Mbeki calls for winning nation
2004-02-06 18:51
Cape Town - President Thabo Mbeki may have been upbeat about the state of the economy in his address to Parliament on Friday, but he was less sanguine about the state of South African sport.
In his address, he urged South Africans to work to create the "winning people-centred society" that his predecessor Nelson Mandela had spoken of.
"If I may say this, creating that winning nation must include greatly improved organisation, management and performance by all the national teams, Bafana Bafana, the Springboks, the Proteas and our athletic teams," he said.
His remark was met with laughter and applause from MPs, and a wide grin from Sports Minister Ngconde Balfour.
Bafana Bafana, the national soccer team, this week crashed out of the African Cup of Nations tournament in spectacular style, while Springbok rugby has faced a series of crises.
The Proteas, on the other hand, have just won their one-day series against the West Indies, after wiping them out in a test series.
Mbeki also drew laughter when he told MPs that they - or some of them, at any rate - would be returning to the Assembly chamber in a few months to inaugurate the third democratic parliament.
"Whoever will be president then will deliver yet another state of the nation address," he said with a straight face.
- SAPA