Mr Speaker, Mr Deputy President, Ministers and colleagues, in 2006 I told this House that the 2010 World Cup was just under four years away and that we had some 1 460 days to ensure that we got everything right.
I said that the government needed to provide:
... strong leadership and a clearly focused and deadline-driven vision for the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
I also said that in four years' time: South Africans want to look back with pride, not only with regard to our performance in the tournament, but also with regard to our role as host and organiser. As of today there are 212 days to go and that challenge still holds.
There is something the World Cup can deliver to our people that no amount of money ever will. Here I refer to the priceless example of everything we can be as individuals and as a nation. I refer to evidence of our ability, proof of our will to succeed, a legacy of success, and a reservoir of self- belief, as examples that will benefit us long after the final whistle has blown.
But to succeed we must fixate with laser-like intensity on one clear objective, and that is to produce the best World Cup ever. We must not simply match but surpass the achievement of every host nation that has come before us: our World Cup must be run more efficiently; our hospitality must be much warmer and more generous; and our streets must be much safer than anything experienced before.
To make it happen we need inspired leadership, a clear management structure and obsessive attention to detail. Today the government and the World Cup Local Organising Committee have delivered on this requirement and their role in the management and creation of this event must be commended. I think we can clap. [Applause.]
But we aren't there yet. To use a rugby analogy, we can't drop the ball with the try line in sight. And we can't drop the ball, because this World Cup is as much about the next year as it is about the next generations. It is about leaving behind a legacy that we can all be proud of and benefit from for generations to come.
Central to that objective is making sure that this World Cup has a series of benefits that run far into the future. Here I am not talking just about infrastructure or better systems and structures, but about an emotional benefit, a sense of pride in our democracy and our achievement. This is our real challenge and the prize that awaits us.
Finally, let me take this opportunity to thank the Local Organising Committee and Dr Khoza for what they are doing. As far as I'm concerned, coming from Port Elizabeth, I really want to thank Danny Jordaan, because we are from the same area. Danny, we are very proud of you. [Applause.]