Cape Town - The successful hosting of the 2010 Soccer World Cup was the pinnacle of success for South Africa and its people, says President Jacob Zuma.
Singling out the people of South Africa as the "true stars" of the tournament, the President said they had showed the world that South Africa was a country of winners and had changed perceptions about the country.
"The World Cup tournament revealed that South Africans are capable of working together in unity. They proved that they are proud to be South Africans," he said during a joint sitting of Parliament to debate the successful hosting of the 2010 World Cup.
The unity and patriotism showed by the country's citizens was a source of hope for the future and a step in the direction of achieving social cohesion, Zuma said.
Turning to the economic impact of the tournament, the President said while it was still too early to tell what the benefits of the tournament were, government expected a "healthy return" on the R33 billion spent on transport infrastructure, telecommunication and stadiums.
It is estimated that the World Cup will add 0.4 percent to the country's Gross Domestic Product.
The successful hosting of the World Cup earned the country the reputation of being able to deliver on its undertakings, he said.
Zuma noted that more than three million spectators attended the 64 World Cup matches - a figure which excluded the millions who watched the matches at fan fests, fan parks and public viewing areas.
"It has also been acknowledged that our fan parks were so huge that they resembled mini-stadiums, which had not happened in other host countries," he said.
Government had recorded that more than 1.4 million foreigners visited the country during the tournament.
"The systems we had put in place to control the movement of people worked seamlessly and efficiently," he said.
Lessons learnt during the hosting of the 2010 Soccer World Cup will be incorporated into government's new outcomes approach.
"We cannot let these lessons go to waste. They must help us improve service delivery," Zuma said.
He stressed that the tournament was not an end in itself but a catalyst for development.
The diligent police work and swift justice seen during the World Cup would be built on, the President said.
"The Department of Justice is currently investigating whether the model of the World Cup courts can be incorporated into the country's criminal justice system," he added.
Public transport was described as one of the greatest successes of the World Cup.
"Our integrated transport infrastructure and networks will improve the lives of South Africans for many years to come," Zuma said.
The President expressed gratitude to politicians - past and present - the media, religious leaders, the Football fraternity, and ordinary South Africans for their contribution to a successful World Cup.
