher trajectory of growth, development and nation-building. South Africa is not only a beautiful and hospitable place on the continent, but a classic example of a community of people who have realised that their collective dreams can be achieved through mutual respect.
We were able to meet all challenges because this country was blessed with leaders coming from diverse communities. These leaders created a new society that thrives on unity, consensus and diversity. In the run-up to the World Cup, the KwaZulu-Natal government launched a community mobilisation campaign aimed at encouraging civic pride and proactive community participation in the World Cup.
The Department of Sport and Recreation launched a highly successful, countrywide mass mobilisation campaign, which saw interactions with communities throughout the length and breadth of our country. Concurrent with this campaign was another one driven by the Department of Arts and Culture, during which we encouraged people to fly our flag. The campaign was a resounding success, as people dug deep into their pockets and displayed our country's flags on their cars, homes, business premises, and so on.
There were also a variety of arts and culture programmes which kept our visitors entertained between the games. Teams from government also held community road shows and visited schools, churches, youth entertainment spots, shopping centres and other key attraction spots, conveying messages of encouragement to the public to play perfect hosts to our visitors during the World Cup.
Government's decision to invest in the hosting of public viewing areas during the World Cup tournament paid off tremendously. This ensured that thousands of our people who had no resources to watch matches in the host cities were part of the excitement and of making history, thanks to the visionary leadership of our President. [Applause.]
Public viewing areas were not only a means of entertainment for our people, but they also played a major role in empowering local small businesses. Artists, both emerging and well established, were also given platforms to perform in the public viewing areas. The challenge before us is to defend and protect the gains that we have made as a country during the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
The World Cup presented government with an opportunity to showcase the country's unparalleled natural resources, a tapestry of cultures, a rich history and heritage, and a magnificent topography that features evergreen valleys, eternally laughing waterfalls and attractive beaches, all ready to welcome both business and ordinary tourists.
To give visitors a true warm experience in KwaZulu-Natal, we developed a hosting programme involving a broad cross section of leadership of our people across all sectors, irrespective of their religion and political affiliation. We deployed our leaders to strategic areas where they acted as KwaZulu-Natal ambassadors, effectively becoming the face of the province. They interacted with key stakeholders that we hosted, who we believed would add immense value to the growth and development of our province and the country.
Most critically, our plan entailed a visit to Pretoria to share our vision with the diplomatic community over dinner with ambassadors. We invited them to identify influential stakeholders from their respective countries, who would be visiting South Africa during the World Cup. I am proud to report that the hosting plan was appreciated by the majority of the 56 ambassadors and high commissioners who attended prematch events. Other guests we hosted included businesspeople, chief executive officers, chairpersons of boards, political leaders, and others from abroad.
As I conclude my remarks, I want to draw your attention to comments from some VIPs that we hosted during the World Cup. Dieter W Haller, the ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, said:
Nowhere in the world could we have received a warmer welcome. I am absolutely overawed by your hospitality and the efforts you have gone to. The honorary consul for Portugal in Durban, Mr Tony de Souza, was another excited delegate. He congratulated KwaZulu-Natal for showcasing the province to the world. Ambassador Rudolf Baerfuss from the embassy of Switzerland was overwhelmed by the hospitality. He said:
I was here in March at the 100 days to go festivities and could not believe the transformation Durban has undergone. The city is a beautiful place to be and the Office of the Premier could not have gone to more trouble to make today a most memorable occasion for my wife and me. Switzerland is a landlocked country, so to be here next to the sea on your glorious beaches is indeed a privilege.
Clearly, our co-ordination capabilities ensured that our guests left our shores with a renewed respect for our country. I hope that they will be bringing their families and friends back to our country and our province. Viva Mzantsi! Viva! [Applause.]