Sports, Arts and Culture minister, Zizi Kodwa, has thanked the rugby team for sharing their victory with the rest of the country. He was speaking on the sidelines of the Bok’s victory tour, underway in East London, in the Eastern Cape.
The Boks have been meeting and thanking fans in some major cities in the country, following the team’s one-point victory over longtime rivals, New Zealand’s All Blacks.
The team is today touring different parts of East London including the town, Mdantsane and the CBD with stops planned at city hall.
Boks Victory Tour | Springboks arrive at East London City Hall to heroes welcome:
Kodwa says focus should now shift to developing sports in schools.
“Today is the last leg of the trophy tour, we’re quite exhausted and I do want to thank them for making time to share their experience and love with South Africans. There’s nothing that was forcing them to do this, but they’re doing it to make sure that our people do celebrate them, and I want to thank them individually for what they’ve done,” says Kodwa.
“I think the focus now must be on grassroots, must be on school sports, because they’ve done their part. The question is how do we keep momentum of a sporting nation, of a winning nation.”
Boks Victory Tour | SABC News reporter Lerato Fekisi interacts with fans outside EL Town Hall:
Sports Minister Zizi Kodwa has also wished the country’s cricket team well on their World Cup bid in India.
The Proteas are currently taking on the hosts India, who won the toss and chose to bat first at the Eden Gardens oval.
Kodwa says the teams’ winning spirit inspires social cohesion in the country…
“We’re proud because we’re a country of champs. Today, we’re in the semis in India, and we’re playing a very important game today at Eden garden, which is a very historic stadium. I think if we were to see our national teams, (it they) were to perform in a manner that cricket, in the manner that rugby is performing, we’ll continue to have this, which binds us together in the country. Because if all our teams were to perform like this and we have this momentum throughout the year, you can imagine how close we are to bringing social cohesion and nation building.”
Boks Victory Tour | Mdantsane supporters running after tour bus heading to East London City Hall:
