Join many in the dream of sharing in the celebration,
the dream of dancing together
of welcoming the world to our home.
Now the time has come.
Now the dream is real.
What are you doing to be a great host?
South Africa: Alive with Possibility.
Friends, may I introduce his Excellency Trevor Manuel,
he is a Minister of the National Planning Commission of South Africa
for the Davos Kick-Off of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
Trevor?
Thank you very much, Professor Schwab.
You know in many ways, we as South Africans
have as a single team raised the profile about country here at Davos.
We’re glad to see so many of you wearing your scarves identifying with us.
This kick-off is very important to us because the World Cup in 2010
is South African
but more importantly it’s African.
Amongst the team playing here today
is the prime minister of our neighboring Zimbabwe, Morgan Tsvangirai.
Never has a sports event being more important in the life of a country.
It’s not just sports event.
It’s about claiming an opportunity for all emanative things
in the way in which development has gone.
We have our stadiums ready.
So many big events don’t have the stadiums ready.
Games had been played in all of our stadiums.
The cars had been seated.
We are ready
and that’s a very important message to say to you
we are ready.
But hosting sports events is only one of the things that we can do.
More importantly, we’re country and the region that is open for business.
A part of the message to you is to join us and join the games with us
but more importantly we want you to understand
just how important the investment opportunities on the African continent are
We’re grateful the Professor Schwab
on the way it had afforded us the opportunity
firstly to host this kick-off so that you can be here with us
and I’m going to ask to all of our players
Lucas Radebe and Mark Fish
to actually pass the balls that we see the kick-off.
And secondly,
we want to invite you to join us this evening.
The soiree this evening is great to be a special South African event.
We’re going to feel Africa and we’re going to have
an African wonderfully good time.
And then by the way –
hi.
This afternoon at the Belvedere 03 there will be a screening
at two o’clock of the film entitled More Than Just a Game.
Many parts of South Africa put it together and
so yes we have very competent soccer players.
But one of the things that soccer had meant
to the many great South Africans incarcerated on Robben Island
was that soccer was something we’re fighting for
because it was a Saturday recreation.
The movie is actually about
that part of soccer in the development of South Africans.
So we’d like to invite you to join us for that movie at the Belvedere 03
at two o’clock this afternoon.
But now to get the kick-off underway, Rue, where is Fish?
Come on, get the ball going on.
So we’re going to follow to sing you this afternoon and tonight
t and join with us. It’s a great time.
It’s a fun time but it’s very special in our lives.
Thank you very much.