Hon Chairperson, hon Minister and hon Deputy Minister, friends in the gallery, my colleagues and the department, this is my swansong.
Hon Graham, thank you very, very much for your kind words. I see that hon Kora is the last speaker, so thank you in anticipation for your kind words, Kora. [Laughter.]
I first came to this Parliament in 1994. Over the past 19 years, during which I have had the privilege of serving at the heart of our democratic order, I have seen three distinct phases.
The first I would call the phase of hope and fear. For the first five years of South Africa's new democracy, our actions were defined by these two impulses. We saw the great potential that freedom unlocked and with it the possibility that we might create, out of horror and prejudice, a new order and testament to everything that is wonderful about South Africa.
With that came much fear, as the possibility of failure always generates doubt and insecurity. It was an age of great aspiration and great trepidation. I think we have generally done well in keeping that hope alive and those fears fairly constrained.
The second phase is best described as one of self-awareness. Over the next 10 years, we came to realise that our hopes could not be instantaneously realised, that the eradication of problems required hard work and that our fears would become very real if ever we neglected or failed to be vigilant in our duty. Often, this was the case.
During this time the true nature of those obstacles we had to overcome were quantified - a terrible legacy of poverty and injustice that was as daunting as it was disheartening. Too often we supplemented rather than countered the problem.
As gevolg hiervan is ons nou in die derde fase - een van twyfel. Ons het gesien hoe ons hoop verflou toe die harde werklikheid ons tref. Ons probeer nou die vraag beantwoord: Kan ons oorleef?
Hoe goed ons hierdie uitdagings hanteer, sal 'n bepaling vir ons toekoms wees. As ons in onsself glo, eerder as om te twyfel, is ek seker dat ons oor ons probleem sal triomfeer. As ons ons aan 'n swak selfbeeld oorgee, sal ons misluk. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.) [As a result of this, we are now in the third phase - one of doubt. We have seen how our hope faded when the harsh reality hit us. We are now trying to answer the question: Can we survive?
How effective we are in dealing with these challenges will determine our future. If we believe in ourselves rather than to doubt, I am sure that we will triumph over our problem. If we submit to a poor self-image, we will fail.]
I have observed all of this from a sports perspective. Sport is my passion and my great love and, I think, a wonderful metaphor for our democratic journey. Few things better capture South Africa's potential for excellence, and the realisation of our hopes and dreams, than sport. At the same time, few things better capture our collective despair when those high ideals are crushed.
During my time, I have seen many speakers from the ANC come to this podium, but it has never been my impression that they held a fundamental belief in our potential; rather, they have always indulged our fears.
In reflecting, I asked myself why it is that after 19 years I have never heard an ANC speaker come up to this podium and clearly and precisely set out what excellence is - because there sits excellence if you look over on that side - and how it should be a defining ideal around which our sporting policies and programmes are shaped. How is that possible? Surely that is the defining ideal when it comes to sport, and, indeed, so many public concerns. Without the pursuit of excellence as a cornerstone, what is the purpose of competitive sport?
Daarteenoor het ander woorde prominent in die ANC-woordeskat geword - woorde soos "transformasie", "kwotas", "demografiese verteenwoordiging", maar nooit "uitnemendheid" nie. Uitnemendheid is vir hierdie administrasie, en di wat hom voorafgegaan het, 'n vloekwoord - 'n woord wat vermy moet word en agter ander belange weggesteek moet word. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[In contrast, many other words have become prominent in the vocabulary of the ANC - words such as "transformation", "quotas", "demographic representivity", but never "excellence". For this administration and those that preceded it, excellence is a swear word - a word that should be avoided and that should be obscured by other interests.]
Another statement that I have never heard is that the administration of South African sport will aspire to make excellence its pursuit and the fundamental purpose of every decision it undertakes and every outcome it pursues. Why is it, I asked, that we have never heard a commitment like that being made?
My colleague Dr Wilmot James has written that, and I quote:
The best antidote to our fears and insecurity is excellence, and when we take risks to act and succeed is when we confirm to ourselves and others that we are worthy.
I think that is a profound insight. Excellence is the answer to the questions we are currently grappling with. If we want to overcome our low sense of self-worth and the effects of decades of degrading treatment imposed on the majority of South Africans, we need to embrace excellence. We need to believe that we can be the best and then be the best, in order to set the standard and then to exceed it.
Can there be any better answer to self-doubt? Is there any greater source of confidence? My party and I have always advocated this. Our party's sports policy - and I am proud today to say that I am the author of that policy - which is the pursuit of excellence, is testimony to this ideal.
This is because we believe that every South African is first and foremost an agent and not a victim, and that given the right opportunities, everyone can succeed. Unfortunately, it is an answer the ANC seems unwilling to consider. I am asking today, please reconsider this.
I leave this debate with the following suggestion: Let us use sport to give South Africa the self-confidence it needs. Let us embrace excellence, not shun it. Let us make it the light that guides the decisions we make. Let us outlaw mediocrity and victimhood. Let us emphatically answer the question as to whether we are a great nation capable of great things. This is how we are going to dispel our doubts and realise our dreams.
Excellence is indeed the antidote to our fears. Let us start to distribute the cure and stop comforting the disease.
Chairperson, before I end, let me today convey my thanks to many people, including the administrators present, to Gideon for the wonderful job that he is doing, to cricket, rugby and all the sporting codes. They give South Africa hope and everything that is good.
As I have said, sometimes we lose and sometimes we win, ... [Applause.] ... but when we lose, we must lose not because we did not pick the best team but because we played against a better team.
Chairperson, I forgot to mention the department. To you ladies and gentlemen, thank you for all the assistance that you gave us, specially to me, over all these years. [Applause.] I don't see Phumzi or Cori here, but thank you for all your assistance as well.
Finally, Chairperson, I was a little hesitant to speak here today because, for the first time, two of my children are also here. The one, Lauren, who is sitting there, represented South Africa at acro-gymnastics. Next to her is her sister and her husband. [Applause.]
My children, thank you for your support over all these years. I have neglected you, but I hope it was worthwhile for South Africa. [Applause.]