Deputy Speaker and hon President, the awarding of the Soccer World Cup to South Africa was a cause for much celebration across the boundaries of this beloved country and the continent. It was a dream. The successful hosting of the World Cup tournament proved that South Africa could rise to the challenge of hosting world-class events. We could scarcely believe how well we could deliver on all of our undertakings, without default.
The Minister of Finance, hon Gordhan, put it well when he said:
The tournament undoubtedly boosted our country's standing internationally, showcasing its capabilities in delivering world-class infrastructure on time and without imposing a financial burden on the national fiscus.
More importantly, the hosting of the Soccer World Cup acted as a catalyst for expanding our infrastructure base and economic growth. I confidently know that the government is putting together a sustainable infrastructure delivery plan that seeks to benefit the people of South Africa and the continent. Let that dream not become a nightmare.
Our people responded to all the calls to wear national colours with pride. Let's continue and be committed to setting aside Friday as a soccer day. All of us have the energy to carry forward the kind of fusion magic that Shakira created with her Waka Waka song.
After Bafana Bafana was eliminated from the contest, we heeded the call to fill the stadiums and throw our weight behind "BaGhana BaGhana". We showed the world that we could become good losers, with a positive view on things.
We must now be united in using all the lessons and positive outcomes of the World Cup for the betterment of our society. If what is being done by the hon Minister of Human Settlements to fight corruption with courage and determination is applied across all levels of government, our nation will have benefited from the World Cup experience.
There is a continuing debate on how to use our stadiums optimally. Cope supports the idea of the stadiums being used for a variety of sporting codes with an infusion of music, movement and dance, so that the nature of the spectacles attracts people.
Cope further supports the initiative by the Foundation for a Safe South Africa, the 2010 LOC, the Embassy of the Netherlands and the Institute for Democracy in Africa - taking a giant step by creating the Youth Zone Initiative, which combines football, computer literacy and life skills training to create an enabling environment for young people in the disadvantaged communities. Let this dream not become a nightmare.
Finally, I wish to pay tribute to rugby, cricket and other sport stars for showing their support for Bafana Bafana and the World Cup. There was a very great generosity of spirit that accorded perfectly with ubuntu, and it made us proud. May that spirit live forever. May all South Africans continue to profess the patriotism they openly displayed, so that after the World Cup we can finally succeed in finding ourselves outside the racial enclave and inside the embrace of a common South African nationhood. I thank you. [Applause.]