IRVIN Khoza has made a passionate plea to South Africans who want to leave the country in search of greener pastures to instead stay put
The chairperson of the 2010 World Cup Local Organising Committee (LOC) said the country has been experiencing an exodus of skilled people like doctors and social workers, who have found jobs in other countries.
Khoza was speaking in Durban on Monday night where he and LOC CEO Danny Jordaan received Public Relations Institute of South Africa (Prisa) gold medals for their role in organising the soccer tournament.
Jordaan and Khoza became the third (joint) black African recipients of the prestigious gold Prisa award after former president Nelson Mandela and Anglican Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu.
"This country is the most discounted country in the world, yet most beautiful. To South Africans, please don't leave this country ... don't abandon it for prosperity because you will be harshly judged," Khoza said. "This is a paradise, it's like heaven."
Khoza said the good work during the hosting of last year's World Cup had resulted in many people and companies that were involved being approached to do more work by the organisers of Brazil 2014.
He said skilled personnel, including project managers and events organisers, were being recruited to ensure that the next World Cup in Brazil was delivered on time.
Jordaan said the whole perception of who we are and what we can produce had now changed.
Before the World Cup, European media told visitors to bring their bullet-proof vests when coming to South Africa; but after the tournament, they told everyone to bring their families, wives and children to our shores.
"The World Cup changed our perception. It changed the storyline about us and the entire continent. Before the World Cup, we were neither members of (emerging market economic group) Brics nor the UN Security Council, but after it, everything is about us," he said.
Jordaan said even Paul the octopus - who famously predicted Spain's victory over the Netherlands in the final - waited until the tournament finished before he died.
Soccer chief pleads with compatriots: stay in SA
IRVIN Khoza has made a passionate plea to South Africans who want to leave the country in search of greener pastures to instead stay put
The chairperson of the 2010 World Cup Local Organising Committee (LOC) said the country has been experiencing an exodus of skilled people like doctors and social workers, who have found jobs in other countries.
Khoza was speaking in Durban on Monday night where he and LOC CEO Danny Jordaan received Public Relations Institute of South Africa (Prisa) gold medals for their role in organising the soccer tournament.
Jordaan and Khoza became the third (joint) black African recipients of the prestigious gold Prisa award after former president Nelson Mandela and Anglican Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu.
"This country is the most discounted country in the world, yet most beautiful. To South Africans, please don't leave this country ... don't abandon it for prosperity because you will be harshly judged," Khoza said. "This is a paradise, it's like heaven."
Khoza said the good work during the hosting of last year's World Cup had resulted in many people and companies that were involved being approached to do more work by the organisers of Brazil 2014.
He said skilled personnel, including project managers and events organisers, were being recruited to ensure that the next World Cup in Brazil was delivered on time.
Jordaan said the whole perception of who we are and what we can produce had now changed.
Before the World Cup, European media told visitors to bring their bullet-proof vests when coming to South Africa; but after the tournament, they told everyone to bring their families, wives and children to our shores.
"The World Cup changed our perception. It changed the storyline about us and the entire continent. Before the World Cup, we were neither members of (emerging market economic group) Brics nor the UN Security Council, but after it, everything is about us," he said.
Jordaan said even Paul the octopus - who famously predicted Spain's victory over the Netherlands in the final - waited until the tournament finished before he died.
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