‘SA enabled Siya Kolisi to realise his dream’ – Ramaphosa

We can achieve anything if we work together as one.

This was the word from President Cyril Ramaphosa, pinching a quote from Springbok captain Siya Kolisi, and was also the theme of his Monday email to the nation.

He wrote about the ability of sport to bring people together, and the need for South Africans to harnass that togetherness for other issues facing the country.

Ramaphosa was at the Yokohama Stadium in Japan on Saturday to celebrate the Boks winning the Rubgy World Cup for the third time.

In a beautifully penned tribute to sport he spoke about the pride he felt when he watched Kolisi lift the Webb Ellis trophy.

“I could see the undisguised emotion on the face of his father, Fezakele Raymond Kolisi, watching from the stands. There was his son, the first black captain of the Springboks, making history,” wrote Ramaphosa.

He reflected on the significance of Kolisi’s birth – June 16, which is also the day that South Africa acknowledges the student uprising in 1976.

“Siya’s captaincy not only epitomises the transformation of a sport that was once racially segregated; it is the power of a dream fulfilled. This is the dream of a young man of humble circumstances to one day wear the green and gold jersey, and of a country that has enabled him to see it realised,” Ramaphosa wrote.

President Cyril Ramaphosa lifts the Webb Ellis Cup with Siya Kolisia at the International Stadium Yokohama on Saturday. Picture: Lynne Cameron/Getty Images

The outpouring of support for the Springboks on the road to the final once again showed the immense potential of sport to unite us as a people, he said.

“When Caster Semenya crosses the finish line, when Banyana Banyana find the back of the net, when Chad le Clos lifts his gold medal, when our national netball team, the Proteas are crowned Africa champions, all of South Africa is cheering on the sidelines. After generations of division, we have become a people with a great sense of national pride.

“But we are not only united by the achievements of our sportstars or internationally acclaimed performers, like the Ndlovu Youth Choir. We are also united by a shared desire for a country where all can live in peace and comfort, where all have an equal chance to achieve their potential.

“We are united by the vision of a country where the divisions of the past can be overcome, a nation of equality, dignity and respect for human rights. Over the past 25 years, we have been working together to build that nation. And while this is still very much a work in progress, we are firmly on the path to unite, renew and transform our society.”

Ramaphosa mentioned issues such as racism, sexism, tribalism, xenophobia, homophobia and other forms of intolerance that have “on occasion” taken root in our society and “blindsided us as we strive towards our national objective of creating a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic, prosperous and tolerant society”.

But we have always come back, he said, even when we stood at the brink of tipping over.

“We often fail to appreciate just how far we have come since that iconic moment in 1995 when a South African first held aloft the Rugby World Cup trophy in building a society that offers equal opportunity to all regardless of race, gender or social circumstances.”

The Springboks celebrate with the Webb Ellis trophy after winning the World Cup Final. Picture: Matthew Childs/Reuters

Last week, Ramaphosa attended a businesswomen’s summit in Johannesburg and “was in awe of the breadth of occupations and ventures our country’s women have entered”.

He mentioned the professions of the women who attended the summit – shipping company CEOs, tech entrepreneurs, DNA specialists and production company owners.

“This has been made possible by the progressive policies of this government and the opportunities it has afforded its people,” he said.

But despite the strides the country had made, there was more that was needed to be done “to make this a country where the black child and the white child can attain the heights they always dream of”.

He spoke about the need to foster social cohesion in our society, including the following areas:

• Our national broadcaster – indeed all broadcasters – should commission more content that reflects the values of tolerance and multiculturalism.
• Leaders of faith organisations, traditional bodies, political parties, cultural organisations, sports organisations and business bodies should all work together to foster a more inclusive and cohesive society.
• Public sports and recreation facilities must be better resourced, especially in rural areas, so that young men and women who cherish dreams of sporting success attain their goals; and
• The youth should be able to explore and appreciate their history, traditions and languages.

This week, South Africa will be hosting its second Investment Conference, which will see more than 1 500 investors and business people attend.

“To mobilise the investment we need requires a massive effort from us all. More than ever, we need to be single-minded in our determination to build an economy that can benefit all our people,” Ramaphosa said.

“As we held our breath on Saturday and awaited the final whistle, we momentarily forgot our woes. And now, our sails swelled by the wind of victory, our pride must not deflate, our euphoria must not dissipate and our optimism must endure.

“Let the goodwill brought by our success at Yokohama inspire us to put our collective shoulder to the wheel as we confront our economic, political and social challenges together – and overcome them.”

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