This was the commitment made by North West Acting Premier Louisa Mabe during the launch of the Football Friday campaign in Rustenburg. South Africa will host the 2013 Afcon, which is scheduled to begin on 19 January and end on 10 February.
Mabe also expressed support for the Clean City Project that the Rustenburg Local Municipality has initiated as part of the programme for Mandela Month.
"We are gearing ourselves to surpass the standards we had set during the 2010 Football World Cup as the safest and friendliest host city for international sporting events," said Mabe.
Executive Mayor of Rustenburg Local Municipality, Mpho Khonou, encouraged the province to make it happen, reminding them that they were voted the best host city during the 2010 Football World Cup.
"We call on residents to be ambassadors of the tournament so that football fans and tourists who will come to the games to be hosted at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium experience a thrill of a lifetime," said Khonou.
Vuvuzelas and an electrifying fan-park atmosphere characterised the Football Friday launch that was graced by, among others, regional officials from the South African Football Association; Kgosi Nyalala Pilane of Bakgatla Ba-Kgafela and the Mayor of Moses Kotane Local Municipality, Fetsang Mokate-Thebe.
Five-a-side matches, played by teams including municipal officials, offered entertainment for those who attended.
