Good Evening!

We are honoured this evening to find ourselves in the company of true celebrity in the form of the players, coaches and presidents of the three clubs we celebrate tonight.

We meet amidst the uncertainty that has gripped the world and indeed our country, as we grapple with the reality of the Covid-19 pandemic.

As a country we have already accepted that the Coronavirus is now part of our lives. When our key international player Percy Tau and the assistant coach of Bafana Cedomir Janevski contract the virus, it did not even become news. As we approach the possible third wave of this pandemic, we no longer see it as a national crisis, but we have learnt to navigate our way around.

As the province, we would like to join the rest of the country in wishing Tau and Janevski a speedy recovery. At the same time, we would like to take the opportunity to congratulate caretaker coach Helman Mkhalele, a son of KwaZulu-Natal on the youthful Bafana Bafana’s performance in the friendly against the Cranes of Uganda yesterday. What a convincing win! If Tokyo Sexwale was in the room, he would have added: What a touch! What a time to be alive! Indeed, South Africa is alive with possibility! Who indeed would have thought that a mighty team, like my team, amakhosi amahle, abafana bokuthula noxolo, would be celebrating just to make it in the top-8!

Tonight, we raise the flag to the teams from KwaZulu-Natal whose exploits have brought hope and joy to the hearts of millions in the province during a winter of despair.

From the challenges brought about by the pandemic, we have looked for inspiration to Golden Arrows FC which ended at number four in the PSL log, and Royal AM FC which made history by topping the Glad Africa Championship this season.

When Sandile Zungu took over AmaZulu FC towards the end of last year, we thought he was promising the impossible when he committed his new coach Benni McCarthy to a top four finish. What the AmaZulu team has delivered instead, is way beyond the expectations of millions and the predictions of many.

Today we are talking about AmaZulu FC at number two in the PSL and which will play in the Africa Champions League against the big boys of Africa. It will be the first time since the club was founded in 1932 that AmaZulu FC will test their mettle in Africa. In fact, were it not for Sundowns AmaZulu FC would be champions of the PSL today.

We therefore congratulate the players of AmaZulu FC and the technical team led by Benni McCarthy for pushing the boundaries, and for aiming higher and higher. We also wish to acknowledge the role played by the Zungu family and particularly Sandile, who by investing in AmaZulu has shone a bright light on the prospects of football and sport in the province.

Sandile Zungu is a seasoned businessman who as a young man left Umlazi for Johannesburg and made a huge success leading in various sectors of our economy. His decision to invest in football has attracted the attention of local and international business who recognise that football brands are rising again in the coast of KwaZulu-Natal. Thanks to Sandile, we will not be surprised to see more ambitious local and international investors involved in soccer in KwaZulu-Natal.

It was Zungu’s pedigree that attracted Benni McCarthy to KwaZulu-Natal to become head coach of a relatively small club. They do not come bigger than Benni, South Africa’s all-time leading goal scorer, and a man who enjoys a challenge.

When they said he was too young, at 17 Benni went from the streets of Cape Town to Ajax Amsterdam, later winning the UEFA Cup with Jose Morino at FC Porto. Not many remember that in his first season Benni ended as number two to Didier Drogba in the goal charts in the English Premier League.

We point this out because greatness like that of McCarthy and Zungu inspires greatness and convinces others that it is possible to achieve even against odds. No doubt the success of AmaZulu has inspired neighbours Arrows under Mandla Ncikazi to perform beyond themselves.

Such is the competition between the two Durban teams that it has, we believe, also raised the overall quality and standard of performance among the KZN teams in the PSL. With relatively few resources and no major stars, both AmaZulu and Arrows must be congratulated for achieving beyond expectations. Our wish next season is to see a KwaZulu Natal team crowned Champions of the PSL and reaching the finals of the Champions League. Our wish is also to see Maritzburg City return to its former glory and to end up somewhere in the top ten next season.

As we pay our respects to the Zungu and Madlala families, we also extend our hearty congratulations to Andile Mpisane and Shaun Mkhize for topping the Glad Africa Championship with Royal AM. Playing in Glad Africa is a testing and costly exercise that continuously draws on the financial resources with very few returns.

We congratulate Royal AM Chairperson Andile Mpisane who was the youngest president of a club in the Championship, and will make the same history even in the PSL.

At this stage we pause to recall a quotation from Marion Williamson which was made famous by Madiba, the founding President of our democracy which says, and I quote:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure… And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others”.

By achieving, our teams are liberating others from fearing the unknown. Your achievements have mapped the footsteps that others behind will now follow. In the near future, there will be more outstanding daughters and sons of KZN who will excel in sport, not just in the province or nationally, but also internationally. Your achievements will inspire many more to break barriers. You will push more people to dream the dreams that at first may seem impossible as they emulate fine athletes like S’busiso Zuma, Siyabonga Nomvete, Delron Buckley, Willie Mtolo, Penny Haynes, Chad Le Clos, Hashim Amla and many more.

Sport not only builds character, but it also contributes to social cohesion and nation-building. Sport therefore remains one of the most critical tools we can use to build a united, non-racial, non-sexist and prosperous South Africa. We can use sport to encourage good citizenship and to build successful careers in all codes.

SPORT AS TOOL FOR SOCIOECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION

As we indicated in the State of the Province Address in the aftermath of Covid-19, sport will be crucial in resuscitating the public mood, social cohesion, rebuilding confidence in our nation-building agenda and driving economic recovery.

It will be recalled that sport was devastated by this pandemic as all mass-based activities had to be halted to arrest the spread of this merciless disease. Major events were cancelled including the World Football Summit, Comrades Marathon, Dundee July Traditional Horse Racing, KZN Premier’s Cup, KZN and National Sport Awards, SALGA KZN-DSR Games, school sport programme and others.

Events like the Comrades Marathon Association was cancelled due to uncertainty caused by the pandemic. As a short-term measure, the Department initiated a Provincial Relief Fund to assist athletes, coaches, technical personnel, sport federations, recreational entities and the fitness industry in KZN affected by the cancellation of events due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 738 beneficiaries have been paid with a sum of R 4 785 million paid to date. The appeals process has commenced with 40 appeals currently being processed.

Our Department of Sports and Recreation will continue to work with industry stakeholders, seek and establish partnerships and continuously look for innovative ways to assist the sector to get back on its feet. The Department is committed to utilizing sport as a powerful tool to achieve socio-economic transformation of our society. One such initiative will be to direct procurement of sport apparel from SMMEs and cooperatives in the 2021/22 financial year.

Last year we were excited to receive the affirmation that Durban will for the first time in Africa’s history, host the World Table Tennis Championship in 2023.

WARD-BASED INTERVENTION PROGRAMME (WIP) AND SPORT LEGENDS

We remain committed to make use of KZN’s Sport Legends and Ex-Professional players to assist in the implementation of sport development programmes at Ward-level and schools to provide talent identification, coaching and development.

Working with the School Sport Coordinators and Healthy Lifestyle Coordinators, we are supporting the One Ward – One Club System (Ward-Based Intervention Programme). This should feed into the provincial Sports Academy System that will produce high performance athletes in KZN.

PROVINCIAL CABINET SUPPORTS THE HOSTING OF THE COSAFA CUP 2021- 2023

Sport is a billion dollar international business with massive opportunities for young people of all races and economic backgrounds. Sporting opportunities present prospects for international travel and can change lives for ever. We are pleased that some of the players of our KZN teams are part of the squad that is being assembled by our newly appointed coach Hugo Broos. We are certain that more will be part of Bafana Bafana and truly walk in the steps of players like Benni and others. To borrow a slogan that is used by Sundowns FC, only “the sky is the limit”.

In this regard, as provincial government yesterday we endorsed the proposal of the Confederation of Southern African Football (COSAFA) to hold its annual regional showpiece, the COSAFA Cup in the province from 2021 to 2023.

Provincial Cabinet learnt that COSAFA had approached the eThekwini Metro and the Province in 2020 to discuss a possible partnership. However, due to COVID-19 and limited funding the request for support was declined. The hosting of the 14-member COSAFA tournament in KwaZulu-Natal will contribute to social cohesion and provide much-needed media and international exposure for young players in the province which Cabinet endorsed.

Provincial Cabinet also welcomed the fact that the legacy programme includes the training of D-Licence football coaches and that in 2022, the competition will include the zonal qualifications for the Women’s CAF Champions League.

As we conclude, most of you come from grinding poverty conditions. We celebrate you for having worked hard to use sport to liberate yourselves and your families from poverty, unemployment and hopelessness.

You are here because you have demonstrated the tenacity of spirit to overcome any adversity. Congratulations for putting KwaZulu-Natal on the map.

Good luck for the coming season here in South Africa, and in the rest of the continent.

Together Growing KwaZulu-Natal!

I thank you!